A Council can fund improvements with no National Land Transport Fund funding. Projects do not need to meet Waka Kotahi's investment goals when they are 100% council funded.
New residential and commercial developments place additional demand on community infrastructure such as the transport network, water supply and parks. A development contribution is a charge on new developments that place additional demand on capacity in the Council's facilities and infrastructure. Development contributions of cash or sometimes land help fund the facilities and infrastructure that the Council provides to cater for growth.
The policy, mechanism and basis for calculating the contribution will be set out in the city or district plan. It is not unreasonable for the proportion of the infrastructure cost funded by the developer to reflect the percentage increase in pedestrians that the development creates. Long-term plans prepared under the Local Government Act may also set out developer contribution policies.
In addition to overarching developer contributions a Road Controlling Authority may consider that additional or improved pedestrian provision is required on the adjacent road network because of the effects of a new development, the developer may be asked for a financial contribution to the cost. Also, planning consent can be conditional on the provision of certain facilities.
Raising funds among the local community can help make an initial case for improvements, for example by funding data collection or public events. It is also a way to build support and awareness around an issue affecting walking among the local community.
In some cases, community fundraising has even gone as far as co-funding infrastructure improvements. For example, Lake Tekapo Footbridge was built with business contributions and community donations complemented by Council and Waka Kotahi funding.
Lake Tekapo footbridge. (Photo: Penny Gray)
