Land transport issues prioritised for the Waikato region

Resilience and climate change are top of the list of issues the Waikato Regional Transport Committee will seek to address through its next 10-year land transport plan.

These issues are closely followed by safety, access and mobility, and growth and economic development, the committee decided when it met in Hamilton this week.

This prioritisation signals to the region’s road controlling authorities the types of significant transport activities they will need to put forward for the 2024-2034 Regional Land Transport Plan, which will be developed over the coming months.

Committee chair and Waikato regional councillor Mich’eal Downard said it was apparent through successive extreme weather events that the transport network was increasingly vulnerable to climate change and other disruptions.

“This is putting communities at risk and affecting the ability to maintain route security – a critical issue when it comes to the movement of people and freight,” said Cr Downard.

“Waikato is New Zealand’s fourth largest region in area and economic output, yet hosts a disproportionate volume of national traffic. That’s because of our position between Auckland and the Bay of Plenty, and so transport investment needs and return are significant in a national context.”

A growth and economic development focus is important for embedding the type of integrated land use and transport planning that will support the region’s climate change initiatives and future land transport system. Providing access and mobility is core a consideration for transport planning and safety continues to be a national priority, the committee confirmed.

The regional land transport plan provides the framework for Waikato region’s transport system for the next 10 years and is the key mechanism for securing government funding that enables the region to build and maintain its transport infrastructure.

“The transport infrastructure that we use today started as a plan someone else made many years ago. The process is necessarily thorough and time intensive, with an opportunity for our communities to provide feedback early next year,” Cr Downard said.

The Land Transport Management Act 2003 requires a plan to be produced every six financial years to outline the policy and activities that will produce the transport infrastructure the region needs, including roading and public transport.

The plan is broad and must reduce single-occupancy car use, as well as encourage cycling and walking as transport options.

The Regional Transport Committee comprises councillors from the region’s city, district and regional councils, as well as representatives from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, KiwiRail and the disability, and access and mobility sectors.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is the responsible road controlling authority (RCA) for state highways, with city and district councils the RCAs for local roads.