Chairman's Report
COVID-19 and the lockdown are expected to have an impact on the final GPS document that may differ significantly from the draft GPS. We generally support the design of GPS 2021, but we indicate that there are some areas that need to be reviewed. Tasman District Council is one of three centralized councils in the northern part of the South Island, forming the wider area often referred to as 'the Top of the South'.
The main population of the Tasman district is centered in Richmond (which sits on the border with Nelson City and together with Nelson forms the wider Nelson Urban Area). Fifty-eight percent of the Tasman District is national parks - Nelson Lakes, Kahurangi and Abel Tasman National Parks. argue that a greater proportion of the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) should be earmarked for regions based on their relative contribution to the NLTF.
In 2019/20, NZTA figures show the Tasman region received 0.4% of total committed NLTF funding. We are happy to discuss any of the points we have made in this submission. At the time, the pace and extent of development in Richmond West was uncertain.
A project of this scale does not meet the funding criteria for Waka Kotahi's low cost, low risk co-financing and would need a business case to justify the investment. This decision will increase resilience to climate change and the ability of the council or district to proactively respond to the impacts of climate change. In this case, Waka Kotahi will accept financial responsibility for the Richmond Transport Program Business Case and Council will take financial responsibility for the Berryfield Drive Connection, subject to separate financial approval and formal acceptance of the proposed RTC recommendation to include this project in the RLTP.
Both reports are included to ensure that information contained in the first report (but not contained in the second report) is brought to the Committee's attention. It represents the NZ Transport Agency's best understanding of the Transport Network and key challenges based on our current information. For the South Pole, the information contained in Arataki shows a growing and aging economy and population.
We are currently in the design phase with the release of the draft design report and consultation document in December 2019. At this stage 'mode shift' plans are not being developed outside the six main cities. The Richmond Program Business Case will add a level of detail to the interventions originally developed in the Network Operating Framework to further support the funding applications to take them forward and secondly to provide solid evidence of the need to either retain or allow the Hope Bypass- the designation for lapsed.
Road to Zero strengthens every part of the road system with one priority in mind: people's safety.
Tasman Transport Activity Management Update
Amendments to the Regional Land Transport Plan
The full cost is not yet known, but it is estimated that the strategic case could cost $100,000 and the program business case about $300,000. Waka Kotahi Delegations Board agreed to fund the Business Case of the program with a modest financial contribution from the Tasman District Council. Given the scale and scope, a ford is no longer considered suitable and a solution will be needed over the next two years.
This is a short business case document that can be completed by the Council without the need for consultant assistance. The Borck Creek Bridge is Council Staff's current preferred option for the Berryfield Drive Connection business case. Any business case work must be in line with the Ministry of Transport's transport priorities in the Government Policy Statement (GPS).
All projects identified through the business case process do not commit funding to the Board. It is intended that the identified projects will be included for consideration in the draft multi-annual plan. There is a further separate requirement for the Council to decide to finance and include the project in the.
Inclusion in the RLTP allows the Council to seek funding from the NLTF through Waka Kotahi.
Waka Kotahi, New Zealand Transport Agency Update
The consultation has now closed and we are considering all comments and will provide a summary of the comments we received in early April. There will be a separate prioritization consultation once the draft GPS is released. The team used transport modeling data based on land use proposed by Nelson Tasman's Future Development Strategy to understand the size and location of future network pressure points and to assess how potential packages of solutions will affect the community.
Once we have feedback from the wider community, a draft proposal will be developed and tested again with the Community before being incorporated into the Nelson Long Term Plan/Regional Land Transport Plan and the Waka Kotahi Transport Investment Proposal. These regional plans will be finalized by June to inform future regional land transport plans. The timelines and approaches for each country-based plan vary and will be tailored around the needs and opportunities most relevant to each country, the intention being that the modal shift plans will inform the development of Regional Land Transport Plans.
For Richmond the transport model is complete which will be used to assess gaps and the next step is to work with Council staff to develop the interventions both outlined. Completion of the Richmond Program Business Case is needed now to inform the development of the Long Term Plan 2021 NLTP and the Tasman 2021-2031 and RLTP planned for development to 2020 and early 2021. Feedback received from the engagement phase will help us determine whether and what proposed speed limit changes will be formally consulted on.
It aims to improve the safety of the light vehicle fleet (a priority in the . Government's Road to Zero strategy) by raising awareness of the vehicle's star safety ratings and of the role a vehicle plays in keeping occupants safe in a crash. The Safe Vehicles program includes educating members of the vehicle industry, car dealers and the public about safety ratings and ensuring that safety ratings are prominent at every point of the customer's purchase journey. The Rightcar website will be relaunched with updated information and will be promoted as the best source of vehicle safety information.
We expect to be able to complete most of the work and reopen the road to two lanes by the end of the year. The road will be sealed and new signage installed in early 2021. This work will be carried out by Downer on behalf of the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. The Transport Agency project team will be at Takaka Village Market to meet locals and answer questions about the Takaka Hill repairs on Saturday 4th April 9-11am.
