Agenda of Regional Transport Committee

Regional Transport Committee

6 December 2021

Page No.

Karakia and Mihi Timatanga

1. Apologies

Nil

2. Confirmation of Order of Business

3. Interests

3.1 Updates to the Interests Register

3.2 Identify any conflicts of interest in the agenda

4. Public Forum

4.1 Biddy Myers - The need to support Electric Vehicles in our Region

Biddy Myers will speak about the need to support electric vehicles in our region and the lack of charging provisions.

5. Confirmation of Minutes

5.1 28 September 2021 6 - 9

Document number M18972

Recommendation

That the Regional Transport Committee

1. Confirms the minutes of the meeting of the Regional Transport Committee, held on 28 September 2021, as a true and correct record.

6. Regional Transport Committee Chair's Report 10 - 10

Document number R26461

Recommendation

That the Regional Transport Committee

1. Receives the report Regional Transport Committee Chair's Report (R26461).

7. Variation to Regional Land Transport Plan - Rocks Road Walking and Cycling Pre-Implementation 11 - 37

Document number R26260

Recommendation

That the Regional Transport Committee

1. Receives the report Variation to Regional Land Transport Plan - Rocks Road Walking and Cycling Pre-Implementation (R26260) and its attachments (A2779559 and A2781180); and

2. Notes that a variation to amend the Regional Land Transport Plan is required to include the SH6 Rocks Road Pre-Implementation Phase to facilitate Waka Kotahi seeking funding concurrently with the Business Case approval, and that consultation on this variation is not required as it does not trigger Council’s Regional Land Transport Plan’s Significance Policy and nor is it appropriate to carry out any additional consultation in the circumstances; and

3. Approves, for submission to Council, that the Nelson Regional Land Transport Programme 2021-31 is varied to include a total of $6.5M for “Pre-implementation Phase” for the SH6 Rocks Road Walking and Cycling facility spread over the 2021-24 financial years, noting that approval from both the Tasman District Council and Marlborough District Council is not required but that they be advised of the proposed variation.

Recommendation to Council

That the Council

1. Approves that the Nelson Regional Land Transport Programme 2021-31 is varied to include a total of $6.5M for “Pre-implementation Phase” for the SH6 Rocks Road Walking and Cycling facility spread over the 2021-24 financial years.

8. Waka Kotahi Update 38 - 53

Document number R26365

Recommendation

That the Regional Transport Committee

1. Receives the report Waka Kotahi Update (R26365) and its attachment (A2792850).

Karakia Whakamutunga

Regional Transport Committee Minutes - 28 September 2021

Minutes of a meeting of the Regional Transport Committee

Te Kōmiti Waka-ā-Rohe

Held in the Council Chamber, Civic House, 110 Trafalgar Street, Nelson on Tuesday 28 September 2021, commencing at 1.38p.m.

Present: Councillor B McGurk (Chairperson), Her Worship the Mayor R Reese, Councillors J Edgar and R O'Neill-Stevens and Waka Kotahi Representatives, Mr A James and Ms E Speight (via Zoom)

In Attendance: Group Manager Infrastructure (A Louverdis) and Governance Advisers (E Stephenson and K McLean)

Apologies : Nil

Due to technical difficulties, the meeting was adjourned from 1.39pm until 1.41pm.

Karakia and Mihi Timatanga

1. Apologies

There were no apologies.

2. Confirmation of Order of Business

There was no change to the order of business.

3. Interests

There were no updates to the Interests Register, and no interests with items on the agenda were declared.

4. Public Forum

There was no public forum.

5. Confirmation of Minutes

5.1 29 June 2021

Document number M18765, agenda pages 5 - 8 refer.

Resolved RTC/2021/012

That the Regional Transport Committee

1. Confirms the minutes of the meeting of the Regional Transport Committee, held on 29 June 2021, as a true and correct record.

O'Neill-Stevens/Edgar Carried

6. Chairperson's Report

The Chairperson gave a verbal report, noting that funding for the Land Transport Fund showed the benefit of Council’s joint plan with Tasman and Marlborough, with $26.3m for local road maintenance, $5.9m to maintain and bring through improvements signalled in the Regional Land Transport Plan. He acknowledged the contribution of the transport team and Waka Kotahi.

Resolved RTC/2021/013

That the Regional Transport Committee

1. Receives the Chairperson’s verbal report.

McGurk/Edgar Carried

7. 2020/21 Annual Monitoring Report on the Regional Transport Plan 2015-21

Document number R26087, agenda pages 9 - 38 refer.

Manager Transport and Solid Waste, Marg Parfitt, spoke to the report, and answered questions regarding travel time variabilities, traffic monitoring, active transport, road safety, cycle crash data and communication regarding proactive road closures for roadworks.

Resolved RTC/2021/014

That the Regional Transport Committee

1. Receives the report 2020/21 Annual Monitoring Report on the Regional Transport Plan 2015-21 (R26087) and its attachment (A2720457).

Edgar/Her Worship the Mayor Carried

The meeting was adjourned from 2.11pm until 2.25pm.

8. Waka Kotahi Update

Document number R26181, agenda pages 39 - 60 refer.

Waka Kotahi Representative, Emma Speight, spoke to the report and its attachment, highlighting investment in transport for Nelson and the region as a whole, key activity class detail, public transport, the national ticketing programme, walking and cycling, the Road to Zero project, the rail network and coastal shipping, the annual monitoring report, the public awareness campaign, partnering with Māori and Pasifika businesses and Te Hiringa o Te Taiao (Waka Kotahi’s resource efficiency strategy). Ms Speight answered questions regarding public consultation, the speed limit register and related rule changes, the resource efficiency strategy and the Nelson Future Access Project.

In response to a question, Waka Kotahi Representative, Andrew James, advised that Whakatū Drive remedial shape correction entailed maintenance work to bring the road back to shape to ensure water drained off properly and that no noise treatments had been budgeted for.

Resolved RTC/2021/015

That the Regional Transport Committee

1. Receives the report Waka Kotahi Update (R26181) and its attachment (A2748059).

Speight/O'Neill-Stevens Carried

9. Public Transport Update

Document number R26022, agenda pages 61 - 64 refer.

A document was tabled (A2756325 - paragraphs 4.8.1 – 4.8.7) relating to Conditions of carriage for pets, that had been inadvertently omitted from the agenda.

Manager Transport and Solid Waste, Marg Parfitt, spoke to the report, noting funding for planned improvements, public transport patronage and funding, free travel for people travelling for COVID-19 vaccinations, and updated the Committee on preparation of the new public transport contract. She answered questions regarding cleaning costs for pet travel, integration with the City Centre development team, consistency between the Procurement Policy for Public Transport and Council’s Procurement Policy and payment of the Living Wage to bus drivers.

A change was made to the recommendation to reflect that the conditions of carriage for pets information was tabled at the meeting.

Resolved RTC/2021/016
	*That the Regional Transport Committee* *1. Receives the report Public Transport Update (R26022); and* *2. Notes the conditions for carriage of Pets on Public Transport (section 4.8 of report R26022), as tabled at the meeting (A2756325), for the purposes of a trial period; and* *3. Notes payment of the Living Wage to Bus drivers will require consideration of additional funding in Year 2 of the Long Term Plan 2021-31; and* 4. Notes that a Memorandum of Understanding between Nelson City and Tasman District Councils regarding joint future public transport management is under development and will be bought to a future Regional Transport Committee meeting before the new contract is in place.
Edgar/Speight Carried
Attachments 1 A2756325 - Conditions of carriage for pets

Karakia Whakamutanga

There being no further business the meeting ended at 3.11pm.

Confirmed as a correct record of proceedings by resolution on (date)

Resolved

Item 7: Variation to Regional Land Transport Plan - Rocks Road Walking and Cycling Pre-Implementation

Regional Transport Committee

6 December 2021

REPORT R26260

Variation to Regional Land Transport Plan - Rocks Road Walking and Cycling Pre-Implementation

1. Purpose of Report

1.1 To approve a recommendation to Council to vary the Regional Land Transport Plan 2021- 2031 (RLTP) to include funding to support the pre-implementation phase of the Rocks Road Walking and Cycling facility.

2. Summary

2.1 The Nelson Future Access Business Case (Business Case) was endorsed by Council on 28 October for submission to the Waka Kotahi Board for approval on 16 December 2021.

2.2 Now that the Business Case recommendations are known, Nelson City Council (NCC) can vary the RLTP placeholder to align with the early activities that require pre-implementation funding to progress.

2.3 Waka Kotahi has requested NCC vary its RLTP to include SH6 Rocks Road Pre-Implementation to facilitate inclusion in the NLTP and for a funding application to be considered.

3. Recommendation

That the Regional Transport Committee

1. Receives the report Variation to Regional Land Transport Plan - Rocks Road Walking and Cycling Pre-Implementation (R26260) and its attachments (A2779559 and A2781180); and

Recommendation to Council

That the Council

4. Background

4.1 The 28 October 2021 “Nelson Future Access – Business Case Endorsement” report (R26073) provides a comprehensive background to this issue and is not replicated here but is appended as Attachment 1.

5. Discussion

5.1 The expected cost to implement the recommended programme for Rocks Road, which includes a 5m wide walking and cycling facility is estimated to cost between $140 and $166M.

5.2 No further work can progress on this project until the Waka Kotahi Board approves the Business Case and subsequent (and possibly concurrent) consideration of a funding application by Waka Kotahi for the pre-implementation phase of the project. For the latter to occur the pre-implementation funding of $6.5M needs to be included in the RLTP in the 2021-24 period and Waka Kotahi have formally requested that NCC include this in its RLTP.

5.3 Varying the RLTP to include a pre-implementation phase for the project does not trigger the RTC’s Significance Policy. The Significance Policy deems a significant activity as any Improvement Activity with an estimated construction cost (including property) exceeding $5M and any other matter the RTC resolves as being regionally significant, but notes:

“For the avoidance of doubt, the following variations to the RLTP are considered not significant for purposes of consultation:

ii. A scope change to an activity that, when added to all previous scope changes for the same activity does not materially change the objective(s) and proposed outcomes of the activity;

The proposed variation constitutes a scope change to the Nelson Future Access Project activity, but one that does not materially change the objectives and proposed outcomes of that activity.

5.4 A summary showing all relevant changes to the RLTP (highlighted in yellow) is appended as Attachment 2. This is 100% funded by Waka Kotahi.

6. Options

6.1 The RTC has the option of either approving or not approving the variation to the RLTP. Officers recommend option 1.

Option 1: Approve the variation to the RLTP to include the pre-implementation phase of the Rocks Road walking and cycling facility. Recommended option.
Advantages	· Will enable consideration of funding to support the Rocks road walking and cycling facility pre-implementation phase through the NLTP in the 2021-24 period · Will show Council leadership and commitment to commence the Rocks Road Walking and Cycling facility.
Risks and Disadvantages	· None
Option 2: Do not approve the variation to the RLTP to include the pre-implementation phase of the Rocks Road walking and cycling facility
Advantages	· None
Risks and Disadvantages	· No further work can progress on this project because it is not in the RLTP it is not eligible for NLTP consideration.

7. Conclusion

7.1 Council has endorsed the NFA Detailed Business Case to be submitted to the Waka Kotahi Board for approval. Waka Kotahi has formally requested that the NCC RLTP be varied to include pre-implementation works for the Rocks Road walking and cycling project that will allow a funding application to be made to the NLTF.

7.2 Officers support including this project in the RLTP.

8. Next Steps

8.1 Council approval to amend RLTP to add Rocks Road Pre-implementation – 9 December 2021.

8.2 Waka Kotahi Board Business Case approval – 16 December 2021.

8.3 Waka Kotahi consideration of pre-implementation phases of projects in the NFA DBC

Author: Alec Louverdis, Group Manager Infrastructure

Attachments

Attachment 1: A2779559 - R26073 Previous Council Report: "Nelson Future Access Business Case Endorsement " ⇩

Attachment 2: A2781180 - Relevant sections of RLTP with proposed changes highlighted ⇩

Important considerations for decision making

1. Fit with Purpose of Local Government

Providing an RLTP is a requirement of the Land Transport Management Act 2003.

2. Consistency with Community Outcomes and Council Policy

The development of an RLTP contributes to the community outcome “Our infrastructure is efficient, cost effective and meets current and future needs”. The RLTP must align with the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS).

3. Risk

The risk of approving this variation is very low as the variation does not trigger the RTCs Significance Policy and is Waka Kotahi funded.

4. Financial impact

The funding is for pre-implementation of a project that is a walking and cycling facility alongside State Highway. This stage of work is 100% Waka Kotahi funded and will have no effect on the LTP or rates.

5. Degree of significance and level of engagement

Variation of the RLTP to enable Waka Kotahi to vary the NLTP to include the Rocks Road pre-implementation phases is not deemed significant to trigger re-consultation under the RLTP significance policy.

The RTC’s Significance Policy deems a significant activity as any Improvement Activities with an estimated construction costs (including property) exceeding $5M and any other matter the RTC resolves as being regionally significant.

The Significance Policy notes:

“For the avoidance of doubt, the following variations to the RLTP are considered not significant for purposes of consultation:

ii. A scope change to an activity that, when added to all previous scope changes for the same activity does not materially change the objective(s) and proposed outcomes of the activity;

To allow for Rocks Road pre-implementation work (investigation, consent, and design), it is proposed to vary the RLTP for years 1-3. The full cost for the implementation of Rocks Road will be dealt with as part of the RLTP mid-term review and the next LTP.

6. Climate Impact

Progression of the pre-implementation phase of the Rocks Road walking and Cycling project contributes towards NCC climate change goals by aligning the future transport system towards a low-carbon multi-modal future with less dependence on single occupancy car movements.

7. Inclusion of Māori in the decision-making process

The variation refers to a project that is part of the Nelson Future Access Project, (NFA) of which iwi are a key partner. Iwi have been invited to participate on the GG, as well as input at the Project Reference Group (PRG) workshops. The Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA) on Māori cultural values were also collaboratively developed with iwi advisors and used to assess the packages.

8. Delegations

The RTC has the responsibility for preparing the RLTP in accordance with the requirements of the LTM Act 2003. The RTC functions include:

· “To prepare a Regional Transport Plan, or any variation of the Plan, for the approval of Council”.