LIFELINES Land Transport

Transcription

1 LIFELINES Land Transport Summary and Response by Issue ( Long Term Plan) Issue Sub-issue Position to Respond Other Consultations Regional Land Transport Plan Transport issues or opportunities that haven't been identified? 17 Goodwin, Derek Yvette Kinsella My problem with the plan is that, it only mentions dust mitigation once, and points to NZTA dust mitigation guidelines, that in my opinion, are fundamentally flawed. I use those words because the NZTA dust mitigation plan appears to be the Councils be all and end all for this issue. I believe the guidelines should be the Councils base line, and work UP from there. Then at least the Council would/could/should take other factors into account. For example, how close a home is to a gravel/dirt road-the lie of the land (is the home above or below the road-line) the amount of projected traffic and the frequency of, in particular to my road, logging trucks. Also, the Council needs to realise that most of the forestry feeder roads that lead out onto state highways and arterial roads are suffering with the overloading, frequency and weight of trucks and trailers on these feeder roads. Also the width of these roads needs to be taken into consideration. It's difficult enough to move over for a car or Ute. In some cases, it's impossible to move over for a fully laden logging truck and trailer. Blind corners create problems too. And, notwithstanding, these roads are mostly no exit roads, i.e. one way in, one way out. In our case, we have 6 years of logging coming from the Ormond forest past our front gate (some 20 odd meters from our home) ahead of us, and this will escalate as PF Olsen start their logging from the other side of the road almost opposite the Ormond forest site, and this will increase the logging truck frequencies and will make the projected harvest times way longer than 6 years. In conclusion, the plan needs to place a higher emphasis on dust mitigation on all roads as well as Ngakoroa Road as these roads and residents are suffering for the benefit of the economic development of our district with no return. As rate/tax payers, we feel not enough is being done with this issue and the RLTP will let us down. Council has allocated new funding of $150k per annum for dust mitigation in the first three years. The Tairawhiti Integrated Transport Priorities Plan (ITPP) identifies those high volume freight routes where there are issues with resilience and safety and includes actions to remediate. Council will look to bring the priorities in the ITPP into its Regional Land Transport Plan so that they might be eligible for government funding. 94 Kay, Katie Jan We have a number of roads that have heavy vehicles travelling them throughout the day - past schools and right through town. There is a need for more median strip barriers (to ensure pedestrians can cross to a middle barrier area) and potentially permanent reduced road speed in places - particularly outside schools. In Kaiti in particular there are many children who have to cross a very busy Wainui Road to get to Te Wharau or catch a bus. Apart from outside Kaiti School, there is no safe place for these children to cross. The inner harbour/eastland Port access needs immediate attention. The option to run a cycleway down Rutene Rd is good, but I question why it has to be on the road? There is a very wide berm along Rutene Rd that could be upgraded to a pedestrian/cycle path - without taking out parking on the road. The parking bay would give a further safety buffer to pedestrians and cyclists and would ensure they are also up from the road. There are too many dangerous T intersections in Gisborne. I would like to see the Wainui/De Lautour Rd changed to a roundabout and the same for Potae/Lytton Road, and Lytton Rd/Ormond Rd. An integrated plan would not have allowed a subdivision of the size of Lytton West to be developed - with only one way in/out of Potae Avenue. We must ensure that planning is joined up with our integrated transport plan. Council has allocated $7.75m in the first three years of the Long Term plan for minor improvements with $300k set aside for cycle safety improvements Council is establishing a safety education programme to be rolled out over the next three years through schools - $50k pa for three years - to address the children's road safety issues. The new draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2018 (GPS) has a higher priority on safety and accessibility. Eventually this will flow into decisions on national level funding for land transport. Council will revise its draft Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) to reflect the increased priority of safety. Council is also undertaking a significant piece of work to create a Network Optimisation Plan which will identify where there are conflicts between users of different transport modes ie trucks and cycles. The Plan will inform better planning of our road network and help us to resolve site specific issues over time. This work is due to start in A Page 1

2 Regional Land Transport Plan Yvette Kinsella 191 Thorpe, Richard David Re-opening a competitive rail link between Gisborne and Napier will see potential freight savings By providing a second transport link, rail will restore competition to our transport sector and offer an option that improves security of delivery and supply Rail has the potential to become a vital part of our regional integrated transport network. Potential to remove 12,000 truck movements a year off the roads. By reducing the cost of our regions isolation rail has the potential to enhance investment confidence and progress further regional development initiatives. The current government is supportive of rail investment and with funding confirmation that the rail line will be restored to Wairoa, and possibly Mahia, there appears to be no good reason that the reinstatement of the final seventy kilometres to Gisborne should not also be approved. The TRL asks that rail be included as an integral component of our Regional Transport Plan and that GDC reaffirms its support for an urgent rail feasibility study. PLEASE REFER THE SUBMISSION FOR MORE INFORMATION The new Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2018 (GPS) has a higher priority on safety and accessibility. However our understanding of the GPS is that there are transitional provisions related to rail included and these are focused on passenger rail rather than freight. This has very little application to the Tairawhiti context. Government will review the GPS again in 2019 and look to consider wider application of rail including perhaps freight transport. Your support for the reinstatement of the rail line is noted. The draft RLTP states depending on Central Government direction, Council may consider rail freight options as part of an integrated response to meeting community needs for a safe, sustainable and affordable transport system. 205 Busby, William Stavers Council need to address the roading network ASAP. The effect of heavy logging on all roads has been greater than anticipated. Rural roads have been left behind in upgrading to class 1. Huge deficit in funding of this over the past has now resulted in a huge catch spend being required. Up here in Toko the lack of local supervisors and gear create a huge hole when things go wrong eg large rain events. I dont see any benefit from the joining up with what was Transit to for Tairawhiti roads. My local road the Mata road has never been worse. The verges are never mown. The water tables are seldom cleaned out. Other gravel roads receive a cursory grade but are never potholed by a work gang before the grader so the effect is still a low class road. You are all relying on big companies based from Gisborne. How about getting back to a bit more regional based contractors who have staff and plant based on the Coast. Council has set aside extra funding set aside for all aspects of road maintenance. A 40% increase in maintenance budgets will help address issues like you have raised. The Tairawhiti Integrated Transport Priorities Plan (ITPP) takes a strategic look at the freight transport needs of the region. It identifies those high volume freight routes where there are issues and includes actions to remediate. Council will look to bring the priorities in the ITPP into its Regional Land Transport Plan so that they might be eligible for government funding. Council has recently changed its roading maintenance contractor for the East Coast area. 335 Kape, John Lewis Road Safety The draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport places greater emphasis on road safety. This submission supports:. an additional $100,000 per year on top of that proposed for road safety promotion;. the RLTP programme to be amended to include:. in 2018/19 an RTC led review of road safety issues to identify issues and priorities;. $10 million increased investment in SH 35 road widening;. safety and efficiency upgrade of Jolly Stockman corner to be bought forward;. at least $2 million for SH 2 flats road widening/pull over areas to enable safe passing of heavy machinery;. major upgrade improvements to Wharerata downhill risk sites eg Tongan bus tragedy site to be advanced through the SH 2 programme business case. increased investment in safe pedestrian access throughout the region including around schools. Kaiti Needs more Community Facilities: Continue with identification of Heavy Vehicle and other mode routes by 2020; the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) be amended to:. provide a pathway for progressing liveable cities, mitigating traffic growth and integrated urban spatial planning;. better monitoring of urban local road growth including at least 6 new indicator sites measured every six months to robustly identify growth patterns;. address the vehicle and pedestrian safety issues emerging at the Harris St corner shops on Wainui Rd and Lytton West shops (a white line on the road is not a sufficient pedestrian safety response). PLEASE REFER TO SUBMISSION FOR MORE INFORMATION A Page 2

3 Council agrees that the new Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2018 (GPS) has a higher priority on safety and accessibility. Council will revise its draft Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) to reflect the increased priority of safety. Council notes the support for specific transport initiatives. Council is also undertaking a significant piece of work to create a Network Optimisation Plan which will identify where there are issues around mode conflict and how to resolve these. The right road for the right mode. This work is due to start very soon. This will address heavy vehicle matters and safety blackspots over time. The work will sit alongside a wider piece of strategic work that Council is doing to prepare a strategic land use plan - this will focus on land use trends and how the region can make the most of opportunities and minimise risks through good planning. Alongside this, the NZ Transport Agency is preparing business cases for improvements to State Highway 2 and State Highway 35. These business cases will look at the issues and needs along these highways and their connecting routes and identify a programme of work that can attract funding through the National Land Transport Fund. The submitter's comments will be forwarded to the NZ Transport Agency for consideration during business plan development. Council will consider additional transport monitoring data needs as part of developing the next long term plan. Regional Land Transport Plan Any other comments? Yvette Kinsella 225 Wauchop, Phillip Stewart The city is here because of its community, not because of some expectation of wealth from visitors or forestry owners. Look after the locals and charge those who abuse our roads for gains & profits generated and taxed in other countries. The overseas forestry owners took out rail line to Wairoa - gave they repaired it? In 2016 forestry volumes moving on the region's roads were forecast to increase from 3m tonnes to 4.5m tonnes over the next few years. It is generally accepted that heavier vehicles have a greater impact on road surfaces (and subsequent maintenance and renewal). However the road network has strong elements of public good - where the benefits are widely felt not just by one sector of the community. The way that Council charges for roads is reflected in its Revenue and Financing Policy. Those who create a greater need (for instance higher maintenance costs) pay a higher rate. Council is proposing to increase the targeted roading differential rate for forestry to accommodate the projected increases from a weighting of 5.0 to Gisborne Chamber of Commerce Regional Transport Infrastructure - More analysis required. - The Chamber would observe that there is a current short/medium-term emphasis on roading maintenance out of obvious necessity, however all district transport infrastructure needs to come into the discussion now. We believe there should be an independent study of these matters, and that the Provincial Growth Fund would support an application for such a study. - What are the real economic and other trade-offs and impacts of utilising both the road network and the rail line, or investing in coastal shipping instead of rail? - What are freight customer needs now (as opposed to 2012) and into the future that would inform a decision on rail or coastal shipping investment? - Are the key road network routes situated in the right location given future forestry harvests? - Is there another route/better method to get logs from Dunstan Road to the port? - Could part/s of the State Highway south to Hawke's Bay be rerouted for much better outcomes? There is a lot of work being carried out in the transport space currently. Council is undertaking a significant piece of work to create a Network Optimisation Plan which will identify the best routes for different transport activities. The Plan will inform better planning of our road network so and help us work towards a more efficient, resilient and safe network over time. This work is due to start in The work will sit alongside a wider piece of strategic work that Council is doing to prepare a strategic land use plan - this will focus on land use trends and how the region can make the most of opportunities and minimise risks through good planning. The Tairawhiti Integrated Transport Priorities Plan (ITPP) takes a strategic look at the freight transport needs of the region. It identifies those high volume freight routes where there are issues and includes actions to remediate. Council will look to bring the priorities in the ITPP into its Regional Land Transport Plan so that they might be eligible for government funding. The NZ Transport Agency is developing business cases for the redevelopment of state highway 35 and state highway 2. These studies will assess the need and identify a series of projects that can then start to attract central government funding. The submitter's comments will be forwarded to the NZ Transport Agency for consideration during business plan development. A Page 3

4 284 Roberts Farming Company The council needs to focus on the needs of the people who are prepared to take risks with new developments. These people are creating work for lots of people and adding value to our district. The council are not providing the infrastructure for us to farm efficiently. We work hard pay lots of rates and often wonder what we get for this. Council is committed to working in collaboration with other agencies and business owners to deliver the Tairawhiti Economic Action Plan (TEAP) which recognises the importance of transport and digital connections for our economy and communities. The TEAP identifies improvements to State Highway 2 and State Highway 35 and their connecting routes as prime importance and the NZ Transport Agency has started to prepare business cases for improvements to State Highway 2 and State Highway 35. These business cases will look at the issues and needs along these highways and their connecting routes and identify a programme of work that can attract funding through the National Land Transport Fund. The Tairawhiti Integrated Transport Priorities Plan (ITPP) takes a strategic look at the freight transport needs of the region. It identifies those high volume freight routes where there are issues and includes actions to remediate. Council will look to bring the priorities in the ITPP into its Regional Land Transport Plan so that they might be eligible for government funding. The submitter's comments will be forwarded to the NZ Transport Agency for consideration during business plan development. Regional Land Transport Plan Do we have the right strategic objectives? 6 Salmond, Dame Anne Yvette Kinsella The strategic objectives seem sensible. One key issue is how these will be funded, and by whom - central government, ratepayers or industries. Where the roading network is under pressure from industries that shift large volumes of heavy freight on vulnerable parts of the network at times of the year when it is at risk from wet weather, for instance, this question is vital. It is not fair that ratepayers who often have limited incomes should carry a disproportionate share of the costs of supporting the Tairawhiti roading network. In meeting these objectives, it will be important to have sound information about future developments, whether in logging traffic or tourism for instance. Council should be prepared to close roads that are particularly vulnerable in wet weather (eg gravel roads) to trucks over a certain weight, and/or guide them to alternative, more suitable routes where these are available. Council should also be prepared to hear submissions about upgrading particular roads that meet the objectives outlined in the Plan, eg. those that lead to tourist or other strategic locations. Council is aware of the issues around heavy vehicles on vulnerable parts of the network. In 2016 forestry volumes moving on the region's roads were forecast to increase from 3m tonnes to 4.5m tonnes over the next few years. This is an increase of 50%. The geology across many parts of Tairawhiti creates issues for land stability in parts and risks for the resilience of the road network. It is generally accepted that heavier vehicles have a greater impact on road surfaces (and subsequent maintenance and renewal). However the road network has strong elements of public good - where the benefits are widely felt not just by one sector of the community. The way that Council charges for roads is reflected in its Revenue and Financing Policy. Those who create a greater need (for instance higher maintenance costs) pay a higher rate. Council is proposing to increase the targeted roading differential rate for forestry to accommodate the projected increases from a weighting of 5.0 to 7.5. Council has allocated $7.75m in the first three years of the Long Term plan for minor improvements with $2.1m of this set aside to improve the resilience of the network The Tairawhiti Integrated Transport Priorities Plan (ITPP) also identifies those high volume freight routes where there are issues with resilience and safety and includes actions to remediate. Council will look to bring the priorities in the ITPP into its Regional Land Transport Plan Yes 94 Kay, Katie Jan Council notes your support for the strategic objectives in the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 269 Kumar, Jan We thank the Council for recognising that our students face a disadvantage living over in Kaiti at distance from all high schools. Council notes your support for recognising that students from Kaiti face a disadvantage in distance from all high schools. Council intends to continue to fund the Kaiti School Bus Initiative to ensure subsidised access to school transport for these students. A Page 4

5 284 Roberts Farming Company The council should be looking at the amount and type of traffic using roads. Some gravel roads are not made to cope with lots of heavy traffic- numbers of heavy vehicles have really increased on this road. When lots of dust is created by vehicles going past neighbouring horticultural the quality of fruit deteriorates and in many cases the fruit gets rejected. Drains need to be cleaned out regularly and maintained. Water is not getting away fast enough. We have renewed tile drains, sumps but water floods back on to the blocks also damaging the road. Too much water kills plants and we then have to replant. Vines take many years to reach full production. Council is aware of the issues around heavy vehicles on vulnerable parts of the network. Council is proposing extra funding set aside for all aspects of road maintenance. A 40% increase in maintenance budgets will address these matters. This is contingent on attracting the assumed government funding. Council is proposing to introduce a new fund of $150k per annum for targeted dust mitigation on local roads to address these issues. Council has also increased the road renewals budget by 43% - it is now $36.9M over the first three years of the Long Term Plan. This will cover the costs of drainage renewal for those roads being improved. Council encourages the public to report to us any instances of specific problems where drains are blocked or not functioning so we can remedy that service@gdc.govt.nz. 299 Cycling Advisory Group The strategic objectives of the Regional Land Transport Plan should align with the Draft Government Policy Statement 2018 priorities of safety and access. With safety as the priority, and the Council's acknowledged goal of providing safe routes for school students to cycle to the secondary schools, the Cycling Advisory Group request the Regional Land Transport Plan bring forward the initiation and completion of the proposed Taruheru River Cycleway and other protected cycle/walking paths noted in the Active Transport Strategy, enable delivery of the National Cycling Education System throughout our region, consider reducing the speed zones in urban streets to 30km/hour, and adopt "Vision Zero", with zero tolerance of truck/bus/vehicle vs cyclist deaths. The Bikes in Schools programme is creating thousands of skilled young cycle riders, who need safe routes to cycle to where they need to go. Further cycle skills training is needed for these young riders, as well as for the parents of these children, who ride with them, and for other adults who choose to cycle (some using e-bikes). Resources are needed to bring the National Cycling Education System to our region. Development of regional cycle trails is also needed to connect communities, encourage active transport, and provide safe, healthy, and affordable alternatives to using private cars for slightly longer trips. These areas also become more attractive for visitors. PLEASE SEE FULL SUBMISSION Safety is Councils first strategic priority in the Regional Land Transport Plan and a key issue identified is conflict between active and heavy transport modes. Council has prioritised several active transport projects including continuation of the Taruheru Cycleway in the Regional Land Transport Plan. Council has requested funding through NZ Transport Agency for the National Cycling Education System and this is still progressing. The Cycling Advisory Group requests for reduction of speed in urban streets and adoption of "Vision Zero" are noted. 301 Gisborne Rail Action Group The strategic objectives align reasonably well with the Draft GPS on Land Transport 2018, although perhaps safety should be the first in the list. In the discussion on freight it is noted that, "Council may consider rail freight options as part of an integrated response to meeting community needs for a safe, sustainable and affordable transport system". With initial favourable indications from the Minister of Transport towards reinstating regional rail lines, now firmed up through the Draft GPS2018, this statement should now be worded more favourably towards rail. The issues and challenges section of the Draft RLTP highlights areas where reinstatement of the railway line can assist, particularly the first and third points, regarding the road network's susceptibility to closure, poor road condition, which leads to excessive wear and tear on vehicles, and that parts of the road network lack capability and are not able to sustain the current or projected volume of traffic, particularly freight. Reinstatement of the railway line can assist with removing a lot of heavy traffic from SH2. PLEASE SEE FULL SUBMISSION FOR DETAIL Council agrees that the new Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2018 (GPS) has a higher priority on safety and accessibility. Council will revise its draft Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) to reflect the increased priority of safety. Our understanding of the GPS is that there are transitional provisions related to rail included and these are focused on passenger rail rather than freight. This has very little application to the Tairawhiti context. Government will review the GPS again in 2019 and look to consider wider application of rail including perhaps freight transport. Your support for the reinstatement of the rail line is noted. The draft RLTP states depending on Central Government direction, Council may consider rail freight options as part of an integrated response to meeting community needs for a safe, sustainable and affordable transport system. A Page 5

6 311 Carrie White I support the objectives and policies described in the draft Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP). Particularly those described under the strategic priority for "Integrated Planning". Specifically, I agree that the maintenance and renewals of footpaths and pram crossings are important and support Council's decision to allocate ongoing budget - as described in the RLTP at 6.4 "Regionally significant expenditure not funded through NLTF " to these activities. Likewise, I support the projects described in the RLTP that will make sure there are road and footpath links in the Taruheru subdivision. Once fully developed, this greenfield site will be home to a great number of people. It is likely that many of these households will have school aged children, because of the proximity of all the high schools in Gisborne. It is also likely that the existing residential retirement villages will continue to be a major land use. Both these groups have similar transport needs. That is, the ability to travel independently by foot or wheels (for example bikes, scooters, motorised scooters, wheelchairs). Making sure there are continuous footpaths connecting homes to places like shops, schools and playgrounds is an essential to the safety, health and wellbeing of some of our most vulnerable members - children and senior citizens. It also contributes to the general safety and accessibility of our public places, as most people at various times in their lives experience limited mobility, for example when pushing prams, or using crutches. The more people around and about in public places not only makes places feel safer, they are safer because there are more 'eyes' on the street. In a similar vein, I support the cycleways option to "chip in a bit". I also support the proposed funding allocation to continue the Taruheru cycle and walkway between Grey Street and the Botanic gardens in the first 3 years of the LTP. And the continuation of this path from the Botanic gardens to Campion in the next three years. It makes sense to stage this budget with the design and construction schedule, and is reassuring that this link will be made. Once built it will enable school children from all over the city to travel safely by foot and bike to and from school. And lastly, I support Councils commitment to a compact urban form described in the draft Infrastructure Strategy. I think this is an intelligent approach to get the most out of the city's existing infrastructure. It also has flow on effects of being good for people, the environment and the local economy. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the future direction of our city. Council notes your support for the content of the draft RLTP particularly around liveable spaces and better urban planning. Footpaths provide vital active transport option for our community and ensuring they are wide, safe and fit for purpose will increase accessibility for all users. Council continues to progress a programme of building an active transport network across our city. This programme supports a healthier, more vibrant urban fabric for our communities to thrive in. A robust active transport network will also contribute to compact urban form by creating more connected, safer and liveable spaces within our city's existing footprint. Council has prioritised several active transport projects including continuation of the Taruheru Cycleway in the Regional Land Transport Plan. Council has requested funding through NZTA for the National Cycling Education System and this is still progressing. The "chip in a bit" option gives Council wider scope for securing external funding and completing this project earlier. Council also sees an opportunity to create an integrated and multifunctional approach to infrastructure development for the Taruheru Block. This includes the design and layout of safe and efficient active transport links. Potentially, new stormwater infrastructure could incorporate wetland and riparian planting, reserve space and pathway connections across the Block. Council plans to explore this potential through a review of its current structure plan for the area 312 Hauora Tairawhiti No. We would like to see a much stronger focus on active transport with prioritisation of safety and enjoyment for cyclists and walkers. At present there are many roads in Gisborne which are dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists. Cars and trucks still have top priority and less attention has been paid to engineering solutions to make it safer to cross roads or cycle. We see pedestrians including children perched in the middle of busy roads or running across them because there is not safe place to cross. An elderly relative from Wellington who likes walking recently commented on how difficult it was to cross some of the Gisborne roads. Similarly there are few roads in the whole region where cyclists can safely cycle, and any new roading initiatives should consider this. Council notes the submitter's desire to see more of a focus on active transport and safety in the RLTP. Council is proposing in the LTP to complete the Taruheru Cycleway. This will be contingent on being able to secure the required 'local share' (32% of the project costs) from grant funding. The NZ Transport Agency is also continuing with the final two stages of the Wainui cycleway. Indications are that there may be additional focus in the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS) on safety and mode neutrality so walk and cycle projects would be more likely to attract funding from NZ Transport Agency through the National Land Transport Fund. The new GPS is due out around June Council will still need to find a "local share" of funds for these projects so there are still significant questions about affordability that will need to be considered. Council is also undertaking a significant piece of work to create a Network Optimisation Plan which will identify where there are conflicts between users of different transport modes ie trucks and cycles. The Plan will inform better planning of our road network and help us to resolve site specific issues over time. This work is due to start in A Page 6

7 Issue Sub-issue Position to Respond Late? Roads Maintenance Another option Dave Hadfield 2 Humphris, Bruce Vernon It s a joke that the state of the roads has been allowed to deteriorate so badly. The bad roads and the noise generated from so many trucks using the roads should be given the highest priority. In fact a higher priority over the wastewater. People s mental health are being affected now. Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term. There is now extra funding set aside for all aspects of road maintenance. A 40% increase in maintenance budgets will address these matters. 16 Kendall, Julia Katherine Spend more now, safety first. Spending money now will save money later. Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term. The new Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2018 (GPS) has a higher priority on safety and accessibility. Council will revise its draft Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) to reflect the increased priority of safety. Council notes the support for increased spending on road network. 28 Fletcher, Angela Leigh Our roads are generally in a bad state of repair. Need considerable investment with increasing forestry all the time. Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term. In 2016 forestry volumes moving on the region s roads were forecast to increase from 3m tonnes to 4.5m tonnes over the next few years. It is generally accepted that heavier vehicles have a greater impact on road surfaces (and subsequent maintenance and renewal). The proposed 40% increase in maintenance budgets will help address these matters. Council is also proposing to increase the road renewals budget by 43% - to $36.9m over the first three years of the Long Term Plan. This is contingent on attracting the assumed government funding. 36 Butt, Kerry Joanne Keep fixing our roads Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term. There is now extra funding set aside for all aspects of road maintenance. A 40% increase in maintenance budgets will help address these matters. Council is also proposing to increase the road renewals budget by 43% - to $36.9m over the first three years of the Long Term Plan. 43 Te Rina Whaanga While 'Another Option' results in a higher rating increase, it better balances our need to maintain and renew the regions roading network. Yes roads have deteriorated due to higher (and increasing) volumes of freight and logging traffic, but only on (this is an assumption) certain routes or purpose built access roads. Maintaining and renewing our suburbs and residential streets is also important particularly if our vulnerable populations (youth and 65+) are growing. This options seems to best balance our focus- for industry related wear and tear, the safety / quality of life for pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and sensibly shaping the regions network for future growth. Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term. The option would cost Council more in the earlier years of the LTP and would increase rates by another 2.6%. Council will need to weigh up rates affordability with roading needs in the region. A Page 7

8 78 Gaddum, Andrew Eastland Port exported over 3,000,000 tons of logs, kiwifruit and squash during the 2017/18 financial year, equating to over 100,000 full truck movements. With growing volumes of logs, kiwifruit and apples from the region this volume will top between 4.5 and 5 million tons by The ports current role as a regional bulk export port will change in coming years to support growing container export volume via coastal shipping to both Napier and Tauranga. While the plan identifies access to the port as a Regional Priority 1 Project there is only $153,900 allocated to in year one of the plan with no funding in subsequent years. In contrast the other priority one project East Coast Bluffs has $2,500,000 allocated to it over the same period. The port is the economic engine of the region and the access project needs to be accelerated in order to keep up with increasing regional demand. Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term. Council is undertaking a significant piece of work to create a Network Optimisation Plan which will identify where there are issues around mode conflict and how to resolve these. The right road for the right mode. This work is due to start very soon. This will address heavy vehicle matters such as those related to the Eastland Port and define heavy freight routes. The Plan will inform the Eastland Port Access project (State Highway 2/Hirini Street intersection to Eastland Port) and help with business cases for this work. Agriculture, forestry and horticulture are major industries in Gisborne and significantly contribute to the region s economic wellbeing. The proposed enhanced roading programme intends to address the backlog of resilience and slip repairs on key routes and increase emergency repair works to address damage from frequent heavy rainfall events. The majority of works will be directed to need which is in the rural roading network. While the programme has a minor investment at the Port itself, the more resilient the overall roading network becomes than this minimises the impact on the Port operations. Surface treatments to the Port will be addressed over the next three years with the programme. 82 Greaves, Donna Fix roads that are constantly in use Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term. Council is proposing extra funding set aside for all aspects of road maintenance. A 40% increase in maintenance budgets will help address these matters. Council is also proposing to increase the road renewals budget by 43% - to $36.9m over the first three years of the Long Term Plan. 88 Lardelli, Karen Don't like your options Council notes the submitter s dislike of any of the options for addressing land transport matters. 90 Jodiesha Kirkpatrick It will take less time. Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term. The option aims to deliver improvements to the road network faster as the submitter notes. It would result in a further increase in rates of 2.6%. Council will need to weigh up rates affordability with roading needs in the region. 94 Kay, Katie Jan We have forecast a high demand on our network over the coming years. Condensing the investment into the first six years would help to improve the corresponding safety risks. Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term. The option aims to deliver improvements to the road network faster. It would result in a further increase in rates of 2.6%. It would prioritise activity to address issues on areas of the road network with very high safety risks. Council will need to weigh up rates affordability with roading needs and road safety in the region. 101 Irving, Howard Roger Taking way to long on Barkers hill. Need to be pushed to get stuff done on time. Jobs need time management Council acknowledges receipt of your submission. 147 Gillingham, Marianne Ellen High investment in the short term to make up for the backlog over the past few years Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term. The option aims to deliver improvements to the road network faster as the submitter notes. It would result in a further increase in rates of 2.6%. Council will need to weigh up rates affordability with roading needs in the region. A Page 8

9 150 Te Riu o Waiapu Trust Beach Road Rangitukia, we were told at our public hui on 9 April 2018 however it does not feature in the power point or the WTF booklet. Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term. The concerns with Beach Road have been referred to Tairawhiti roads who will investigate and deliver the works required. 151 Simperingham, Edwin George I object to the city ratepayers paying a substantial part of the cost of maintenance renewal and capital works on rural roads. These costs should be borne by rural -and in particular forestry and farms with Woodlots. Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term. Rates are set based on the services targeted at a property. Any change in rates corresponds to a change in services provided. Many of the services to Gisborne city are proposed to increase in the Long Term Plan (particularly for wastewater and stormwater) so city people are likely to experience rates increases higher than the 5% average rates increase. Council is also looking to ensure that those who generate the need for services pay a greater proportion of the costs of providing those services. Council is proposing to increase the targeted roading differential for the forestry sector from a weighting of 5.0 to 7.5. This is in comparison with residential, lifestyle and other properties which have a weighting of Costello, Megan maintenance backlog needs to be addressed to assist with keeping forestry and farming industries open and able to use roads during wet periods Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term. 156 Foster, Barry John Incorporate rail as well. Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term. Your support for the reinstatement of the rail line is noted. The draft RLTP states depending on Central Government direction, Council may consider rail freight options as part of an integrated response to meeting community needs for a safe, sustainable and affordable transport system. 231 Roil, Harriet Alice Roading is a massive issue in our community. Logging operators and trucks pay a lot of tax to use the roads in our district and that money is not seen locally, it goes to national government and is sent elsewhere. Why can't this tax come back to our region where it is taxed from? This will ensure that ratepayers do not have to absorb the cost of the roading issue from forestry that is only going to get worse with the amount of trees that need to be harvested in the next 10 years. Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term and desire to see taxes on roading returned to the region to fix roading issues. Council is seeking central government support for delivering an increased portion of the roading costs in the region. The NZ Transport Agency has recently announced it will increase the proportion of costs of roads that central government will pay to 68% from 2018 (from 64% currently). Council is also proposing to increase the proportion of roading costs paid by the forestry sector in response to an increase in the logging truck volumes. The draft Revenue and Financing Policy proposes increasing the targeted roading differential for forestry from a weighting of 5.0 to 7.5. This is in line with a key direction in Council s draft Financial Strategy to ensure that those who create the need for additional costs, pay a proportion of those costs. A Page 9

10 265 Hunter, Liam Eric GDC roads are currently appalling. The state of the roads with the logging trucks and machinery on them has meant that they are not in a state that is fit for purpose. Most of the roads that the logging trucks drive on were never designed for the amount of traffic they are currently getting and some of our roads you can t drive on safely without a 4WD. Funds need to be secured from somewhere, but it is not fair that these funds are taken away from other sections within the council. Logging trucks pay lots of tax to use the roads and this tax is taken out of our region. This money needs to be brought back to the region to maintain and fix the roading issues. This will remove the pressure and decline in other areas of the council including assets and requirements under all other council activities. Ideally a railway or special truck road would help remove the pressure and continual required maintenance on the roads. Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term and desire to see taxes on roading returned to the region to fix roading issues. Council is seeking central government support for delivering an increased portion of the roading costs in the region. The NZ Transport Agency has recently announced it will increase the proportion of costs of roads that central government will pay to 68% from 2018 (from 64% currently). Council is also proposing to increase the proportion of roading costs paid by the forestry sector in response to an increase in the logging truck volumes. The draft Revenue and Financing Policy proposes increasing the targeted roading differential for forestry from a weighting of 5.0 to 7.5. This is in line with a key direction in Council s draft Financial Strategy to ensure that those who create the need for additional costs, pay a proportion of those costs. Your support for the reinstatement of the rail line is noted. The draft RLTP states depending on Central Government direction, Council may consider rail freight options as part of an integrated response to meeting community needs for a safe, sustainable and affordable transport system. 273 Oliver, Geraldine Dawn Higher maintenance in the short term and less spending overall is preferable in my opinion. I'm sick to death of our roading spend eating up our meagre budget and feel the council should do more to insist central government help with an 'isolation tax' or public/private partnerships to allow greater outside investment. Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term. The option aims to deliver improvements to the road network faster as the submitter notes. It would result in a further increase in rates of 2.6%. Council will need to weigh up rates affordability with roading needs in the region. Council has made applications to central government for additional financial support for roading improvements through the Provincial Growth Fund and are awaiting a response. The NZ Transport Agency has recently announced that it will increase the proportion of costs that government will cover for many roading projects from 64% to 68% from This will reduce the costs to ratepayers. 282 Wharehinga, Frances No comment Council notes the submitter does not wish to comment on road maintenance 301 Gisborne Rail Action Group Both the road and transport section of the Long Term Plan consultation document and the Tairawhiti Roads executive summary for infrastructure services, do not involve any activities or planning towards the likely reopening of the railway line to Eastland Port, or the line south of Gisborne. Through the Long Term Plan the Council should be proactively planning for the opportunity of reinstating the railway line both within Gisborne to reconnect Eastland Port by rail, and south of Gisborne to reconnect Gisborne with the rest of New Zealand by rail to optimise the regional benefits. The need for a road/rail transfer hub should be recognised within the Long Term Plan and the development of this facility should be planned for. An option could be to develop this facility as a public/private partnership, e.g. with Weatherell Transport Ltd. PLEASE REFER TO FULL SUBMISSION FOR DETAILS Your support for the reinstatement of the rail line is noted. The draft RLTP states depending on Central Government direction, Council may consider rail freight options as part of an integrated response to meeting community needs for a safe, sustainable and affordable transport system. Rail is not currently considered in the Regional land Transport Plan as Council s position statement regarding rail improvements is it that it should be solely funded by Central Government. The recently released Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS) is silent on rail for freight transport (it focuses on passenger rail only). Government may look at rail for freight in its next review of the GPS in A Page 10

11 306 Federated Farmers Of NZ (Gisborne And Wairoa Province) Inc Despite regularly raising our concerns, the rural road network has continued to noticeably decline in quality over recent years. We are therefore pleased to see that Council considered this in this year's LTP. Federated Farmers recommends that given the current state of the roading network, of the two options proposed: 1) Affordable renewals focus and 2) high investment in the short term, Council should progress with Option 2) high investment in the short term. PLEASE REFER TO THE SUBMISSION FOR MORE INFORMATION Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term. The option aims to deliver improvements to the road network faster as the submitter notes. It would result in a further increase in rates of 2.6%. Council will need to weigh up rates affordability with roading needs in the region. Council is proposing extra funding set aside for all aspects of road maintenance. A 40% increase in maintenance budgets will help address these matters. Council is also proposing to increase the road renewals budget by 43% - to $36.9m over the first three years of the Long Term Plan 341 Te Aitanga a Hauiti Kei te noho au i te rori o Tauwhareparae kei te nui nga potholes kei te rori ra. Ko taku hiahia ki a whakatika tenei rori. Haere mai au ki taku kura i Tolaga Bay Area School ia ra me te kite I tenei rori tino pakaru. Haramai te kaunihera ki te whakapai ake ne. I live on the Tauwhareparae road and travel into school at Tolaga Bay area School every day. Tauwhareparae Rd is ridiculously terrible with huge potholes, in terrible condition. Please fix our roads. Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term and concerns about the condition of Tauwhareparae Road. Urgent road investment on Tauwhareparae Road will be carried out over the next 2 months which includes a heavy metalling programme and Fulton Hogan Ltd have just completed road reconstruction on the sealed section of the road. 367 Hughes, Katrina Yes Kaiti hill should be one way from the Marae over the hill with cars restricted to one side with intermittent curbing to allow safe use of the hill by the cyclists, runners and walkers and the many children. Council notes the submitter s support for higher investment in roads in the short term and a desire to see improvement in the road layout and walk and cycle access on Titirangi (Kaiti hill). This was included as part of the Titirangi Management Plan but the actual project delivery is still uncertain as this will require a legislative change to the Traffic and Parking Bylaw. Do nothing 34 Varey, Peter Michael It's okay Dave Hadfield Council notes the submitter s comments that the current investment in the region s road network is sufficient. Road issues have been raised by over 170 submitters through the LTP and roading has been one of the highest areas for complaints to Council over several years. Council will need to weigh up rates affordability with roading needs in the region. Ok 61 Meade, Gregory John Council notes the submitter s comments that the current investment in the region s road network is sufficient. Road issues have been raised by over 170 submitters through the LTP and roading has been one of the highest areas for complaints to Council over several years... Council will need to weigh up rates affordability with roading needs in the region. 68 Benson, Will no comment Council notes the submitter does not wish to comment on road maintenance 104 Matthew Joblin They don't matter that much Council notes the submitter s comments that the current investment in the region s road network is sufficient. Road issues have been raised by over 170 submitters through the LTP and roading has been one of the highest areas for complaints to Council over several years... Council will need to weigh up rates affordability with roading needs in the region. A Page 11