Planning & Investment Knowledge Base

Road Improvements activity classes

 

Introduction

This section sets out the guidance on the activity classes for road improvements.

 

Activity classes

There are three activity classes as described below. Development of road improvement programmes will be as follows:

  • Activity class 12: Local road Any road, other than a state highway, in the district, and under the control, of a territorial authority. improvements – applies to Approved Organisations
  • Activity class 13: State highway A road, whether or not constructed or vested in the Crown, that is declared to be a state highway under section 11 of the National Roads Act 1953, section 60 of the Government Roading Powers Act 1989 (formally known as the Transit New Zealand Act 1989), or under section 103 of the LTMA. improvements – applies to the Transport Agency (state highways)
  • Activity class 20: Regional Improvements – applies to Approved Organisations and the Transport Agency (state highways)
  • Activity class 31: Crown appropriations for the Accelerated Regional State Highway Programme (ARSHP) - applies to the Transport Agency (state highways)

 

Qualifying for NLTP A National Land Transport Programme Interrelated and complementary combination of activities that, when delivered in a coordinated manner, produce synergies – can span more than one work category and more than one activity class, e.g. a programme could include a road improvement and public transport improvement activities. adopted by the NZTA under section 19 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied consideration

Any public road improvement activity described in the work categories in this section may qualify for consideration for inclusion in the National Land Transport Programme Interrelated and complementary combination of activities that, when delivered in a coordinated manner, produce synergies – can span more than one work category and more than one activity class, e.g. a programme could include a road improvement and public transport improvement activities. (NLTP A National Land Transport Programme Interrelated and complementary combination of activities that, when delivered in a coordinated manner, produce synergies – can span more than one work category and more than one activity class, e.g. a programme could include a road improvement and public transport improvement activities. adopted by the NZTA under section 19 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied ).

 

Regional Improvements activity class

Regional Improvements have been added as a new activity class in the 2015-25 Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS A Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Funding issued under section 86 of the LTMA ), for improvements to roads in regional New Zealand. The GPS defines the activity class and relevant criteria.

 

The Transport Agency has not adopted a different set of work category A type of activity – not confined to a particular activity class, e.g. new roads (work category 323) appears in:

* activity class 12 – local road improvements
* activity class 13 – state highways improvements or assessment criteria to give effect to this activity class. This means that all road improvement activities will use the same work categories and Investment Assessment Framework (IAF The NZTA framework which identifies the investment priorities and expectations for project assessment. The IAF interprets the strategic priorities and impacts of the government identified in the current Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Funding. ), and will be prioritised together. The reason for this approach is to ensure that no application is disadvantaged, or needs to be duplicated, in order to be considered for investment from the NLTP A National Land Transport Programme Interrelated and complementary combination of activities that, when delivered in a coordinated manner, produce synergies – can span more than one work category and more than one activity class, e.g. a programme could include a road improvement and public transport improvement activities. adopted by the NZTA under section 19 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied .

 

Allocation The level of funding set aside for individual activities, combinations of activities, or activity classes upon which funding approval is pending. of activities to the Regional Improvements activity class will be made by the Transport Agency on the basis of eligibility under the GPS A Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Funding issued under section 86 of the LTMA and prioritisation through the IAF The NZTA framework which identifies the investment priorities and expectations for project assessment. The IAF interprets the strategic priorities and impacts of the government identified in the current Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Funding. . The principles that apply to the activity class are that it:

  • is restricted to road improvements work categories,
  • is a nationally contestable fund, rather than a set distribution across regions or districts,
  • allows a regional focus on national priorities of freight efficiency, resilience The ability of the network to withstand, or recover quickly after a disruption. The availability and restoration of each facility when there is a weather or emergency event, whether there is an alternative route available and the road user information provided.  This can be measured through the number of journeys impacted by unplanned events, or acceptable risk where there is no viable alternative access should it be closed by an unplanned event. (including lifelines), road safety and tourism travel,
  • is restricted to eligible areas outside the major metropolitan areas - areas not eligible for funding as Regional Improvements are the major metropolitan areas set out in the 2015 GPS A Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Funding issued under section 86 of the LTMA Appendix D, being the following main urban areas Main urban areas An area within a permanent speed limit of less than or equal to 70 km/h. represent the most urbanised areas with respect to the concentration of employment, firms and population. Main urban areas are centred on a city or main urban centre. They have a minimum population of 30,000 and an above-average concentration of businesses (typically greater than 90 businesses per 1,000 population). Main urban areas are as defined by Statistics NZ.  Under these criteria the main urban areas are represented by Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Gisborne, Napier-Hastings, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Kapiti, Wellington, Nelson, Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. The extent of the main urban areas is depicted in maps which can be found on the Statistics NZ website. as defined by Statistics New Zealand in Classification-Urban Area 2013 v2.0. and shown in the map below:

    • -          Northern Auckland Zone

    -          Western Auckland Zone

    -          Central Auckland Zone

    -          Southern Auckland Zone

    -          Hamilton Zone

    -          Tauranga

    -          Porirua Zone

    -          Upper Hutt Zone

    -          Lower Hutt Zone

    -          Wellington Zone

    -          Christchurch

    -          Dunedin

  • uses the road improvements activity classes investment assessment criteria

 

Regional Improvements will represent the highest priority, eligible, regional activities that are not prioritised for national investment.

 

Map of areas excluded from Regional Improvements funding

 

Funding assistance for local road improvement projects that benefit state highways

Local road Any road, other than a state highway, in the district, and under the control, of a territorial authority. improvement projects may, at the Transport Agency’s discretion, be partly or fully funded as an effective state highway improvement project from either Activity class 12 or 13.

 

The following criteria apply:

  • greater state highway benefits can be purchased per dollar when compared with upgrading the state highway
  • the Transport Agency and the local authority Any territorial authority or regional council within the meaning of the Local Government Act 2002. have agreed that the project is the best investment option
  • the Transport Agency and the local authority Any territorial authority or regional council within the meaning of the Local Government Act 2002. have agreed on attribution of benefits and sharing of construction costs
  • the project is unlikely to proceed if left to the local authority Any territorial authority or regional council within the meaning of the Local Government Act 2002. (i.e. funded at the normal funding assistance rate).

Normal or targeted enhanced funding assistance rates, as the case may be, shall apply to each party’s share of the cost of improvements. Arrangements for road maintenance may differ on a case-by-case basis.

 

Common work categories

Most work categories described in this section are common to all three activity classes.

 

Work categories

The guidance included in this section is:

 

Further road related funding policy guidance

Further guidance on the following topics can be found by following the links. The policy within these is to be applied to applications for funding assistance as relevant.

 

 

Last Updated: 23/02/2017 11:48am