Accelerated Regional State Highway Programme

Introduction

The Accelerated Regional State Highway 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. (ARSHP) refers to funding made available through Crown appropriations external to the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF The fund established under section 10 of the LTMA ) to advance a specific list of named regional state highway projects considered important by the government. This section outlines the responsibilities and process for funding decisions as well as the management and reporting of ARSHP funding.

Eligibility for funding, assessment and prioritisation,

Specific regional state highway projects that have not been programmed for delivery over the short to medium term by the Transport Agency(state highways) due to NLTF The fund established under section 10 of the LTMA funding constraints, and have been listed by the government as regionally important, are eligible for ARSHP funding. A list of ARSHP projects has been drawn up and endorsed by Cabinet.

Assessment of the projects, their prioritisation and recommendation for funding approval is undertaken by the Ministry of Transport. Information provided by the Transport Agency is an input to the Ministry's assessment.

Key roles and responsibilities

• Cabinet approves Crown appropriations to enable delivery of ARSHP projects
• the Minister of Transport recommends approval of appropriations to Cabinet
• the Ministry of Transport advises the Minister on the estimated costs and benefits, timing, priority and context of the projects recommended for ARSHP funding, based on its assessment and prioritisation, and advises of any adjustments required to appropriations for cash-flow or cost-scope reasons
• the Transport Agency provides information on the projects (costs, NLTF The fund established under section 10 of the LTMA priority, timing, etc) in response to the Ministry's requests
• the Transport Agency(state highways) delivers the projects to the schedule agreed with the Ministry of Transport, forecasts and monitors cash-flow requirements, and advises and requests cost-scope and cash-flow adjustments.

Process diagram

Process steps

1. Ministry of Transport staff request information from the Transport Agency on ARSHP projects including costs, benefits, timing, as well as the profile and prioritisation under the Transport Agency's assessment framework.
2. The Transport Agency provides the information requested along with a view of the risks around costs, resource management consents, etc.
3. Ministry of Transport  assesses the ARSHP projects based on the investment criteria that applies to the programme.
4. Ministry of Transport advises the Minister of Transport (and Treasury) on the viability of the projects against investment criteria and the funding required to deliver them.
5. The Minister of Transport recommends a Crown appropriation based on the advice provided by Ministry of Transport and Treasury's view of the proposed investment.
6. Cabinet approves Crown appropriations to specified projects.
7. The Transport Agency(state highways) sets up or updates the project profiles in Transport Investment Online (TIO The NZTA's web-based funding allocation system. ) as Crown funded activities (Activity Class A grouping of similar activities, as defined in the Government Policy Statement. 31) and requests Group Manager P&I support to deliver these in line with Cabinet's decision. A copy of Cabinet's decision must be uploaded to TIO as supporting information.
8. The P&I Group Manager and Chief Executive support delivery of ARSHP projects consistent with Cabinet's approval.
9. Sign-off of the Crown funding in TIO The NZTA's web-based funding allocation system. is undertaken at the appropriate level of delegation, being:
   • SH National Manager Network Directions & Performance and Regional Manager P&I for projects with total costs within their delegated levels,
   • Group Manager P&I for all other projects.
10. The Transport Agency(state highways) procures and delivers the projects, forecasting cash-flow requirements and signing off supplier invoices for payment.
11. The transport Agency Finance team draws funds down from the Crown appropriations and pays suppliers.
12. The Transport Agency Finance and state highways teams report progress being made to deliver approved activities as well as expenditure.
13. The Transport Agency(state highways) forecasts forward cash-flows and advises of impending cost-scope and cash-flow adjustments and requests approval of these via TIO The NZTA's web-based funding allocation system. .
14. The Transport Agency requests adjustments to the Crown appropriations as needed to cover cost-scope and cash-flow adjustments.

Funding assistance rate

100% of the cost of approved ARSHP activities is covered by Crown appropriations.

Applying for funding approval

Applications for funding approval of proposed projects should be made through the 'Improvement activity' module in Transport Investment Online (TIO The NZTA's web-based funding allocation system. ). Any ARSHP project should be noted in the relevant Regional Land Transport Plan.

End of year carryover

Transport Investment Online (TIO The NZTA's web-based funding allocation system. ) will automatically carryover the unspent allocation every year. Therefore it is vital that the Transport Agency(state highways) declare as surplus the unused allocation for completed projects by making a cost-scope adjustment via the Reviews module in TIO.