Development of RLTPs – General guidance

Introduction

This section sets out the general guidance for Regional Transport Committees (RTCs) in developing their Regional Land Transport Plans Plans describe the tactics to give effect to a strategy. They are specific in content, action oriented and outputs focussed, resulting in a tangible set of activities to be delivered within a clear timeframe. (RLTPs Regional land transport plans, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied. ). RTCs should consider this guidance in addition to their legislative requirements set out in the Land Transport Management Act (LTMA The Land Transport Management Act 2003, as amended from time to time. ).

Significance Policy

All RTCs and Auckland Transport will have adopted and implemented a significance policy to guide the development and implementation of their 2012-15 RLTPs Regional land transport plans, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied. . The significance policy should be reviewed to ensure it guides the RTCs and Auckland Transport in developing and implementing their 2015-18 RLTPs. In particular, the policy should cover:

• prioritisation – what must prioritised in the RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied.
• identification of significant activities in the RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied.
• identification of activities of inter-regional significance in the RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied.
• identification of significant expenditure from other sources in the RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied. , and
• varying the RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied. following its approval and the adoption of 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 ) as to what variations will require consultation.

Criteria for Significance Policy

In developing and implementing the Significance policy, the following criteria may be considered:

• The reversibility of a decision. The more irreversible the effects of a decision, the more significance it should be treated with.
• Impacts. The more people affected the more significance it will have.
• Public Interest. The extent to which the matter under consideration is of an interest within the community.
• Financial implications. The greater the cost implications, the more significance it should be treated with.
• Non-financial implications. The greater the social, environmental, or cultural implications, the greater the significance of the decision.
• Practicality. Cost, urgency and commercial considerations need to be balanced with other factors.
• Uncertainty. If it is unclear what effect the decision will have, it should be treated with more, rather than less, significance as a precaution.
• Precedent effect. If the decision is likely to create a precedent that has the potential to affect a large number of similar decisions, the more significance it should be treated with.
• Inconsistency. If a decision is likely to be inconsistent with any Approved Organisation or NZ Transport Agency policy.
• Precautionary principle. Where it is unclear as to whether or not a decision is “significant”, the issue should be treated as significant as a precautionary measure.

The criteria listed here are not exhaustive. The RTCs and Auckland Transport should consider all other relevant factors applicable to the particular decision, when making a “significance” assessment.

RTCs and Auckland Transport may decide to incorporate all their criteria into a significance policy document alongside policy required to determine significance in respect of variations to RLTPs Regional land transport plans, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied. under section106(2) of the LTMA. The NZ Transport Agency supports this approach.

However, RTCs and Auckland Transport may instead decide to incorporate their criteria into other documents, such as the RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied. , if they so desire. Whichever process the RTCs and Auckland Transport choose, the criteria should be determined before the RLTP is developed and must be transparent to readers and users of RLTPs Regional land transport plans, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied. .

Prioritisation of significant activities

Section 16 of the LTMA states that 'order of priority' is required for significant activities within the RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied. , as defined by the RTC A regional transport committee established under section 105 or clause 11 of schedule 7 of the LTMA. or Auckland Transport significance policy.

Identification of significant activities in the RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied.

The NZ Transport Agency suggests that the activities below are considered to be of significance:

• Improvement projects on state highway and/or local road networks that are large and/or complex (over $5 million estimated construction cost including property, and/or are of high risk and/or have significant network, economic and/or land use implications).
• Other improvement activities that are large and/or complex (over $5 million estimated construction cost including property, and/or are of high risk and may have significant network, economic and/or land use implications).
• Improvement activities that have a high level of risk or a high reliance on new technology that have a 5% probability of costing more than $5 million.
• Any activity that is not consistent with the NZ Transport Agency's Planning and Investment Principles.
• Any other activity that the RTC A regional transport committee established under section 105 or clause 11 of schedule 7 of the LTMA. considers to be regionally significant.

Identification of activities with inter-regional significance in the RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied.

The NZ Transport Agency suggests that these activities are considered to be of inter-regional significance:

• Improvement projects between regions on state highway and/or local road networks that are large and/or complex  (see criteria above)
• Other inter-regional improvement activities that are large and/or complex (see criteria above).
• Inter-regional improvement activities that have a high level of risk or a high reliance on new technology that have a 5% probability of costing more than $5 million.
• Any activity/activities that are part of a multi-region programme of work for significant journeys.
• Any strategic option for which cooperation is required with other regions.
• Any inter-regional activity that is not consistent with the NZ Transport Agency's Investment and funding principles.
• Any other activity that the RTC A regional transport committee established under section 105 or clause 11 of schedule 7 of the LTMA. considers to be inter-regionally significant.

Financial responsibility for activities

Note that Section 16, para 4 of the LTMA requires financial responsibility for any activity included in the RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied. must be accepted by an organisation.

Identification of significant expenditure from other sources in the RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied.

The NZ Transport Agency suggests that significant expenditure from other sources is:

• any expenditure greater than $5 million on individual transport activities, whether the activities are included in the RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied. or not, from:
  • financial expenditure by Approved Organisations
  • in-kind donations of goods and/or services
  • third party contributions.

Varying the RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied. after its approval and adoption of 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

The NZ Transport Agency suggests that the following variations to an RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied. should be considered to be not significant for purposes of consultation:

• Addition of an activity that has previously been consulted on in accordance with sections 18 and 18a of the LTMA, e.g. addition of a new phase of a project where project has already been consulted in the RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied. .
• A scope change to an activity that does not materially change the objective(s) and proposed outcomes of the activity.
• A cost change to an activity.
• Replacement of activities within an approved programme (e.g. maintenance programme The total of the organisation's approved maintenance, operations and renewal activities. ) or group with activities of the same type and general priority.

Form and content of an RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied.

The assessment of activities or combinations of activities proposed by Approved Organisations for inclusion in an RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied. must be in the form and contain the detail required for the RLTP by the RTC A regional transport committee established under section 105 or clause 11 of schedule 7 of the LTMA. , taking into account any prescribed requirements of the NZ Transport Agency.

The NZ Transport Agency's prescribed requirements are that the appropriate module in Transport Investment Online is to be used for assessing activities with the relevant section 16 of the LTMA questions completed.

The RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied. must be in the form and contain the detail that the NZ Transport Agency prescribes to RTCs in writing.

The  NZ Transport Agency will write to each RTC A regional transport committee established under section 105 or clause 11 of schedule 7 of the LTMA. prescribing the form and content of the RLTP A regional land transport plan, prepared under Part 2 of the LTMA, as from time to time amended or varied. .