Negotiations with Approved Organisations and State Highways – general guidance

Timing of NLTP negotiations

Although shown as a discrete step in the AO Local Transport and State Highway Programme processes, to achieve the best NLTP outcomes, negotiations between Transport Agency(planning & investment) and Approved Organisations/the Transport Agency(state highways) should be a continuous and ongoing process. Critical stages in the timeline for development of the 2015-18 NLTP provide an opportunity for discussion, clarification and negotiation. These stages are at:

• Programme Business Case development
• Transport programme development
• Regional Land Transport Plan development
• National Land Transport Programme development

Study, strategy and plan development stage

The Transport Agency has developed an Investment and Revenue Strategy, which is intended to guide the Transport Agency in its requirement under the Land Transport Management Act 2003 to give effect to the GPS.

To ensure there is alignment with Transport Agency’s Investment and Revenue Strategy, Approved Organisations and the Transport Agency(state highways) should involve the Transport Agency(planning & investment) in the development of regional and network studies and strategies, Regional Public Transport Plans and Activity Management Plans. These medium to long term planning documents will form the basis of an Approved Organisation’s and the Transport Agency’s (state highways) next land transport programmes.

At this point, the alignment between the Transport Agency’s planning and investment priorities at a national, regional and local level can be discussed and issues resolved. 

These negotiations are an opportunity for Approved Organisations and the Transport Agency(state highways) to test and gain preliminary feedback on:

• Significant forecasting assumptions
• Objectives and process of engagement
• Outputs and outcomes
• Key risks
• Strategically significant developments such as ports and airports, and their transport connections
• Methods of development, including modelling, and
• Peer reviewing.

Transport programme development stage

Approved Organisations and the Transport Agency(state highways) develop programmes of the activities and combinations of activities that they propose to the relevant Regional Transport Committee (RTC) for inclusion in the Regional Land Transport Plan(RLTP).

During the development of transport programmes there will be an opportunity for Approved Organisations and the Transport Agency(state highways) to discuss the proposed contribution to outcomes to be delivered by programmes, packages and individual activities and to negotiate their content. The studies, strategies and plans that underpin the proposed programmes should form a key part of the evidence base for the negotiations.

Transport programme development stage

These negotiations will be an opportunity for Approved Organisations and the Transport Agency(state highways) to test and gain preliminary feedback on:

• Infrastructure investment projects (New and replacement works) as identified in planning studies
• Proposed network levels of service
• Business Case Programme linkages to GPS impacts
• Intervention hierarchy  (asset and non-asset projects)
• Draft options and alternatives of activities proposed
• BCR  and NPV assessments, where developed sufficiently
• Gain an understanding of funding availability
• Optimal investment timing
• Third party funding contributions
• alignment with the Transport Agency’s Planning and Investment Principles and its Investment and Revenue Strategy

The Transport Agency(planning & investment) will moderate Approved Organisations’ and the Transport Agency''s (state highways) proposed programmes across the region. This moderation is internal to the Transport Agency(planning & investment) and will be led regionally. The moderation will inform negotiations with Approved Organisations and the Transport Agency(state highways).

Regional Land Transport Programme Development stage

During development of the RLTPs, negotiations between the Transport Agency(planning & investment) and Approved Organisations/Transport Agency(state highways) will continue. Some of the negotiations will involve the RTC and/or its Regional Advisory Group, especially with regard to those activities that require prioritisation in the RLTP.

Negotiations should be well progressed by the time that the RLTPs are consulted publically, so that the consulted programme in the RLTP is reasonably close to the final programme included in the NLTP.  However, some differences in positions on the final form and content of programmes may exist at this time and will require resolution when the NLTP is developed.

When draft RLTPs are being consulted on, the Transport Agency(planning & investment) will moderate draft RLTPs across the country.  This moderation is internal to the Transport Agency and will be led nationally.  The moderation will inform the Transport Agency’s (planning & investment) submission on the RLTP (if required) and final negotiations with Approved Organisations and the Transport Agency(state highways).

National Land Transport Programme Development stage

Negotiations of Approved Organisations’ and the Transport Agency’s (state highways) programmes will be finalised before the NLTP is adopted. Particular emphasis will be placed on those components of the programmes that require the Transport Agency Board’s funding approval at the time that the NLTP is adopted, being:

• Maintenance and operations programmes for state highways and local roads
• Renewals programmes for state highways and local roads
• Minor improvements programmes for state highways and local road

• Road safety promotion (community) programmes for Approved Organisations
• Public transport services programmes, and
• Allocations to groups of small improvement projects.

Other improvement activities may be approved for funding at the same time if sufficiently developed. However, it is likely that the majority of improvement projects in the NLTP that don’t have prior funding commitments will require funding approval during the course of the NLTP once they are developed sufficiently. These projects will be prioritised in the NLTP along with an indication of their likelihood for funding.