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Land transport

Abstract

Providing and managing land transport infrastructure is a key issue facing regional and district councils as well as other providers of land transport. There is a need for strong relationships between policies and strategies at both a strategic and RMA plan level.

To this end this guidance note aims to:

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Guidance note

Introduction

'Land transport' covers all land-based transportation systems that provide for the movement of people, goods and services, and includes the following:

The land transport system plays a vital role in linking communities within a district and linking those communities with other districts and regions. As a physical resource of strategic importance (see Campbell v Southland DC W114/94 in relation to state highways), this system needs to be safeguarded from any adverse effects (that may arise from land uses) that could affect the provision of an integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable land transport. Similarly, adverse environmental effects on land use activities resulting from land transport systems also need to be managed.

These factors and other concerns have influenced a significant change in land transport legislation and policy since the introduction of the New Zealand Transport Strategy (NZTS) in 2002. Specific concerns include:

(Source: Land Transport New Zealand (2006): Participation in land use and transport planning process (PDF 347KB))

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Integrated Land Transport Planning – the role of Regional Policy Statements and Plans

Regional Policy Statements

Land transport is a complex issue that is managed by several different agencies operating under various statutes. Under the RMA, Regional Policy Statements (RPSs) play a key strategic role in land transport planning. As regional and district plans are now required to ‘give effect’ to RPSs (refer ss67(3) and 75(3) RMA), their specific high-level objectives and policies will have a much stronger influence on the policy framework within these plans.

An RPS can also influence the direction of Regional Land Transport Strategies (RLTSs) and related initiatives such as Regional Growth Strategies, particularly as an RLTS needs to be consistent with a RPS (refer s175(3) Land Transport Act). Equally, the content and direction of an RPS can be usefully informed by these strategies (refer to Environment Bay of Plenty Proposed Change 2 to note the relationship between the RPS and SmartGrowth, the urban growth strategy for the Bay of Plenty region).

The role of RPSs in land transport is a rapidly evolving area and a number of regional councils are investigating the application of a more directive policy approach in these statements. This, in turn, will have a bearing on how land transport planning is integrated into regional and district plans.

Regional Plans

The primary purpose of regional plans is to enhance environmental quality and to avoid, remedy or mitigate any adverse effects in regard to regional regulatory functions under the RMA. Some plans may have no relevance to transport whereas others will carry significant weight when resource consents are sought for specific projects (eg, such as those dealing with erosion and sediment control).

District Plans

District plans establish a policy and regulatory framework for land use, subdivision and associated environmental effects. Land use planning decisions can assist (or frustrate) the implementation of strategic transportation measures.

In broad terms, land transport provisions in district plans should:

The importance of applying a co-ordinated and integrated approach to the management of land transport by local authorities is recognised in the following changes to the RMA introduced by the 2005 amendment:

These amendments are designed to clarify the role of regional councils in overseeing the integrated management of infrastructure and land use to achieve good resource management outcomes. There is now statutory recognition of the close relationship between infrastructure (in its broadest sense) and land use. This creates a flow-on effect in terms of integrated planning for services and managing demand for new infrastructure particularly as a number of existing RPSs focus on the environmental effects of transport.

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Related legislation, strategies, policies and agencies

Legislation

The land transport framework in New Zealand is governed by a relatively complex set of legislative provisions. The following have some influence over planning or resource management outcomes:

Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA)

There are several sections under the RMA that are directly or indirectly applicable to land transport. Regional councils, for instance, have a specific responsibility to strategically integrate infrastructure with land use through objectives, policies and methods (s30(1)(gb)). Equally, as regional and district plans have to give effect to RPSs (ss67(3)(c) and 75(3)(c)) there is now greater potential for RPSs to assume a more pronounced role in promoting transport integration.

Land Transport Management Act 2003 (LTMA)

The LTMA came into force in November 2003 to give effect to the principles of the NZTS and to provide the necessary legislative framework. The overall purpose of the LTMA (s3) is to “contribute to the aim of achieving an integrated, safe, responsive, and sustainable land transport system”. The Land Transport Amendment Bill (PDF 3.8MB) is designed to maximise the performance of the government land transport sector and its impact on the NZ economy and environment.

Land Transport Act 1998 (LTA)

The LTA provides for the regulation of transport in New Zealand. Part 13 of the LTA (as amended by the LTMA), is of relevance to RMA policies and plans as it provides the basis for land transport strategies. Specifically, it allows the Minister of Transport to prepare a national land transport strategy and for each regional council to prepare a Regional Land Transport Strategy. Section 175(3) also specifies that “a regional land transport strategy may not be inconsistent with any regional policy statement or plan that is for the time being in force under the Resource Management Act 1991”.

Transit New Zealand Act 1989

This Act constitutes Transit NZ and defines its functions and powers in relation to motorways and state highways. Particularly relevant is Transit NZ’s ability (as well as councils’ under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1974 that were not repealed) to declare and manage access to limited access roads. The LTMA expanded Transit NZ’s functions and powers in 2003.

Local Government Act 2002 (LGA)

The Local Government Act defines the purpose, roles and responsibilities of local government. It provides a framework and powers for local authorities to determine the activities they undertake and the manner in which they undertake them.

In relation to land transport relevant components include:

Territorial authorities are also required to facilitate a process to identify the outcomes sought by the community on such matters as transport and land use, and to consult with the community about proposed programmes and projects.

Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Act 2004

This Act made changes to transport governance, regulatory and funding proposals for the Auckland region. It established two new entities as subsidiaries of the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) – the Auckland Regional Transport Authority and Auckland Regional Holdings. The Auckland Regional Transport Authority plans, funds and develops the Auckland regional land transport system, in coordination with Land Transport NZ, Transit NZ and ONTRACK. Auckland Regional Holdings manages assets and interests on behalf of the ARC.

Additionally the Amendment Act required the ARC and the seven constituent territorial authorities to prepare and publicly notify proposed land use changes to their planning documents that integrate land transport and land use provisions consistent with the Auckland Regional Growth Strategy.

The intention of the changes that have been introduced to the Regional Policy Statement and district plans is to better equip the Auckland region to manage growth in a more effective and integrated manner, and to get infrastructure, transport and development projects moving. This process is designed to assist the Auckland region to cater for its growing population, guiding more intensive development to the most appropriate areas where services and amenities can be provided at the right level, and by providing efficient transport systems. For further information see Proposed Change 6 to the Auckland RPS.

Other related legislation

Historic Places Act 1993 – Obtaining an authority from the New Zealand Historic Places Trust to destroy or modify archaeological sites is often necessary prior to the construction of new transport infrastructure. The most relevant case is Te Aro Heritage Trust v New Zealand Historic Places Trust (Pouhere Taonga) W052/03, 8 NZED 763, which relates to the Wellington Inner City Bypass.

Reserves Act 1977 – Consents under the Reserve Act may also be necessary where land that is gazetted for a reserve is required for transport infrastructure purposes.

Strategies and policies

If land transport is to be addressed in an integrated way it is important to consider, in conjunction with other legislation, any relevant strategies or policies that have been developed by national agencies.

New Zealand Transport Strategy (NZTS)

The New Zealand Transport Strategy (NZTS) provides a national policy framework to promote sustainable transport. The vision is that by 2010, New Zealand will have a transport system that is affordable, integrated, safe, responsive, and sustainable.

This will be achieved through adopting an approach that is:

The vision comprises five transport objectives:

These five objectives are equally important in preparing an RLTS and have subsequently been codified in the LTMA (and further reinforced by proposed changes contained in the Land Transport Amendment Bill (PDF 3.8MB)). The NZTS outlines what has already been done to assist in achieving the above objectives as well as identifying further initiatives. A number of more specific NZTS-related reports have been prepared by the Ministry of Transport, including one that outlines strategic directions for the transport sector. The NZTS is currently under review and will result in the future release of an updated NZTS by the government.

Regional Land Transport Strategies (RLTS)

Regional councils are responsible for preparing Regional Land Transport Strategies. RLTSs play a significant role in transport funding and planning and provide a mechanism for identifying problems, issues and opportunities. In exercising their functions, land transport organisations need to ensure that they take the provisions of an RLTS into account.

At a strategic level, RLTSs:

They also provide a direct link to Part II of the RMA in that they must not be inconsistent with any RPS or plan that is in force. In addition they are required to ensure, to the extent that it is reasonable under the circumstances, that adverse effects on the environment are managed through district plans.

Due to different geographical, population, and existing transport supply circumstances, there are significant variations in the range of issues addressed by each RLTS. Every RLTS feeds into both the National Land Transport Programme and local transport programmes. In particular, it also guides road-controlling authority (ie, territorial authorities, Transit NZ, Department of Conservation and other transport providers) decisions about prioritising and funding the regional strategic transport network.

With the exception of Auckland, every RLTS is able to identify transport projects and their role in the strategy. The distinction between Auckland and the other regions is that the role of identifying and prioritising transport-related projects in the Auckland region rests with ARTA and Transit NZ.

Regional Growth Strategies (RGS)

Growth strategies are non-statutory documents that are generally developed at the regional level. They can strongly influence land use, development and transport planning but only have statutory effect if their strategic direction is incorporated into a RPS and any associated plans. The LGA 2002 also provides opportunities for integrated transport and land use planning through the development of Long-Term Council Community Plans.

A number of regions have prepared, or are preparing, growth strategies that set in place a strategic vision for the region, and their value as a tool to inform transport and land use planning should not be underestimated. Growth strategies are tailored to the particular circumstances of a region and consider such factors as population and employment growth, existing and projected land use activities and the adequacy of existing infrastructure. In the Auckland region, for instance, there is strong support for regional growth strategies to be implemented through the RPS and district plans.

Other related strategies

Land Transport Agencies

Several agencies have a role in land transport, particularly in relation to resource management matters. These include:

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Land transport – developing effective district plan provisions

Developing land transport provisions for district plans involves the following stages:

Gather the information

Gathering relevant information involves obtaining a clear understanding of the overall land transport environment in a district or region, including roads, railways, public transport networks, pedestrian areas, and cycle routes. Identifying key land uses, future trends and growth areas is also important.

The transport network is interconnected, and a change in one part of the system may often have unforeseen operational and land use consequences (eg, extra train services at peak times may cause traffic delays at road crossings down the track, provision of bus lanes on existing arterials may displace existing retail parking). Equally, land use decisions may also have an unintended effect on the operation of the transport network and system.

Consultation is critical to understanding what the community likes and dislikes about a district’s land transport system. Consultation needs to be wide, inclusive of transport providers and key agencies, and provide relevant information. The outcomes of consultation and submissions on earlier district plans or other council plans (eg, LTCCP, Annual Plan), the RLTS or Transit NZ’s Land Transport Programme provide insight into community views and can help inform an integrated approach. Refer to the Consultation guidance note for further information.

Identify and assess the issues

Although there is no longer a statutory requirement that district and regional plans contain issues, consideration should be given to their inclusion as they help to clarify what the associated objectives and policies are trying to achieve.

Transportation issues fall into two broad categories:

In assessing issues, the following actions are important:

Responding to issues

Councils need to decide how to best address identified issues through their district plan. Matters that should be considered include:

Refer to guidance notes on Developing the Policy Framework and Writing provisions for regional and district plans.

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District plan framework for managing issues

Under s75 of the RMA, councils are only required to include objectives, policies and rules (if any) in their plans. To achieve its objectives and policies, a council can rely on a mix of regulatory and non-regulatory methods.

District plan provisions

District plans can promote greater integration between land use and transport, by incorporating provisions that provide for both strategic and detailed site-specific assessment. This includes:

A district plan can also include methods (including rules) to manage the specific environmental effects of activities such as:

District plans are not the only means available to local authorities to provide for transport. Territorial authorities are also able, under the LGA 2002, to:

Road hierarchies

Road hierarchies classify types of roads in the region/district, and their priority in terms of function. The highest class relates to arterial roads such as motorways and state highways, while the lowest includes local roads and cul-de-sacs. Each classification assigns preferential use to either through traffic or local access.

There is an argument for moving away from a hierarchical road system to one that is:

Nevertheless, the current convention is to rely on road hierarchies for planning purposes.

They are means of managing the district transport infrastructure (and more particularly to control access to the highest levels of the road hierarchy), they can also be used as an environmental management tool to assist in controlling effects (eg, noise and amenity protection).

A graduated hierarchy can usefully help establish policies and rules relating to:

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Transport corridors

A designation is a planning mechanism that enables existing or future infrastructure to be efficiently managed and allows land requirements associated with future infrastructure to be signalled in plans. A designation can provide a useful means to deal with lineal transport networks such as roads or railways.

Where a designation is provided in a plan, any provisions that might normally apply – including zoning and land use controls – do not extend to include works or projects undertaken by the requiring authority. This can include routine maintenance and minor upgrading.

In general, designations are an effective tool for major new transport developments such as arterial roadways. However, zoning provisions can also be used in conjunction with or instead of designations to provide for transport corridors and networks. In such cases, the district plan generally permits activities like the construction, operation, and maintenance of roads, although certain thresholds and performance standards may apply. Other non-roading activities may still require resource consent, such as the location of bus shelters and removal of trees.

Councils, Ministers of the Crown (eg, government departments), and approved network utility operators (eg, Transit NZ) can designate their transportation networks in district plans. Transit NZ uses designations to manage the state highway network. The national rail network is also designated.

Future lineal transport infrastructure routes such as road, rail, pedestrian, cycle and rapid transit corridors may also be identified in district plans (particularly for future growth). Commonly these would be provided for by either designation or by indicative routes where insufficient detail is available on the exact location or configuration of the route. There are, however, location and timing issues associated within this latter approach; potential noise, visual and air quality effects would also need to be recognised.

As a way of reconciling strategic land use and private development goals, local authorities sometimes use indicative roads as a means to negotiate the location of transport routes at the time that a subdivision is proposed. Structure plans are another way of achieving such outcomes, but have the long-term roading pattern often embedded into a district plan to direct future development.

Managing development

A fundamental concept that underpins both the New Zealand Transport Strategy and the Land Transport Management Act, is the improved integration of land use and transport planning. Unplanned or uncoordinated land use decisions can affect the safety or level of service of the transport system. Consequently, the impacts of land use on transport interests should be considered prior to land being identified for growth, subdivided or developed.

When preparing a plan, consideration should be given to including objectives, policies and possibly rules that cover such matters as:

District plan provisions and growth strategies prepared by Auckland City (Section 7.6.8 pg A20) (PDF 556 KB) and Waitakere City Rule 2.2 pg.5 (PDF 780KB) are based around nodes. Although the Waitakere District Plan includes two growth corridors, both this and the Auckland Isthmus Plan have yet to give effect to most of the nodes identified in Regional Growth Strategies and to local growth strategies that encourage high-density residential development. This approach is consistent with the wider regional growth strategy of urban intensification. In addition, several other collaborative corridor studies centred on the integration of land use transport have been carried out or are currently being prepared (eg, the Wellington Western Corridor, the North Nelson to Brightwater Corridor Study and the Ngauranga to Airport Strategic study – refer to the Transit NZ and Greater Wellington Regional Council websites for further information).

Methods for specific effects (standards and controls)

Generally all existing district plans contain transport-related standards or controls (eg, access, parking). When carrying out a review, careful consideration should be given to these provisions as some may no longer be effective or desirable. Council officers (eg, roading engineers, consent planners) who regularly work with these standards should be consulted about their effectiveness. It may also be helpful to survey the views of the plan from external users (eg, roading consultants, Transit NZ, consultant planners).

Long-Term Council Community Plans can also play an influential role in transport-related decisions as they outline the levels of service to be provided by a territorial authority (eg, travel speeds and times on roads).

Vehicle accessways

Use vehicle accessway specifications to state the number, location, and design of vehicle accessways along a road. In addition the Transit NZ Planning Policy Manual contains standards related to state highway access points.

Parking standards and controls

Parking controls can be used to:

Parking controls can be difficult to determine and administer as parking needs vary greatly for different activities. As provisions may need to be adjusted in response to land use changes it is important to ensure that any changes are closely monitored (eg, rules may need to address supplementary provision where ‘vehicle generating’ activities are proposed).

For instance, it may be more efficient for a council to provide bulk parking in one location instead of multiple small parking lots through a centre, or consideration could be given to allowing 'shared' parking between activities where possible (eg, multi-unit shopping centres). Such policies should be developed through an integrated planning exercise. Other policy issues that also need to be taken into account include management of potential adverse effects (eg, amenity and urban design if ‘bulk-parking’ is encouraged).

Road and traffic signs

Road and traffic signs are critical to road safety and should be considered as a permitted activity in district plans. Alternatively, councils can consider the use of bylaws to provide for road and traffic signage.

Transit NZ is responsible for traffic control signs within state highway road reserves. Although currently under review, the industry-recognised Manual of Traffic Signs and Markings (MOTSAM) is a useful source for definitions of road and traffic signs.

Noise and vibration controls

District plans commonly establish noise standards for land use activities. With existing transportation networks, it is also relevant to consider how ‘reverse sensitivity’ might be addressed (eg, where a noise-sensitive activity such as housing establishes near an existing noisy environment like a motorway). Refer to the Land Transport Noise guidance note for more detailed information on options to manage land transport noise.

Air quality

Air quality is a particular issue for communities affected by networks experiencing congestion and in areas where existing air quality is poor. Generally free-flowing traffic produces fewer emissions than a congested state. Although transport emissions are usually assessed on a national basis, location-specific effects have been considered in certain circumstances (eg, refer Nelson Intermediate School v Transit New Zealand C35/2004).

The guidance note on Air Quality provides useful advice on managing air quality issues. A National Environmental Standard for Air Quality (PDF 70 KB) has also been developed to help protect the public from specific contaminants in the air.

Sightline requirements for railway level crossings

Earthworks and stormwater controls

Although earthworks and stormwater discharges are generally managed at a regional level, they are also addressed in some district plans. As these activities have the potential to adversely affect the development of the transportation system, unnecessary duplication of controls in regional and district plans should be avoided. Refer to the Managing Earthworks under the RMA guidance note for further information.

Financial contributions

Where specified in a plan financial contributions can be imposed to avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse effects on, or the effects of, land transport modes. Contributions can be in the form of cash, land or a combination of cash and land. They can be used to recover the costs of providing upgraded or additional public transport infrastructure associated with new development.

Transit NZ may also seek to enter into cost sharing arrangements for state highway improvements directly related to development (refer Transit NZ Interim Cost Sharing Policy). These may include contributions of land, works or money from developers, councils and other relevant parties (if appropriate) to mitigate the adverse effects of new development on the state highway network.

Other activities on roads

Other activities on roads include car races, cycle races or parades. Although these activities are generally temporary in nature, they can occur on a reasonably regular basis and can affect both the transportation system and activities on nearby sites. They are often regulated through by-laws or are treated as temporary activities (with allied controls) in plans, see District Plan provisions. Transit NZ approval also needs to be sought if access to a state highway is required.

Provision for associated roading-related structures such as bus shelters and utility infrastructure should also be considered.

Other methods (associated with the district plan)

Consideration should be given to the use of other regulatory or non-regulatory methods to implement district plan policies, provided they align with and support provisions in the plan.

Other methods include:

Other methods (non-RMA)

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Expected environmental results (EER) and monitoring

District plans can include the environmental results expected from the policies and methods but this is not a mandatory requirement. Where included, plans should identify specific measurable outcomes that are being worked towards as monitoring the success or otherwise of plan provisions is a requirement under s35. They can also provide a useful basis to determine whether existing provisions need to be adjusted.

For more information on monitoring, refer to the Monitoring and Reporting One-Stop-Shop.

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Dealing with cross-boundary issues

Transportation systems often have associated issues and effects that extend beyond any one district or region. Regional councils and territorial authorities affected by cross-boundary issues need to develop a clear process for dealing with them. The RLTS provides a good way to achieve this and can be cross-referenced in a district plan (eg, Auckland).

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Best practice examples

The following examples illustrate best practice in particular aspects of plan preparation, as described in the guidance note.

Christchurch City Council: Network strategies for pedestrian and cycle routes [Reveal/Hide]

The Christchurch City District Plan contains assessment matters relating to pedestrian and cycle routes in the subdivision rules. Under these rules any proposed roading system based on cul-de-sacs is not permitted unless specific provision is made for cycle and pedestrian connections that are wide enough to form part of the open space network. Additionally, the road layout is not permitted to inhibit the safe future use of the roading network for passenger transport.

Hamilton City Council: Interconnected pedestrian and cycle network [Reveal/Hide]

The Hamilton City Council has created an interconnected network of pedestrian walkways and cycle routes. The network has largely been created through acquisition and consent conditions, with development funded through the Annual Plan and LTCCP processes.

Hamilton City Council: Use of structure plans [Reveal/Hide]

The objectives and policies in the Proposed Hamilton District Plan(PDF 129KB) emphasise the need for integration of land use and transportation planning. An example of this is use of the Rototuna structure plan as a guideline to negotiate road status (eg, arterial, collector) and public transport requirements (eg, provision for bus stops) at the point of subdivision. Structure plans can also help identify the type and extent of financial contributions (eg, cost per hectare).

Wellington City Council: Classifications for the road hierarchy [Reveal/Hide]

The Wellington City District Plan uses several concise and easily understood classifications for its road hierarchy. The road hierarchy is displayed on the planning maps (PDF 99KB), including additional information such as frontages where vehicle access is restricted, and is linked to relevant rules (eg, for new access locations and standards).

The classifications defined in Section 3.10 pg. 3/74 of the plan (PDF 628KB) are:

  • motorway: high-standard limited-access roads designed to carry long-distance through-traffic at speed (primary road)
  • arterial road: high-standard limited-access roads designed to carry long-distance through-traffic (primary road)
  • principal road: provides access to motorways and to arterial roads, having a dominant through-traffic function and carrying the major public transport routes (primary road)
  • collector road: distributes traffic between and within local areas and forms the link between primary and secondary roads (secondary road)
  • sub-collector road: distributes traffic within the local area and forms the link between collector and local roads (secondary road)
  • local road: provides access to properties fronting the road, and includes both long and short cul-de-sacs (secondary road).

Auckland City Council/Wellington City Council: Verandah Controls [Reveal/Hide]

Section 6.9 of the Auckland City District Plan (Central Area) (PDF 856KB) provides for verandah coverage on street frontages in the Central Business District. The Wellington City District Plan (PDF 2.2MB) (rule 13.1.2.8 pg. 13/14 and Appendix 8 pg. 43) includes similar provisions. Verandahs add greatly to pedestrian comfort, providing shade in summer and protection from wind and rain; they support a vibrant and safe pedestrian environment.

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RMA provisions

Other relevant legislation

Case law

There are some specific cases predating the 2005 amendment to the RMA, that offer useful guidance on whether district plan provisions are inconsistent with an RPS and whether they ‘have regard to’ an RLTS. These include:

Transport related provisions in proposed district plans have been considered by the Environment Court in a number of cases. Some of these usefully illustrate the value of certainty in rules and provide some specific guidance on including transport provisions in plans. Cases include:

There are also a number of cases that consider the effects of proposals on state highways. Recent decisions include:

Other significant transportation cases concerning RMA effects include:

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Related guidance notes

The following guidance notes are related:

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Relevant publications

Participation in land use and transport planning process (PDF 347KB)

Land Transport New Zealand
Date 2006/01

This document outlines Land Transport NZ’s policy for participating in land use and transport-related planning processes.

Planning policy manual

Transit New Zealand
Date: 2007

The Planning Policy Manual (PPM) sets out Transit's policy and approach to integrated planning. It replaces the previous PPM and PPM Supplement with the exception of the noise guidelines which still remain in effect.

Environmental policy manual

Transit New Zealand
Date: 2005

The plan implements Transit NZ's Environmental Policy by outlining a range of approaches and implementation plans for specific categories of environmental and social impact.

NZS 6803:1999: Acoustics – Construction noise

Standards New Zealand
Date: 2000/02

This standard covers the measurement and prediction of noise from construction, maintenance and demolition work, and the assessment necessary to determine whether action is required to control it.

Advertising signs and road safety: design and location guidelines (PDF 754KB)

Land Transport New Zealand
Date: 1993/11

This document offers practical guidance to achieve outdoor advertising that is safe and effective from a road safety perspective.

Road and traffic standards series

Land Transport New Zealand
Date: 2005/09

This document provides links to all Land Transport NZ road and traffic standards.

Historic heritage management guidelines for resource management practitioners

New Zealand Historic Places Trust
Date: 2004

This document provides practical assistance on the management of historic heritage under the RMA. It also provides information on the legal obligations associated with archaeological sites under the Historic Places Act.

Integrated transport assessment guidelines

Auckland Regional Transport Authority
Date: 2006

This document outlines a framework for gathering and assessing relevant transport information to better align land use and transport planning.

Managing road safety and efficiency under the RMA 1991: The way forward best practice guideline (PDF 259KB)

Land Transport New Zealand
Date: 2007

The guideline identifies typical road safety and efficiency parameters and identifies measures that can be adopted to address potential adverse impacts on them.

Sustainable management of historic heritage guidance series

New Zealand Historic Places Trust
Date: 2007

The guidance series has been prepared to assist local authorities and others to protect and conserve historic heritage under the RMA and related legislation.

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Current challenges in practice

Coordinating territorial and regional authority functions

The respective roles and responsibilities of regional and territorial authorities concerning transportation issues and consent requirements need to be clearly identified. Regional and district plans often contain different standards that can make compliance difficult and frustrating (eg, variance in earthwork requirements).

Defining the relationship between RMA policy statements and plans, and Regional Land Transport Strategies

Regional Land Transport Strategies are not directly referred to in the RMA but can inform reviews of policy statements and plans. They are also a useful tool to help integrate land use and transport planning. Councils should give these strategies close consideration when preparing or changing their plans, particularly where they contain specific recommendations concerning amendments to plan provisions (eg, restraining parking supply). They may also be relevant when considering resource consent applications (refer s104 (1)(c)).

Coordinating local authority functions with other road-controlling authorities

The transport role of territorial authorities needs to be co-ordinated with those of other road controlling authorities and transport infrastructure providers. Determining compliance can be confusing where agency standards differ or conflict with plan provisions (eg, the effect of new subdivision and development on existing transport infrastructure when considered by two agencies with different standards).

Defining terms in plans

Terms used in policies and rules need to be clearly defined and consistently used. While terms such as 'road', 'indicative road', 'car park', and 'activities', might appear simple enough, they often have specific technical meanings that should be clearly expressed in plans.

Developing objectives and policies

Many transportation objectives in district plans are generic and non-specific – they could apply to any town or district of similar size throughout New Zealand. Useful objectives must be specific, and relate to an issue of importance within the district. They may also be district-wide in nature, or focus on specific transportation issues (eg, managing strategically important roads) or particular environmental contexts (eg, new housing on or near strategic roads).

Policies need to expand on the objective to identify how it will be achieved. They need to do more than simply restate the objective and should provide clear direction.

Developing effects-based standards

Plan users usually seek a high level of certainty concerning minimum roading and parking provisions. Developing an effects-based standard is often a more difficult and challenging process than using a performance based approach. It will be important to ensure that effects-based standards are backed by appropriately strong objectives and policies.

Integrating land use and transport planning

In general, there is a lack of clear integration between land use and transport planning. Structure planning is an example of a strategic integrated approach that is becoming more widely applied, particularly in relation to future infrastructure provision. Another commonly used approach is reliance on roading hierarchies that strategically classify roads based on factors such as land use. However, there is a risk that these classifications may be rolled over from previous plans; or they may need to be altered to provide for a more compact urban footprint. It is also difficult to assess the potential cumulative effect of ongoing development on the existing road network, particularly at key pressure points such as intersections with the state highway network (eg, rural lifestyle development in a rural area).

A lack of good integrative planning can result in inadequate transport provision or piecemeal development. Consequently, servicing requirements for vehicles, public transport, pedestrians, and cyclists need to be identified and assessed at an early stage in the planning process. ARTA’s Integrated Transport Assessment Guidelines are an example of a framework that can be applied at a local/regional level. At the national level, government transport sector agencies have initiated an Integrated Approach to Planning Project as part of the Transport Sector Strategic Directions (PDF 973 KB).

Equitable Financial Contributions Policy

Many activities have consequential effects on the surrounding transport network. The usual approach is that those who produce the effect mitigate it; it is the widespread view that a negotiated settlement is preferable. This is complicated where the situation concerns an asset outside of council control (ie, a state highway). It becomes even more complicated when a deficiency to be addressed in the future (ie, an intersection) is brought forward by a land use activity. It is important that councils and infrastructure providers agree on a process that addresses transport related issues fairly and equitably (refer Transit New Zealand v Papakura District Council A61/06 and Transit New Zealand v Southland District Council C42/2006).

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Acknowledgements

This guidance note was originally prepared by Bryce Julyan, Jacqui Manning and John Duffy of Beca Planning in 2003. The note was updated in 2007 by Lindsay Daysh and Penny Thomson of GHD Ltd and was reviewed and further shaped by Greg Vossler of the Ministry for the Environment.

The Ministry for the Environment would also like to thank the following people involved in the peer review of this material:

This guidance note was prepared in April 2008.