Process for regional land transport plans

This page relates to the 2021-24 National Land Transport Programme.

Introduction

The Land Transport Management Act 2003 (LTMA) requires regional land transport plans (RLTPs) to be developed every six years and reviewed every three years (mid-term).

Unlike the development of RLTPs, the LTMA has relatively little information around the requirements for the review of RLTPs.

Land Transport Management Act 2003, section 18CA(external link)

Because there are fewer legislative requirements in the review process compared with the development process, regional transport committees (RTCs) have considerably more flexibility in deciding whether reviewed RLTPs require consultation or need to be approved by regional councils. Such decisions are covered to a large extent by section 18D of the LTMA, which includes RLTP variation and the need to take the RTC’s significance policy into consideration. We have developed guidance around the Business Case Approach for mid-term RLTP reviews, which is on the Waka Kotahi website.

Land Transport Management Act 2003, section 18D(external link)

RLTP mid-term review BCA guidance materials

We recommend that a review of the RLTP follows a similar process to RLTP development, as set out below. However, we recognise this process may vary, depending on the amount of change required. You should discuss your review process with your regional Waka Kotahi team. 

We will continually review our evidence base on regional transport issues and develop a national and regional picture of the issues.

We will communicate national and regional planning and investment signals based on the current Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS) and emerging government priorities prior to the release of the next draft GPS.

Process steps for the development or review of an RLTP

On release of the draft GPS

1. We (Waka Kotahi as investor) develop our draft Investment Prioritisation Method (IPM), strengthen our investment signals and set the deadline for RLTP delivery to ensure RLTP development processes and timelines are in place to meet our National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) deadlines.
2. The RTC either reviews the existing RLTP (as required in the legislation) or establishes the processes and timelines for development or review of the RLTP, including the development of approved organisation and Waka Kotahi (for its own activities) programmes.
3. The RTC updates the strategic front end of the RLTP, considering the draft GPS, our updated national and regional planning and investment signals, progress on the existing RLTP and any emerging local or regional issues.
4. Approved organisations and Waka Kotahi (for its own activities) develop or review their transport programmes of activities for input to the RLTP.

Once the final GPS is released

5. We (Waka Kotahi as investor) finalise the IPM, confirm our investment signals and RLTP deadlines.
6. The RTC reviews the draft strategic front end of its RLTP against the final GPS, including its strategic objectives and priorities. Other aspects of the regional prioritisation process, including affordability and value for money, should also be considered.
7. The RTC considers the proposed programmes of activities and their contribution to the outcomes sought under the GPS and the RLTP strategic objectives. The prioritisation of activities will involve a degree of moderation amongst the parties, although it is the RTCs who have the final say on regional prioritisation of activities in an RLTP.
8. Approved organisations and Waka Kotahi (for its own activities) complete the information requirements for their programmes of activities and submit these to the RTC for inclusion in the RLTP through Transport Investment Online (TIO).
   Transport Investment Online(external link)

Review of activities in the programme

9. The RTC reviews the completeness of information provided for proposed activities and their eligibility and then decides whether to include the activities in the RLTP.
10. Our regional staff will also review the activities submitted for inclusion in the RLTP (alongside the requirements for inclusion in the NLTP) and will assist the RTC as required.
11. If the RTC decides not to include an activity, it should inform the organisation that submitted it along with its reasons for not including it. Auckland Transport must provide reasons to both Waka Kotahi (for its own activities) and Auckland Council for any decision it makes not to include their activities in the RLTP.
12. The owner of the activity not included in the RLTP then decides whether to modify and resubmit it (back to step 8) or withdraw it.
13. If the decision is made to withdraw the activity, the owner can either leave it in TIO with a ‘Submitted to RTC’ status or request us to revert its status to ‘Draft’, which enables the owner to delete it from TIO.
14. The RTC continues to develop its draft RLTP by adding to the draft strategic front end the activities for inclusion, adding prioritised improvement activities in the programme back end, and submitting these through TIO. The RTC should also provide an assessment in the draft RLTP document as to how its draft RLTP complies with the core requirements of an RLTP.

Once the draft RLTP has been developed

15. The RTC publicly consults on its draft RLTP following the requirements set out in section18 of the LTMA. It considers submissions and discusses these, as relevant, with approved organisations and Waka Kotahi (for its own activities).
    Land Transport Management Act 2003, section 18(external link)

16. Approved organisations and Waka Kotahi (for its own activities) consider the submissions and feedback from consultation. They finalise negotiations on programmes with us (Waka Kotahi as investor), make their final inputs to TIO and re-submit these to the RTC or Auckland Transport for inclusion in the RLTP.
17. The RTC finalises its RLTP and sends it to the relevant regional council for approval. (Auckland Transport is not required to send its RLTP to Auckland Council for approval.)
18. The regional council approves the RLTP and submits it to us via TIO to enable its activities to be considered for inclusion in the NLTP. The process for progressing RLTPs that are not approved by the regional council is set out in section 18B of the LTMA. Auckland Transport submits its final RLTP directly to us.
    Land Transport Management Act 2003, section 18B(external link)

Timelines for RLTP development

The regional council or Auckland Transport publishes its RLTP by the date set by us according to the following:

• In most cases we aim to adopt the NLTP by 30 June of the year immediately preceding the start of the NLTP.
• This means the final RLTPs are to be submitted to us by 30 April of that year.
• The date by which the final RLTP must be published is usually set at 31 July of the start year of the RLTP.
• Where development of the NLTP is delayed, for example due to late release of the GPS, we have until 31 August of the first year of the NLTP to adopt the NLTP.
• As a consequence of such a delay we may adjust the deadlines for RLTP submission and publishing.

All other timelines and deadlines for RLTP development are set by the respective RTC or Auckland Transport. These should be set in consultation with relevant approved organisations and Waka Kotahi (for its own activities), recognising the time required for these organisations to develop their programmes of activities.