Further Guidence for Transport Agencies - Chapter Five: Short-Term Supporting Actions

This Chapter identifies a number of supporting actions that will be undertaken over the next three years to help inform and progress the delivery of the targets and the achievement of the transport vision. These supporting actions generally seek to fill gaps in knowledge and develop appropriate responses to transport issues. Most will be led by government, with involvement of local authorities and other stakeholders as appropriate.

A number of these supporting actions have been identified as immediate priorities and are highlighted in bold.

The government will expand and develop the supporting actions listed here into a comprehensive action plan, that will identify accountabilities and timing, by 31 March 2009.

The action plan will also include transport related actions from the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, and other government strategies, where not included below.

INTEGRATED PLANNING

Integrated planning and urban design

• Scope a National Policy Statement on urban design.
• Promote the introduction of requirements that:
  • major and other significant transport projects must demonstrate they are consistent with regional and local growth strategies
  • where a transport project is required as a result of land-use development, that development should be consistent with statutory planning documents and with sustainable planning principles for the transport project to receive funding through the National Land Transport Programme.
• Promote wider industry understanding and knowledge of sustainable urban design principles.
• Assess final recommendations from the cross-agency ‘Integrated Approach to Planning⁶³ project and progress relevant actions.
• Develop a trial of an accessibility planning scheme⁶⁴.

Improving social connectivity

• Develop an implementation plan by July 2009 in response to the recommendations made in The Accessible Journey report and a specific accessibility target for inclusion in the next update of this Strategy in 2010⁶⁵.
• Undertake research into transport disadvantage to further understanding of:
  • the primary causes of transport disadvantage in New Zealand
  • the number and geographical distribution of transport disadvantaged (urban and rural areas) and whether these groups are predicted to grow in the future
  • the impacts of these trends and how the transport system influences them
  • the implications of an ageing population.
• Investigate the options and feasibility of establishing demand-responsive public transport networks in New Zealand.
• Establish the current levels of transport provided by the voluntary/community sector, and identify the barriers and potential for supporting this sector.

 

MAKING BEST USE OF EXISTING NETWORKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Travel demand management

• Promote travel demand management (TDM) best-practice by building on Transit New Zealand’s TDM manual and guidance material produced by Land Transport New Zealand and local authorities.
• Through the GPS, strengthen the role of TDM (alongside other measures such as traffic management) in the evaluation process for transport projects to be funded by the National Land Transport Programme.
• Support measures to increase the uptake of travel plans and rideshare projects, and show leadership by developing and adopting travel plans across government⁶⁶.
• Develop whole-of-government approaches to managing travel demand through the design and delivery of government services.
• Establish the potential impact of digital communication (eg teleconferencing) on travel habits and transport needs.

Freight and logistics productivity 

• Develop a controlled permit system to allow over-mass and over-dimension vehicles on selected routes.

Traffic management and traveller information 

• Investigate the feasibility, costs and benefits of an integrated transport information gathering and collation network, organised at a regional or national level, as a building block to better real-time information for travellers.
• Gather information on best-practice real-time information systems currently used in New Zealand and overseas and, working with regions, identify opportunities for additional or improved systems.

Maintenance 

• Scope a road surfacing strategy which covers the safety, environmental, noise and lifetime cost/benefits of surfacing options.

 

INVESTING IN CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND PEOPLE

Targeted network enhancements

• Work with local authorities and relevant organisations to identify critical infrastructure including economically important routes, ports, airports and inter-modal terminals.
• Ensure that the Funding Allocation Process for transport activities is consistent with this Strategy in the current review of that process (including the New Zealand Transport Agency’s Economic Evaluation Manual).

Investing in Auckland 

• Consider the forthcoming Auckland road pricing advice in the context of the goals and options in this Strategy.
• Investigate the feasibility of progressing the Waterview Connection section of Auckland’s Western Ring Route as a public private partnership.
• Continue strong investment in public transport.
• Support the development of the One Plan⁶⁷ for Auckland.
• Consider the transport-related government decisions following the report of the
  Royal Commission on Auckland Governance.

Transport workforce development 

• Research current labour shortages, labour market constraints and future skill demands in the transport sector in partnership with industry training organisations and private sector transport agencies, with a view to developing a strategic approach.

Freight

• Complete the National Freight Study by mid-2008 and use it to improve freight policy, including specific ways to move towards the identified freight targets.
• Implement the actions set out in Sea Change regarding sea freight.
• Investigate options, in addition to the trial for heavier vehicles, to improve supply
  chain efficiency.

Transport sector resilience 

• Provide transport agencies and local authorities with a methodology to assist them in assessing the durability of their strategies, plans and major decisions around transport over the long term.

 

INCREASING THE AVAILABILITY AND USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT, CYCLING, WALKING, AND OTHER SHARED AND ACTIVE MODES

Public transport

• Develop a set of objectives outlining the outcomes sought by government, so that public transport can be evaluated as to whether it is value for money or not.
• Work with Regional Transport Committees to review regional passenger transport mode share targets. This will be achieved through scheduled reviews of Regional Land Transport Strategies, and Regional Public Transport Plans, by 2012.
• Investigate the need to revise funding procedures for public transport activities to ensure all costs and benefits of such projects are accounted for in their assessment⁶⁸.

Walking and cycling

• Work with Regional Transport Committees to review regional cycling and walking mode share targets through scheduled reviews of Regional Land Transport Strategies, by 2012.
• Investigate the need to revise funding procedures for walking and cycling projects to ensure all costs and benefits of such projects are accounted for in their assessment⁶⁹.
• Review legislative barriers to improving transport choice and achieving a shift to walking and cycling.
• Continue to implement initiatives outlined in the walking and cycling strategy’s (Getting there – on foot, by cycle) implementation plan, for example the ‘Model Communities’ initiative and ‘Bikewise’⁷⁰.
• Develop and introduce a further ‘Getting There’ Implementation Plan for walking and cycling.
• Explore the implications and practicality of applying a ‘road user hierarchy’ to transport planning systems.

 

CONSIDERING OPTIONS FOR GENERATING REVENUE FOR INVESTMENT IN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

• Identify the current and expected full costs and charges for road, rail and sea transport so they can be taken into account in future funding allocation and charging.
• Consider the potential for improving charging systems by examining the social, economic, environmental and financial characteristics of different options, taking into account regional differences and viable pathways to any new system. This evaluation should be based on best-practice from countries that are already actively pursuing more sophisticated charging strategies. This should include consideration of technological developments, costs and lessons on implementation.
• Monitor progress against the targets and the expected trends from measures applied under the current charging system. This will provide an indication of the possible timings for moving to a more sophisticated system.
• Develop criteria for determining the conditions under which possible changes to charging may be required, taking account of the forthcoming Auckland road pricing advice.

 

USING NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND FUELS

• Develop an action plan that coordinates the initiatives required to address vehicle fleet objectives. This includes achieving the target for reducing CO₂ emissions from vehicles, and actions in other areas such as improving vehicle safety and reducing harmful emissions.
• Identify and remove any barriers to the uptake of vehicles using new fuels and technologies provided they meet appropriate safety standards. This includes plug-in hybrid, full electric, hydrogen, liquified petroleum gas, compressed natural gas and compressed air technologies.
• Continue to work with manufacturers on issues relating to the biofuel compatibility of used and new vehicles.
• Monitor future vehicle technology developments through the Vehicle Energy and Renewables Group⁷¹, and contribute to international dialogue on the role and potential of alternative fuels.
• Introduce biofuels as a 2.5 percent proportion of all petrol and diesel in 2012.
• Review the Biofuels Obligation in 2010 to establish all aspects of the obligation after 2012, including obligation levels.
• Continue to work with the New Zealand-based aviation industry, and within international forums, to encourage the use of more fuel-efficient practices and aircraft.

 

MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING INTERNATIONAL LINKS

• Negotiate an open aviation market with the European Union.
• Facilitate the International Civil Aviation Organisation audit of aviation security in New Zealand (scheduled for 2011) and act on its findings.
• Prepare for compliance with new United States aviation and maritime cargo screening requirements.

 

OTHER ACTIONS

Safety 

• Develop a road safety 2020 strategy including:
  • a vision that describes New Zealand’s long-term aspirations for road safety
  • targets for reducing deaths and serious injuries to 2020
  • targets and initiatives for reducing the number of crashes involving specific road users
  • the measures that will be taken to achieve these targets.
• Develop a rail safety 2020 strategy.
• Implement the Safe Ship Management Development Programme and the National Recreational Boating Safety Strategy.
• Update the Maritime Transport Act 2004 to implement relevant international conventions and to reinforce the Port and Harbour Safety Code.

Air quality 

• Improve national air quality monitoring and modelling capacity to allow better understanding of the location and extent of exposure to harmful pollutants, as well as the targeting of action to address these issues.
• Scope the development of a transport air quality management strategy.

Noise and vibration 

• Improve national noise monitoring and modelling capacity to allow better understanding of the location and extent of harmful exposure to noise/vibration from traffic, as well as targeting of action to address these issues.
• Develop a framework for the management of land transport noise.
• Finalise New Zealand Standard NZS 6806 which will contain noise criteria for new and substantially upgraded roads.

Other environmental effects

• Scope the development of a national framework for managing the local effects of transport on the environment.
• Consult Regional Councils and other stakeholders on the adoption of Transit New Zealand’s stormwater guidelines as national good practice and possible development into a New Zealand Standard.
• Develop a fleet commitment and driver training programme for the commercial transport sector.

 Footnotes:

63. A cross government initiative that considered ways to improve the integration of land-use and transport planning. The final report is due to be completed in mid-2008.
64. This would require the development of accessibility planning models to access levels of physical access to identified activities and develop indicators and set targets.
65. This will include agreement on a process for developing good practice accessibility standards (eg through New Zealand Standards) and the encouragement of their widespread adoption.
66. This action is listed in the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (NZEECS).
67. The first One Plan for Auckland is being developed by the Regional Sustainable Development Forum and is due for completion in September 2008. The plan will provide a single, strategic framework and plan of action for the Auckland region.
68. This action is listed in the NZEECS.
69. This action is listed in the NZEECS.
70. This action is listed in the NZEECS.
71. This group is made up of nine industry and research experts. It is responsible for promoting the use of renewable energy in transport, particularly in the areas of electric vehicles and biofuels.

     

 << Previous | Contents | Next >>  

---

Download the full document:

• The New Zealand Transport Strategy 2008 (PDF v7.0 4,687KB)