Executive, Audit & Risk Committee
Monday 16 September 2019 10.00am Taranaki Regional Council, Stratford Executive, Audit & Risk Committee - Agenda
Agenda for the meeting of the Executive, Audit & Risk Committee to be held in the Taranaki Regional Council chambers, 47 Cloten Road, Stratford, on Monday 5 August 2019 commencing at 10.00am.
Members Councillor D L Lean (Committee Chairperson) Councillor M J Cloke Councillor M P Joyce Councillor D N MacLeod Councillor N W Walker Councillor C S Williamson
Apologies
Notification of Late Items
Item Page Subject Item 1 3 Confirmation of Minutes
Item 2 8 Financial and Operational Report
Item 3 19 Regional Public Transport Plan Discussion Document
Item 4 69 South Taranaki and Regional Erosion Support Scheme (STRESS-3) renewal
Item 4 73 Public Excluded
Item 5 74 Confirmation of Confidential Minutes
Item 6 77 Office Accommodation Review
Item 7 80 Port Taranaki Ltd: Annual Report and Annual General Meeting
2 Executive, Audit & Risk Committee - Confirmation of Minutes
Agenda Memorandum
Date 16 September 2019
Memorandum to Chairperson and Members Executive, Audit and Risk Committee
Subject: Confirmation of Minutes – 5 August 2019
Approved by: M J Nield, Director-Corporate Services
B G Chamberlain, Chief Executive
Document: 2328845
Resolve That the Executive, Audit and Risk Committee of the Taranaki Regional Council: a) takes as read and confirms the minutes of the Executive, Audit and Risk Committee meeting of the Taranaki Regional Council held in the Taranaki Regional Council chambers, 47 Cloten Road, Stratford, on Monday 5 August 2019 at 10.00am b) notes the recommendations therein were adopted by the Taranaki Regional Council on 13 August 2019.
Matters arising
Appendices Document #2305680 – Minutes Executive, Audit and Risk Committee
3 Executive, Audit & Risk Committee - Confirmation of Minutes
Minutes of the Executive, Audit and Risk Committee Meeting of the Taranaki Regional Council, held in the Taranaki Regional Council Chambers, 47 Cloten Road, Stratford, on Monday 5 August 2019 at 10.00am.
Members Councillors D L Lean (Committee Chairperson) M J Cloke M P Joyce D N MacLeod N W Walker C S Williamson (via Zoom)
Attending Messrs B G Chamberlain (Chief Executive) M J Nield (Director-Corporate Services) C Clarke (Transport Services Manager) Ms J Mack (Committee Administrator) Mr P Ledingham (Communications Adviser)
One member of the press
Apologies There were no apologies.
Notification of Late Items There were no late items of business.
1. Confirmation of Minutes – 24 June 2019
Resolved
THAT the Executive, Audit and Risk Committee of the Taranaki Regional Council: a) takes as read and confirms the minutes of the Executive, Audit and Risk Committee meeting of the Taranaki Regional Council held in the Taranaki Regional Council chambers, 47 Cloten Road, Stratford, on Monday 24 June 2019 at 10.05am b) notes the recommendations therein were adopted by the Taranaki Regional Council on 2 July 2019. Lean/MacLeod
Matters arising
There were no matters arising.
Doc# 2305680-v1
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2. Financial and Operational Report
2.1 The memorandum to receive information on the operational and financial performance of the Council was noted and discussed by the Committee.
Recommended THAT the Taranaki Regional Council a) receives the memorandum and the May 2019 Monthly Financial Report b) notes the Regional Integrated Ticketing System update c) notes the digital media report d) notes the health and safety report. Walker/Cloke
3. Port Taranaki Limited: Draft Statement of Corporate Intent – 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2022
3.1 Chair MacLeod declared his interest in this item as a Director of Port Taranaki Limited.
3.2 Mr M J Nield, Director-Corporate Services, spoke to the memorandum to receive and comment on Port Taranaki Limited’s draft Statement of Corporate Intent for the period 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2022.
Recommended
THAT the Taranaki Regional Council a) receives Port Taranaki Limited’s draft Statement of Corporate Intent for the period 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2022. b) provides any feedback to the Chief Executive on the content of the draft Statement of Corporate Intent. Cloke/Joyce
4. Public Transport Operational Plan Update for the quarter and year ending 30 June 2019
4.1 Mr C Clarke, Transport Services Manager, spoke to the memorandum to provide members with an operational report on public transport services for the quarter and year ending 30 June 2019.
Recommended
THAT the Taranaki Regional Council
Executive, Audit and Risk Committee Meeting Monday 5 August 2019 5 Executive, Audit & Risk Committee - Confirmation of Minutes
a) receives and notes the operational report of the public transport services for the quarter and year ending 30 June 2019. Lean/Williamson
5. Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA) Accession and On-Lending of LGFA Funds
5.1 Mr M Nield, Director-Corporate Services spoke to the memorandum to authorise the taking of all necessary steps to give effect to Council’s accession to LGFA as a guaranteeing Local Authority and to Council on-lending funds borrowed from LGFA to the trustees of the Taranaki Stadium Trust.
Recommended
That the Taranaki Regional Council: a) receives and notes the Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA) Accession and On-Lending of LGFA Funds report b) notes the documents in recommendations c) and d) were prepared by the Council’s treasury advisors, PwC, using industry standard documentation and that the documents in recommendations f)and g) were drafted, reviewed and recommended for adoption by Simpson Grierson following standard industry templates and in liaison with the legal advisors of the LGFA and the other parties to these arrangements c) receives and notes the LGFA Membership Process report d) adopts the updated Treasury Management Policy including the Liability Management and Investment Policies e) confirms Council’s intention to join the LGFA as a guaranteeing Local Authority and on-lend funds borrowed from LGFA to the trustees of the Taranaki Stadium Trust f) delegates authority to the Chief Executive to execute the following documents for the purposes of recommendation d) above: Registrar and Paying Agent Services Agreement Security Stock Certificate (in relation to the Multi-Issuer Deed) Security Stock Certificate (in relation to the Equity Commitment Deed) Security Stock Certificate (in relation to the Guarantee) Stock Issuance Certificate (in relation to the Security Stock Certificate (in relation to the Multi-Issuer Deed), Security Stock Certificate (in relation to the Equity Commitment Deed) and Security Stock Certificate (in relation to the Guarantee)) a loan agreement for the purposes of on-lending funds borrowed from LGFA to the trustees of the Taranaki Stadium Trust. g) authorises any two of the Council’s elected members to execute the following deeds for the purposes of joining the LGFA as a guaranteeing Local Authority and
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on-lending funds borrowed from LGFA to the trustees of the Taranaki Stadium Trust Debenture Trust Deed; Accession Deed to Multi-Issuer Deed; Accession Deed to Notes Subscription Agreement; Accession Deed to Equity Commitment Deed; and Accession Deed to Guarantee and Indemnity. h) delegates authority to the Chief Executive to execute such other documents and take such other steps on behalf of Council as the Chief Executive considers it is necessary or desirable to execute or take to give effect to joining the LGFA as a guaranteeing Local Authority and on-lending funds borrowed from LGFA to the trustees of the Taranaki Stadium Trust. Williamson/Walker
6. Public Excluded
In accordance with section 48(1) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, resolves that the public is excluded from the following part of the proceedings of the Executive, Audit and Risk Committee Meeting on Monday 24 June 2019 for the following reason/s:
Item 7- Confirmation of Confidential Minutes That the public conduct of the whole or the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information where the withholding of the information is necessary to protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information.
Item 8 – Consideration of the 2018/2019 Annual Report That the public conduct of the whole or the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information where the withholding of the information is necessary to protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information.
Lean/MacLeod
There being no further business, the Committee Chairperson, D L Lean, declared the open meeting of the Executive, Audit and Risk Committee closed at 10.40am.
Confirmed
Committee Chairperson: ______D L Lean Date: 16 September 2019
Executive, Audit and Risk Committee Meeting Monday 5 August 2019 7 Executive, Audit & Risk Committee - Financial and Operational Report
Agenda Memorandum
Date 16 September 2019
Memorandum to Chairperson and Members Executive, Audit & Risk Committee
Subject: Financial and Operational Report
Approved by: M J Nield, Director—Corporate Services
B G Chamberlain, Chief Executive
Document: 2327248
Purpose 1. The purpose of this memorandum is to receive information on the operational and financial performance of the Council.
Recommendations That the Taranaki Regional Council: a) receives the memorandum b) notes the Regional Integrated Ticketing System update c) notes the digital media report d) notes the health and safety report.
Background 2. The Council produces a Monthly Financial Report outlining the financial performance for the month and year to date. This memorandum supports the Monthly Financial Report by providing additional supporting operational and financial information. The Council operates its Common Seal under delegated authority. Part of that delegated authority is the reporting back of all Seal transactions.
Monthly Financial Reports 3. The focus of the new financial year has been the preparation and audit of the annual report. This year’s audit is running a few days later than usual. Consequently, last year’s ledger has not been able to be closed in sufficient time to produce the July 2019 Monthly Financial Report. This report will be presented to the next meeting of the Executive, Audit and Risk Committee. There are no known financial issues for 2019/2020 to date.
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Operational report 4. Operationally, programmes are currently on target with the planned levels of activity established for 2019/2020 in the 2019/2020 Annual Plan.
Regional integrated ticketing project (RITS) 5. The RITS project continues to progress through its development.
6. Paul Everett has been appointed the new RITS Operations Manager based at Otago Regional Council. His role is to be the key liaison between councils and INIT following implementation.
7. A new approach to the previous test cycle regime has been adopted. This involves Northland Regional Council’s Whangarei service being used as a live proving environment. Northland have had the INIT bus equipment installed for some time, operating on a cash ticket basis only, without any data flowing into the back end.
8. The live proving environment has data flowing into the ticketing back end. Northland staff are undertaking a strict set of test cases with INIT iteratively delivering bug fixes and changes as required to prove the system works. Key decision dates have been set for late September and early October on whether live proving has been successful and if the system can be implemented in other regions.
9. No update on Project NEXT is available.
Digital Media monitoring 10. Communications activities are delivered across a range of channels including publications, media releases, advertising and digital media. Some recent highlights are: Media releases, newspaper stories and social media posts on Towards Predator-Free Taranaki, Yarrow Stadium, rainfall, regional gardens, public transport, riparian management, land management, biodiversity, biosecurity, environmental awards and environmental education. The education programme continues to be busy supporting schools with class visits/field trips on the Towards Predator-Free Taranaki programme, the river, marine environment, regional gardens and biodiversity. The Enviroschools Regional Coordinator and Facilitator are supporting Enviroschools throughout the region. The Towards Predator-Free Taranaki programme continues to be supported by a wide range of communications and education activities. Ongoing graphic design, communications and marketing support for a wide range of activities.
Social media 11. Over this period (25 July to 4 September) the Council has made 100 Facebook posts and 3 Tweets across its Council, Towards Predator-Free Taranaki, Enviroschools, gardens and transport pages.
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12. Followers of our pages are consistently increasing (212 more followers over this period) meaning that our content is reaching and engaging more people.
13. The Council Instagram account (which is a more visual platform) now has 1014 followers (34 more than the last report). If you use Instagram personally, feel free to follow this page - @TaranakiRC.
14. We closely observe the performance of our posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. As well as taking note of what posts achieve the highest reach and engagement, we regularly engage in conversation with members of the public who comment on our posts. Often our conversations require input from staff and directors.
Bathing data strikes a chord 15. The effectiveness of social media promotion was highlighted recently when Public Information staff responded to a Science Services request for website data relating specifically to the summer 2018/2019 recreational freshwater and coastal bathing water monitoring programmes.
16. Data obtained from Google Analytics revealed that the TRC website page showing results of coastal bathing water results had more than seven times more pageviews than in the previous year (see graph).
Coastal bathing water monitoring pageviews in December 2018-January 2019 (blue line) compared with December 2017-January 2018 (orange line). Over the whole monitoring season, pageviews increased by 702%, from 215 to 1,726.
17. The increase is associated with a Facebook post on 11 December promoting the summer monitoring programmes and containing links to the coastal page, the freshwater page, and an associated media release.
18. This post was boosted (ie, turned into a recurring paid advertisement delivered to a targeted audience) and reached an audience of 16,386, with links clicked 1,232 times and the post shared 43 times.
19. Most of the traffic appears to have come to the TRC website’s coastal monitoring page, while the freshwater monitoring page experienced a small (7%) increase in traffic. As the Council has pointed out in other contexts, most recreational water use occurs in coastal waters rather than in rivers.
20. The overall result demonstrates the power of delivering the right message at the right time using the right media.
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Social media by the numbers 21. Our Facebook page posts (across all seven pages) reached 81,306 people and 6,351 of these people have liked, shared, clicked or commented on our posts. As you will see, our Facebook page followers are constantly increasing with a total of 356 more followers across our seven pages over this period. Our Tweets reached 1,365 people and 11 engaged with them.
Facebook page Page Reach Engagement followers TaranakiRegionalCouncil 4,178 (+34) 39,755 2,390 TaranakiPublicTransport 595 (+5) 2,145 85 Túpare 1,071 (+16) 5,196 473 Pukeiti 1,787 (+19) 12,661 1,571 Hollard Gardens 1,420 (+15) 2,904 300 Towards Predator-Free Taranaki 874 (+79) 14,119 1,097 Taranaki Enviroschools 218 (+5) 4,526 435
Twitter profile Followers Impressions Engaged @TaranakiRC (TRC main) 1,836 (+5) 1,365 11
Top Facebook posts (of 100 across our pages) Reach Engaged 1 Views from the Family Hut in progress in the Pukeiti rainforest... Without giving it ALL away, we can reveal that it sleeps up to 12 people, you’ll have to hike through the rainforest to get there and back (possibly up to an hour) and 6,482 870 it’ll have a toilet (hehe - a key detail for some of us). It’s looking IN-CRED-I-BLE!! Who’s keen to experience this over summer? � ♀ (Pukeiti) 2 St Joseph's School Waitara used to have a problem. The school is built on the site of an old riverbed and every winter their rugby field got boggy and unusable until in 2010 students helped turn it into a wetland. Great solution, but 8,454 642 that was just the beginning . . . After diving deeper into restoring their wetland, the students discovered it was also a popular home for predators – not good!... (Towards Predator-Free Taranaki) 3 How healthy were Taranaki rivers and streams in 2017-18? Find out by watching this short video examining their ecological health, as indicated by the tiny bugs that live in our 10,735 547 waterways. (Water Quality) 4 Ever thought about using the buses in Taranaki but don’t know how? Here’s how to plan and pay for your journey. PLAN Type your start and end location into the online 9,184 379 Journey Planner and view your options: www.planmybus.nz or pick up a physical timetable (from any i-SITE, the Bus Centre in New Plymouth and most Taranaki libraries).
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PAY Purchase a Smart Card from any of the locations listed above. SuperGold card holders, WITT students and children under 5 years of age travel free. Discounts are also available for children, tertiary students, Community Service Card holders and Senior Citizens. See taranakibus.info for further information. What are you waiting for? Get on board! (Buses and Transport) 5 Students from Omata School have been busy saving native seedlings in the Omata School Bush. Year 2 & 3 students were worried that native seedlings on the path might get trampled and so, with a wee helping hand from our Education Officer, they have potted them up to plant at home. As they grow, these plants will provide great food and 2,963 377 habitat for native wildlife. Check out some of the species they identified and collected here: https://inaturalist.nz/projects/bioblitz-omata-school- bush?tab=observations Top job Omata School! (Education) 6 You’re likely to see a number of tui, kererū and other birdlife when you enter the bush next to Woodleigh School, New Plymouth. You may also see weta, lizards and bugs running along the forest floor. The bush is alive with more native wildlife and plants thanks to the work of students and 3,847 312 teachers, who have been enhancing biodiversity and increasing predator trapping for just over a year, enabling some species to thrive. (Towards Predator-Free Taranaki) 7 **Celebrate Fathers Day at Pukeiti on Sunday** There's plenty to do: - Eat at the Founders Cafe - Pukeiti Garden. Dads who visit the Cafe with their kids/family for Fathers Day will receive a complimentary regular size coffee or tea. - Enjoy a rainforest or garden walk. You can pick up a map on 3,081 280 arrival. - Complete the Kids Treehouse Trail - a free self- guided activity through the gardens. Pick up an activity satchel outside the Founders Cafe in the Rainforest Centre. More ideas at: www.pukeiti.nz (Pukeiti) 8 Meet Lucy and Lucie ♀ 'The Lucy's' are living and working at Pukeiti for two months, concentrating on the Founders Garden, the Vireya Walk and designing some new 1,351 276 planting plans around The Lodge. They came to New Zealand on a sabbatical from their jobs… (Pukeiti) 9 Latest monitoring results show Taranaki is maintaining the significant improvements in freshwater ecological health that it has won in recent years. The region’s rivers and streams remain in the best state they’ve been since the mid-1990s, 2,395 239 analysis of Taranaki Regional Council sampling at 59 sites in the 2017-18 year shows. (Freshwater health)
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10 An exciting opportunity has opened up in our thriving biosecurity / biodiversity team - an Environment Officer role 1,626 226 focusing on pest plant and animal management… (HR)
Top Tweets (of 6 on our TRC profile) Impressions Engaged 1 Rain returned to #Taranaki with a vengeance in July after a dryish spell, with some of our monitored sites getting significantly more than the month's normal #rainfall. Details 732 5 and maps here: http://www.trc.govt.nz/july-2019- rainfall/ … (Rainfall) 2 An exciting opportunity has opened up in our thriving biosecurity / biodiversity team - an Environment Officer role focusing on pest plant and animal management. Find out 435 3 more: https://trc.careercentre.net.nz/Job/Environment- Officer/Stratford/256 … #jobsearch #taranakijobs (HR) 3 August #rainfall ranged from 82% to 139% of normal at our monitored sites, with most rain occurring in the first two weeks of the month. Details and maps here: 198 3 http://www.trc.govt.nz/august-2019-rainfall/ … #taranakiweather #taranaki pic.twitter.com/AbgAB3nbna (Rainfall) 4 Rain returned to #Taranaki with a vengeance in July after a dryish spell, with some of our monitored sites getting significantly more than the month's normal #rainfall. Details 732 5 and maps here: http://www.trc.govt.nz/july-2019- rainfall/ … (Rainfall)
Health and Safety 22. The health and safety reports are attached.
Common Seal 23. There were no common seal transactions during the period to 10 September 2019.
Decision-making considerations 24. Part 6 (Planning, decision-making and accountability) of the Local Government Act 2002 has been considered and documented in the preparation of this agenda item. The recommendations made in this item comply with the decision-making obligations of the Act.
Financial considerations—LTP/Annual Plan 25. This memorandum and the associated recommendations are consistent with the Council’s adopted Long-Term Plan and estimates. Any financial information included
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in this memorandum has been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting practice.
Policy considerations 26. This memorandum and the associated recommendations are consistent with the policy documents and positions adopted by this Council under various legislative frameworks including, but not restricted to, the Local Government Act 2002, the Resource Management Act 1991 and the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.
Iwi considerations 27. This memorandum and the associated recommendations are consistent with the Council’s policy for the development of Māori capacity to contribute to decision-making processes (schedule 10 of the Local Government Act 2002) as outlined in the adopted long- term plan and/or annual plan. Similarly, iwi involvement in adopted work programmes has been recognised in the preparation of this memorandum.
Legal considerations 28. This memorandum and the associated recommendations comply with the appropriate statutory requirements imposed upon the Council.
Appendices/Attachments Document 2326718: Health and Safety Report – July 2019 Document 2327143: Health and Safety Report – August 2019
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Health and Safety Dashboard
Reporting Period:
1 July - 31 July 2019
Incidents (1 July 2019 – 30 June 2020)
Illness 0 (0) Incidents 4 (4) Injury 3 (3)
ACC Claims 1 (1) Near Miss 5 (5) Notifiable 0 (0)
Types of Incidents and Injuries
Slips/Trips/Falls (no injury) 1 No Treatment 1 Sprains/Strains - First Aid 1 Cuts/Abrasions 1 Medical Centre 1 Bruising - Physiotherapy - Near Miss 5 Hospital - Vehicle Damage 3 Insect Stings 1 Formal Investigation - Other 1 WorkSafe Investigation -
Health and Wellbeing
Health Monitoring Assessments 15 Workstation Assessments 3 Pre-employment assessments 7
Wellness Initiatives 3 return to work plans currently in place Steptember and Mental Health (non-work related) Awareness in planning
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Health and Safety Objectives Update
Health & Safety Committee Meetings 0 Hazard reviews completed 35 Workers Committee meetings 1
Evacuation practice Policies - due for review:
Due in September Working at Heights
WSMP Status: Tertiary 2019 Wellness Plan developed Self-Audit – completed
2019/2020 Health and Safety plan Health and Safety training days 2 adopted at the June H&S Meeting
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Health and Safety Dashboard
Reporting Period:
1 August - 31 August 2019
Incidents (1 July 2019 – 30 June 2020)
Illness 0 (0) Incidents 2 (6) Injury 4 (7)
ACC Claims 0 (1) Near Miss 3 (8) Notifiable 0 (0)
Types of Incidents and Injuries
Slips/Trips/Falls (no injury) - No Treatment - Sprains/Strains 1 First Aid 4 Cuts/Abrasions 3 Medical Centre - Bruising - Physiotherapy - Near Miss 3 Hospital - Vehicle Damage 1 Insect Stings - Formal Investigation - Other 1 WorkSafe Investigation -
Health and Wellbeing
Health Monitoring Assessments 7 Workstation Assessments 7 Pre-employment assessments 1
Wellness Initiatives 3 return to work plans currently in place Steptember and Mental Health (non-work related) Awareness in planning
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Health and Safety Objectives Update
Health & Safety Committee Meetings 0 Hazard reviews completed 21 Workers Committee meetings 1
Evacuation practice Policies - due for review:
Due in September Working at Heights
WSMP Status: Tertiary 2019 Wellness Plan developed Self-Audit – completed
2019/2020 Health and Safety plan Health and Safety training days 3 adopted at the June H&S Meeting
18 Executive, Audit & Risk Committee - Regional Public Transport Plan Discussion Document
Agenda Memorandum
Date 16 September 2019
Memorandum to Chairperson and Members Executive, Audit and Risk Committee
Subject: Regional Public Transport Plan discussion document
Approved by: M J Nield, Director - Corporate Services
BG Chamberlain, Chief Executive
Document: 2301417
Purpose 1. The purpose of this memorandum is to receive and consider the Discussion Document for the review of the Regional Public Transport Plan 2019-2029 (RPTP).
Recommendation That the Taranaki Regional Council: a) receives and endorses the Discussion Document for the review of the Regional Public Transport Plan 2019-2029 for consultation with stakeholders.
Background 2. Public transport is a key component of the regional land transport system and the Council (TRC) has a statutory responsibility for the planning and management of the public transport network in the region.
3. The RPTP is a statutory document required under the Land Transport Management Act 2003 (LTMA). The plan sets out overall objectives and policies for public transport in the region, and contains details of the public transport network and development plans over the next ten years.
4. The current RPTP was adopted in 2014 with a 10-year forecast. It is required to be updated to ensure the Plan is consistent with new 2018 21 Government Policy Statement on Land Transport and the updated 2015/2016 2020/2021 Regional Land Transport Plan, as revised by the mid-term review for the 2018/2019 - 2020/2021‐ period. ‐ Discussion 5. A Discussion Document has been drafted with which to engage with key stakeholders. The key stakeholders include: Regional Transport Committee
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Iwi New Zealand Transport Agency All territorial authorities in the region Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki Taranaki District Health Board Disability organisations Public transport operators in the region.
6. The document structure is as follows: Key issues for public transport in the region Benefits of addressing the problems Taranaki Regional Council perspective Proposed strategic responses Discussion topics Service improvements come with increased costs Objectives, policies and actions Public transport services integral to the public transport network.
7. The second step following key stakeholder’s engagement is to prepare a Draft RPTP for consideration and adoption. Once adopted, the Draft RPTP will be released for public consultation under the provisions of the Local Government Act 2002 special consultative procedures (sections 82 and 83).
Decision-making considerations 8. Part 6 (Planning, decision-making and accountability) of the Local Government Act 2002 has been considered and documented in the preparation of this agenda item. The recommendations made in this item comply with the decision-making obligations of the Act.
Financial considerations—LTP/Annual Plan 9. This memorandum and the associated recommendations are consistent with the Council’s adopted Long-Term Plan and estimates. Any financial information included in this memorandum has been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting practice.
Policy considerations 10. This memorandum and the associated recommendations are consistent with the policy documents and positions adopted by this Council under various legislative frameworks including, but not restricted to, the Local Government Act 2002 and the Land Transport Management Act 2003.
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Iwi considerations 11. This memorandum and the associated recommendations are consistent with the Council’s policy for the development of Māori capacity to contribute to decision-making processes (schedule 10 of the Local Government Act 2002) as outlined in the adopted long- term plan and/or annual plan. Similarly, iwi involvement in adopted work programmes has been recognised in the preparation of this memorandum.
Legal considerations 12. This memorandum and the associated recommendations comply with the appropriate statutory requirements imposed upon the Council.
Appendices/Attachments Document 2104575: Discussion Document for the review of the Regional Public Transport Plan 2019-2029
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REGIONAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT PLAN 2019-2029
Discussion Document
For the Review of the Taranaki Regional Public Transport Plan
September 2019
Doc# 2104575-v1 22 Executive, Audit & Risk Committee - Regional Public Transport Plan Discussion Document
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Contents 1. Introduction ...... 5
2. Background ...... 7
3. Key issues for public transport in the Taranaki region ...... 10
4. Benefits of addressing the problems ...... 13
5. Taranaki Regional Council perspective ...... 14
6. Proposed strategic responses ...... 17
7. Discussion topics ...... 20
8. Service improvements come with increased costs ...... 25
9. Objectives, policies and actions ...... 26
10. Appendix A: Public transport services integral to the public transport network ...... 45
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25 Executive, Audit & Risk Committee - Regional Public Transport Plan Discussion Document
1. Introduction
1.1. Purpose of this discussion document The Taranaki Regional Council (the Council) is undertaking a review of the Taranaki Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP or the Plan). The Plan guides development and management of public transport services in the region.
The current RPTP was adopted in 2014 and is required to be updated to ensure the Plan is aligned with national and regional transport policy, and in particular the new 2018-2021 Government Policy Statement on Land Transport and other key strategic planning work.
The purpose of this discussion document is to facilitate feedback from stakeholders on matters that should be considered when preparing the RPTP. This discussion document is the first part of the RPTP preparation process – the next phase will involve preparing a draft Plan, which will be issued for consultation in December 2019. 1.2. Stakeholder consultation The RPTP must be prepared in accordance with the Land Transport Management Act 2003 (LTMA). The LTMA requires that the RPTP take into account a wide range of national and regional policies and strategies. The LTMA also requires the Council to consult with a wide range of stakeholders and the public. In particular, section 123 of the LTMA requires that when preparing a draft RPTP, the Council must consult the following key stakeholders:
Regional Transport Committee All territorial authorities in the region The Minister of Education NZ Transport Agency Public Transport Operators in the region The Council is seeking feedback from these key transport stakeholders and other partners. The feedback will be used to assist in preparing the draft RPTP. 1.3. Document structure This discussion document is divided into a number of sections. It is intended that each of these sections will be replicated in the draft RPTP. 1.4. RPTP development process from here We will be taking the steps set out in the following table to prepare the draft RPTP. The timetable provides for the final RPTP to be adopted in January 2020.
Date RPTP review – key project phase Wednesday, 12 June 2019 The Regional Transport Committee (RTC) will consider and provide feedback on 3 key problem statements that will form the basis of a RPTP discussion document.
Monday, 24 June 2019 Notification of RPTP review to Executive, Audit and Risk Committee
June /July 2019 RPTP Draft Discussion document prepared
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Date RPTP review – key project phase Monday, 16 September 2019 RPTP Discussion document endorsed by Executive, Audit and Risk Committee
September/October 2019 Discussion document consultation with key stakeholders
Wednesday, 27 November 2019 RTC note for their information the Draft Regional Public Transport Plan
Monday, 2 December 2019 Executive, Audit and Risk Committee adopt draft RPTP for public consultation
December 2019/January 2020 Public consultation on draft RPTP (4-6 weeks) First quarter 2020 Executive, Audit and Risk Committee hold Public hearings of submissions
Taranaki Regional Council to adopt RPTP which comes into effect 20 days later.
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2. Background
2.1. Purpose of the RPTP The RPTP provides a means for the Council, public transport operators and other key stakeholders to work together in developing public transport services and infrastructure1. It is an instrument for engaging with Taranaki residents on the design and operation of the public transport network.
The RPTP is a statement of:
i. the public transport services that are integral to the public transport network; and ii. the policies and procedures that apply to those services; and iii. the information and infrastructure that support those services. 2.2. RPTP review process The Plan review process will be undertaken in collaboration with the NZ Transport Agency (Transport Agency), territorial authorities (New Plymouth District Council, Stratford District Council and South Taranaki District Council), the Ministry of Education, Iwi, the Taranaki District Health Board (TDHB), Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (WITT), public transport operators and other key stakeholders.
1 Provision of infrastructure is the responsibility of the territorial authorities
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2.3. Our current public transport system Taranaki has a total population of 109,608 people and ranks 10th in size out of the 16 regions in New Zealand2.
The Taranaki region has limited public transport services and is viewed as a ‘small’ region in terms of scale of services and funding and is comparable to Northland and Hawkes Bay regions. The Council contracts out the provision of public transport in the region. Bus services are funded through targeted rates, with Total Mobility services funded through general rates.
Bus patronage has grown in the region from 407,000 trips in 2009/2010 to just under 650,000 in 2018/2019, an increase of 60%. While patronage has increased in recent years due to the introduction of the new Connector service (2014), and growth on the Citylink service, from groups less likely to afford their own transport e.g. school students, patronage on the rural once and twice-a-week Southlink services have declined over the last few years.
The regional services are classified as:
Urban Rural, and Connector
Figure 1 Public transport decision making framework
Services within north Taranaki account for 95% of the region’s public transport trips, comprised of 11 urban routes and an additional 26 routes catering mainly to school students, operating Monday to Friday, with two services operating on Saturdays. There are no services operating on Sundays or public holidays. All urban buses are wheelchair accessible and have bike racks fitted and all but one of the school buses are wheelchair accessible.
The Hāwera to New Plymouth ‘Connector’ bus service accounts for less than 5% of the region’s public transport trips and is comprised of one main bus operating four return trips Monday to Friday. It provides a link service to centres along State Highway 3. The main bus is supplemented by an additional bus to manage the high numbers of mainly WITT students, travelling in the morning and afternoon, during the academic year. The service does not run Saturday, Sundays or public holidays. The Connector buses are not wheelchair accessible.
The other three rural services provide a twice-weekly service from Waverley and Pātea and once-a- week services covering Ōpunake, Rāhotu, Parihaka, Okato, Kaponga and Manaia. These services account for less than 1% of trips regionally.
2 Statistics NZ 2013 Census
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The Council also manages the Total Mobility Scheme. The scheme operates throughout the region with approved operators located in north Taranaki, Stratford and Hāwera. The scheme provides subsidised door-to-door transport for people with impairments. It has 1,644 registered clients who undertook 49,009 trips in 2018/2019. Ironside Vehicle Society receives funding support for its specialised wheelchair service undertaking 7,010 subsidised trips in 2018/2019.
Taranaki services are similar to most other services in New Zealand and around the world where passenger fares received do not cover the full cost of providing public transport. Because of this there is an ongoing reliance on additional funding. The total gross cost of public transport contracts in the region is approximately $3.2 million per annum and is funded through:
Fares Government investment from the National Land Transport Fund, and Local share through rates
There is also a fourth minor source of revenue which is received from selling advertising space on the backs and sides of the buses.
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3. Key issues for public transport in the Taranaki region
Problem 1 The ease of driving and high car ownership in the region along with general low profile and (legacy) low perception of public transport is leading to a decline in patronage growth from those that have their own vehicles.
Taranaki’s public transport network is centred on two main week-day services. These are New Plymouth, Bell Block, Waitara and Ōakura (Citylink) and Hāwera to New Plymouth via SH3 (Connector). The level of vehicle commuting between the various centres is significant; many people commute between north and south Taranaki and east of New Plymouth city and vice versa. Similarly, students traverse frequently between the centres, for tertiary, secondary or special charter education.
Parking in all centres is plentiful and either cheap or free; district plan rules ensure parking provisions for businesses. Within New Plymouth city there is plenty of free all day parking within easy walking distance of the CBD.
Areas of rural Taranaki are covered by the Southlink services Ōpunake to Hāwera and Ōpunake to New Plymouth (both once-a-week) and Waverley to Hāwera (twice-weekly). The choice of living in rural areas of Taranaki means that access to a private motor vehicle is high with 92.8% of households in the South Taranaki District having access to one or more vehicles (2013 Census data).
Public transport in the region is traditionally viewed as a mode to be used by people without easy access to private transport options i.e. the transport disadvantaged. In the absence of any bus prioritisation, or deterrents to private vehicle use like congestion or parking availability/costs, drivers do not think public transport is for them. The convenience of driving outweighs any other reasons for using public transport. Access to motor vehicles in Taranaki Region 2001 2006 2013 Taranaki region 89.7% 92.1% 92.6% 2001-2013 Censuses Total bus patronage versus Adult patronage 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 Total patronage 610,470 605,603 614,811 624,286 649,874 Adult patronage 42,809 41,511 38,254 38,359 36,013 Percentage 7.0% 6.9% 6.2% 6.1% 5.5%
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Problem 2 Limited accessibility and frequency of bus services is leading to under-utilisation of public transport.
Significant improvements have been made to Taranaki’s bus networks over the last 10 years. The current operating structure for the Citylink services has been in effect since 2010. The network was viewed as fit for purpose, with 11 peak services and five off-peak services operating. These are now supported by 26 additional peak services used mainly by school students. Student dominated services and the required resourcing limits the ability to enhance peak services to attract other users. The Citylink services (excluding the school services) follow a traditional hub and spoke model, with a pulse timetable, where most buses leave from and return to the New Plymouth CBD at the same time.
The Connector service commenced in February 2014. This is funded in part by the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (WITT) and the Taranaki District Health Board (TDHB). This is a one bus service, operating four return trips from Hāwera to New Plymouth. The travel distance (approximately 80km per trip) and travel time (approximately 90 minutes per trip) make service enhancements impossible without adding an additional vehicle/s.
The Southlink services were implemented to provide an opportunity for the transport disadvantaged to access services in the larger centres, namely New Plymouth and Hāwera. Patronage has declined steadily over the last few years with only a handful of regular users remaining, of which most of these travel for free under the Government’s SuperGold Card free off-peak travel scheme. An example of a decrease in patronage is on the Waverley to Hāwera service. In 2012/13 2,462 trips were recorded, with just 1,259 trips in 2018/19. This is a decrease of 51%. Based on the current trend it is predicted less than 1,200 trips will occur in 2019/20.
It is important to note that the fares have never been increased on the Southlink services. Council has recently reduced fares to a flat fare structure on two of the services, Ōpunake to Hāwera (now $2) and Waverley to Hāwera (now $3). This was to test whether fares may be a barrier to use and would a fare reduction boost patronage.
The provision of fixed route, scheduled bus services is expensive. More frequent services or additional peak buses could be added but the cost of doing so needs to be carefully weighed against the potential use, especially considering the regions low population density and high car ownership. Any increase in service levels or increase in bus numbers will add a significant cost to ratepayers through targeted rates and taxpayers through central government investment. Frequency of New Plymouth Citylink peak services compared to other centres New Plymouth Napier Palmerston North Whangārei Peak services 9 8 11 12 Frequency 40 minutes 40 minutes 40 minutes 30 minutes Peak services exclude services between 9am and 3pm
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Problem 3 The current car focused investment model in provincial areas is leading to a suboptimal transport system that does not effectively integrate public transport.
Transport planning and investment has traditionally been targeted at providing ever-improving roads, with public transport filling a minor role. Added to this is the regions dispersed communities and location of essential services. These factors coupled with low population density, makes the provision of traditional public transport difficult and costly.
Traditional land use planning does not factor the provision of public transport into planning decisions. New residential areas continue to be developed without consideration for future public transport infrastructure or services. When services are considered the retrospective siting of infrastructure becomes problematic as many residential owners do not want bus infrastructure situated outside their property.
What is required is better integration of public transport into the transport system which, subject to proven demand and affordability, can play a greater role in the future. It is expected that there will be increasing demand for more services with greater coverage and a greater demand for specialist services such as Total Mobility and demand responsive services. This may require a different approach to public transport.
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4. Benefits of addressing the problems
The benefits of addressing the issues identified equate to our long-term vision for the Taranaki region, which can be expressed as:
Benefit one: accessible and integrated public passenger transport services that caters to the needs of people at a reasonable cost: gets people to where they want to go is affordable for users and funders
With greater collaboration between all governing public transport agencies a more user-friendly journey experience that gets people to where they want to go can be achieved. However, this must be balanced against the cost of providing the services so that they remain affordable for users and funders.
Benefit two: contributes to a prosperous, connected, healthy, vibrant and environmentally sustainable community: enhances the health and wellbeing of our people improves the social cohesion of our communities makes our city and towns more liveable There is strong evidence that there are significant economic, social and health benefits to enabling people to travel independently and safely around their local community. Communities that move around also interact with each other and are strengthened in the process.
A key benefit of moving people more effectively is the corresponding improvement in community wellbeing. Decreasing the priority for cars while increasing public transport priority will result in more areas of the region becoming attractive places to live.
The benefits also strongly align with wider regional and Government aims. These being:
transitioning to a low-carbon economy, particularly relevant in Taranaki recognising public transports wider social health and environmental benefits – not purely reducing ‘commuter congestion’.
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5. Taranaki Regional Council perspective
The current services are viewed at this time as ‘fit for purpose’. The Council has made significant changes over the last 10 years and continues to enhance the services and respond to increased demand and/or changes, for example, taking over the previous commercially operated school services covering Lepperton, Tikorangi, and Urenui, when the operators withdrew.
While services may be viewed as fit for purpose, the Council is continuing to enhance and improve services. Recent and future enhancements include:
Flat fares of $2 and $3 on the Ōpunake to Hāwera and Waverley to Hāwera services respectively A second weekly Waverley to Hāwera service linking with the Hāwera to New Plymouth Connector allowing travel all the way to New Plymouth and return A public ‘book my seat’ App for the Connector service Online journey planner A new bus ticketing system is in development Additional CCTV systems in more school buses Additional buses in 2020 to cater to the increase in student patronage However, there are significant challenges to provide fixed route and timetabled public transport services. Internationally it is recognised that the three key (and equal) pillars of providing effective public transport are:
Integrated urban and public transport planning Control of car traffic and parking management Development of sustainable travel options The Council has, at best, the control of public transport planning and aspects of the development of sustainable travel options.
Other challenges are based on the region’s low population, geographical spread, and historical bus use trends. Taranaki’s population is widely dispersed with low population density including New Plymouth city. Industries are widely spread throughout the region with major sites located in rural areas, for example, Fonterra’s Whareroa site south of Hāwera, ANZCO Foods in Eltham, and Todd Energy in Kapuni. One area of concentrated industry is the Bell Block industrial area. Many of these industries employ shift workers.
North Taranaki has the only urban service, covering Ōakura, Ōmatā, New Plymouth, Bell Block, Waitara, with services catering to school students from Lepperton, Tikorangi, Onaero and Urenui. The historical trend of school students dominating the service continues, with 59% of all patrons in 2018/2019 being school children. This increases to approximately 70% if inter-bus transfers are included.
Having a service dominated by school students means large, high capacity vehicles are needed morning and afternoon. To have a second fleet of smaller sized buses is not deemed cost effective or resource efficient. Swapping out large buses to smaller buses and back again outside of school times would be a logistical challenge. Effectively, it would require two fleets of urban buses and therefore a significant increase in the contract cost to provide the service. Such a decision would require increased capital investment in buses, additional drivers and associated labour costs, additional ticketing equipment, additional repairs and maintenance costs, as well as additional fuel costs.
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Another challenge of providing fixed route public transport is the ‘first and last mile’. If services are unable to get people to where they want to go, easily and in a timely manner, it is unlikely they will use them. An example of this is the difficulty in providing services to the supermarkets located between the one-way systems in New Plymouth.
The ownership and provision of infrastructure (stops, shelters, timetable holders) and bus priority measures are the responsibility of the region’s three territorial authorities. Currently no bus priority measures are provided for any of the bus services. Without bus priority measures buses become just another vehicle in a line of traffic, reducing the appeal to use them over a private vehicle. Growth in traffic at peak periods evidenced around Northgate/Mangorei Road impact on reliability of services and the ability of passengers to transfer to onward connecting services. The Hāwera to New Plymouth Connector service is regularly impacted by roadworks during summer months causing significant delays to the timetable.
Adult patronage has declined over the last few years in all services excluding the Hāwera to New Plymouth service. Adult patronage peaked in late 2013 with almost 11,500 Adult trips recorded in the October to December 2013 quarter when the average petrol price was also at its highest ($2.32/litre). With the cost of petrol below that level for the last five years the Adult commuter is moving away from public transport. Even though petrol costs rose again in 2018 it did not have an impact on adult patronage as evidenced in previous years. One might argue that commuters have become less reactive to increased petrol costs and choose to travel by private motor car.
Citylink Adult patronage vs average petrol price /quarter
12,000 250.00 245.00 240.00 10,000 235.00 230.00 225.00 8,000 220.00 215.00 210.00 6,000 205.00 200.00 195.00 4,000 Passengers 190.00 185.00 litre Centsper 2,000 180.00 175.00 170.00 0 165.00
Citylink Adult Pax Petrol (average $ / quarter)
The Hāwera to New Plymouth Connector service commenced in 2014 with co-funding from the TDHB and WITT. Patronage averages 30,000 trips per annum with TDHB and WITT patronage contributing 35% and 11% respectively. The service commenced as one bus service with additional buses having been used to meet peak demand, during WITT’s academic year. At times it struggles to keep to the timetable when roads works occur over the summer months with reduced speeds and stop/go sections in place.
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The Council is but one part of the solution to providing a successful public transport system. The Council’s responsibility is to provide the public transport services by way of designing the services and contracting-in regional bus operators. Other essential partners are the Transport Agency and the territorial authorities (New Plymouth District Council, Stratford District Council and South Taranaki District Council). The Transport Agency is responsible for implementing national policies that govern the types of investment that will attract National Land Transport Funding, such as public transport. The territorial authorities are responsible for investing in infrastructure including bus stops, shelters and timetable information holders. They are also responsible for parking rules and charges, land use planning and development and roading, all of which impact on the provision and the attractiveness of public transport services.
In summary, Taranaki’s services currently cater to those that either have limited transport options or those that make a conscious choice, even though they may have alternate transport means, to travel by public transport. More services can be provided but there is a cost both to users (through fares) and to rate payers.
Council regularly receives calls from members of the public to increase services for the benefit of others. Service changes have been made in response to such requests in the past and while short term gains have been seen, the convenience of personal motor vehicles still makes them the preferred option.
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6. Proposed strategic responses
To address the problems identified for public transport in the Taranaki region a number of strategic responses are being proposed.
The strategic responses are not standard public transport initiatives that have been tried in the past with minimal gain, such as increase public transport mode share by travel behavior change initiatives. The responses instead focus on strengthening relationships with supporting organisations. The Council would like to see supporting organisations accept wider responsibility and commit to increased collaboration to address the challenges identified within this document. Without a partnership approach, it is unlikely the perception and usage of public transport in Taranaki will improve.
The responses are:
1. Participate in New Plymouth District Council’s Network Operating Plan (NOP) development being undertaken in 2019/2020.
2. Participate in New Plymouth District Council’s development of a Transport Strategy in 2019/2020. New Plymouth District Council is looking to develop an Integrated Transport Strategy for the District. This will be a multi-modal review of transport and how it integrates with existing and planned land-use and infrastructure across the District.
3. Undertake a public transport network review using stakeholder and public feedback from the review to develop new public transport options and costings. This will create a 10-15 year structured development plan. Changes in investment can be aligned with the Transport Agency’s 3-year funding programmes.
4. Participate in the Ministry of Transport review of Total Mobility scheduled for 2020/2021.
5. Continue to make enhancements to existing services
The Council is of the opinion that unless we participate in responses one and three above and get greater understanding and support from the territorial authorities, in particular the New Plymouth District Council, then there is little benefit in a major step-change in the current levels of public transport investment.
Participate in New Plymouth District Council’s development Network Operating Plan The New Plymouth District Council is developing a Network Operating Plan (NOP). A NOP has a number of functions. It is a gap analysis tool between current and desired states across multiple criteria and thus is different from a transport traffic model. A NOP can also be a means of managing congestion on a transport network by setting priorities for different routes for different modes of transport. It also allows the impacts of changes to be quantified at a high level to better understand the impacts of changes to the network as a whole across different criteria i.e. creating a shared space may well impact on traffic congestion on surrounding streets.
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Participate in New Plymouth District Council’s development of a Transport Strategy New Plymouth District Council is looking to develop an Integrated Transport Strategy for the District. This will be a multi-modal review of transport and how it integrates with existing and planned land- use and infrastructure across the District.
Public Transport Network Review As part of the development and long-term planning for public transport, funding has been budgeted for 2020/2021 to carry out a region-wide review of the region’s public transport networks. The last region-wide review of passenger transport was undertaken in 2004 by Booz, Allen and Hamilton. The recommendations from that report formed the basis for the region’s current network. It is proposed the new Regional Public Transport Plan will be used as the basis for developing a short to medium term road map of the future public transport network in Taranaki. This will include developing options and costings for the further enhancement of services, where viable, and possibly the restructuring or cancelling of underperforming services. It is proposed that an external consultant develop the road map in conjunction with officers. Funding has been included in the 2020/21 financial year and officers will work with the NZ Transport Agency to confirm the availability of the proposed funding.
The structure and timing of this review will allow time to consider future options and to allow for the required investment business case to be developed and submitted to the Agency as part of the 2021/2024 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP).
Participate in Ministry of Transport review of Total Mobility scheduled for 2020/2021 The Ministry of Transport recognises the difficulties that transport disadvantaged New Zealanders face when accessing the transport system. Consideration of issues for the transport disadvantaged is built into policy work. For example, the Ministry has engaged with representatives of disability groups, including the Disabled Persons Assembly, during the development of the new road safety strategy.
The Ministry has received feedback regarding the effectiveness of the Total Mobility Scheme and that it is not fit-for-purpose for all users. Examples include there being a limited number of accessible vehicles and providers in provincial areas of the country, and the cost of the Scheme for those who use it on a daily basis, despite the discounted fare.
This impacts on education, employment, and access to community services. However, the Ministry understands that simply reviewing the Total Mobility Scheme in isolation will not address all of the concerns that have been raised from the disabled community. Broadening this review to also consider how Councils can improve access to, and experience of, the transport system for those living with a disability will likely lead to more effective outcomes.
The Ministry is going to undertake a strategic assessment of provision of services for people with different transport needs in the 2020/21 financial year. This assessment will include a review of the Total Mobility Scheme.
Service enhancements While there are ongoing challenges to ensure public transport is truly seen as a viable alternative transport option to the private motor car, the Council is continuing to improve and enhance the
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services. A number of enhancements have already commenced or planning for them is underway. These include:
New bus ticketing system including new ticketing machines with tag-on tag-off functionality; personal card management via a website with features such as auto card top-up; card balance; report a lost or stolen card; and automatic concession approval for SuperGold Card holders and children aged five to 15. Bus App with real-time passenger information Additional school buses fitted with CCTV to improve safety and on-bus behavior Improved passenger information inside the buses
Enhancements to existing services:
Two-bus service from Waitara and Bell Block bringing increased frequency throughout the day. Structure can also provide Waitara with an hourly service within the township Review of Route 6 once Fernbrook Drive links to Carrington Road Expand the Connector service to two buses with the second bus fully accessible Possible trial of electronic bus stop displays subject to support from territorial authorities
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7. Discussion topics
The following section lists a number of topics for discussion with stakeholders. These have been identified as they have a broad and significant impact on the objectives, policies and actions pertaining to the delivery of the region’s public transport services. Citylink service Discussion: What enhancements, if any, should be included in the proposed regional service review to be undertaken in 2020/2021?
Options to be considered:
Increased frequency on existing routes Operating extended hours, these are currently 7am to last service at 6.30pm Additional Saturday services and routes similar to the week-day schedule Services to Bell Block industrial areas during normal business hours Services to the Airport from New Plymouth? Should these be in line with all flights (noting these are subject to change) or just regularly during current operating times of 7am to 6.30pm. Separate Bell Block and Waitara services with Bell Block services including the residential development towards the east (Area Q) and potentially the Airport More services focussed on Base Hospital for staff and patients to reduce parking demands More services focused around key service centres such as residentially-sited shopping centres, supermarkets and medical centres
School transport Citylink services have historically been structured towards school students and this remains to this day with 26 school services/routes provided compared to only 11 urban. The 26 services are made up of 11 in New Plymouth; four covering Waitara, Urenui, Tikorangi and Motunui; six covering Bell Block with one extending to Lepperton; one from Ōmatā and four from Ōakura. An additional three buses are planned to be introduced in 2020 to meet growing student patronage.
The urban timetables are also structured around school start and finish times, as most of the urban buses are required to operate as school buses, to move the large numbers of students home, at the end of the school day. While the high level of integration between the urban and school services achieves greater efficiency in bus use and minimises operating costs, it does limit the development of the urban services.
Discussion: 1. Should Council continue to provide student bus services? 2. Should the level of school and urban bus service integration be reduced so the urban services can be enhanced or new urban services implemented? 3. Should school transport be contracted out and operated commercially (which may result in increased fares) and the resulting investment savings be used to optimise the urban services?
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Connector service The Connector service commenced in 2014. It operates four continuous return services from Hāwera to New Plymouth via State Highway 3, Monday to Friday, commencing 6.30am and finishing at 6.30pm in Hāwera. The current contracted operator is based in Ōpunake. As such the trip from and to Ōpunake each day to provide the Hāwera to New Plymouth trips are also include in the service.
The Connector has proved to be very successful and is viewed as integral to the region’s public transport network, linking south and north Taranaki. A new bus was brought into service in early 2018 featuring improved passenger comfort, more seating, CCTV for passenger safety and more locker space for stroller, prams and even bikes. However, it is not low-floor and therefore not accessible for wheelchair users. Free wi-fi for passengers was introduced recently. It is the only service currently providing real-time tracking.
For the last two years one return service to New Plymouth on each Saturday in December has been provided. These have been poorly patronised, even with widespread advertising.
Discussion: 1. What further enhancements should be a focus for the service? 2. Should regular Saturday service/s be added even though these have not proved popular previously; options include every Saturday or just Saturdays during school holiday periods?
Southlink services The Southlink services were introduced in 2007/2008. These, once-a-week services were provided from Inglewood to New Plymouth; Ōpunake to New Plymouth; Ōpunake to Hāwera and Waverley to Hāwera. While changes have occurred over the years, such as terminating the Inglewood to New Plymouth service once the Connector service commenced, they have for the main part continued as originally designed, linking each of the designated townships. Patronage on all of the services has declined in recent years, likely due to declining population, and/or the elderly moving away or into retirement homes. Patronage by Seniors (65+), making use of the Government free SuperGold card travel scheme, has been as high as 60-70% of total patronage on some of the services. While the total operating cost to provide the Southlink services is not considered high, the extremely low numbers of passengers does mean there is a high cost per passenger to provide the services. Usage on some days can be as few as three or four passengers.
Discussion: 1. Should Council continue to provide rural services where very few passengers use them?
Other There are a number of small townships where no public bus services are provided for residents within the townships, but the Council does in many of these provide subsidised transport through the Total Mobility Scheme. The Total Mobility Scheme is a subsidised door-to-door transport scheme provided for those with impairments who are unable to use public transport in a safe and dignified manner.
Discussion: 1. Should demand responsive or fixed-route services be considered in other centres for example Stratford and Hāwera urban areas?
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Farebox recovery Farebox recovery is the measure of operational expenditure funded by passenger fares. The regional target is 50%. For the last several years the annual regional farebox recovery rate has been approximately 39%. The Transport Agency has indicated that the national policy on farebox recovery is to be reviewed as the 50% national target has been achieved.
The current balance between users, ratepayers and the Transport Agency towards the total cost of providing the regions bus services are:
Passenger fares 39% Ratepayers 30% NZ Transport Agency 31%
Discussion: 1. Should Council review its regional target of 50%? 2. If so, what is an appropriate level of funding that passenger fares should contribute towards operational expenditure?
Fares and affordability The current fare structure on the two main services, Citylink and Connector are a mix of point to point and zonal fares. That is, there is a set price to travel between centres but the further the travel distance the higher the fare. National policy requires Council to review fare levels annually and to maintain the balance between users paying a fair share of the operating cost, not unduly increasing ratepayer and tax payer funding while contributing to the national farebox target of 50% (noting the Agency is now reviewing this target).
Fares on the Citylink service have not been increased since 2016 and the Connector 2014 (the year the service started). Within the last eight months fares on the Ōpunake to Hāwera and Waverley to Hāwera services were reduced, in December 2018 and January 2019 respectively, to try and remove cost as being a barrier to use.
The introduction of a new inter-operable ticketing system will enable Council to be more flexible in the fare structures it can offer. One option is fare capping. Fare capping is a pricing concept that limits the total amount of fares each passenger pays for a defined period of travel. An example is weekly capping where a passenger might only pay for four days while travelling for five days. The benefits for passengers is affordability, no upfront costs and the more they travel within the defined period the less each trip costs.
Discussion: 1. Should fare structures, such as capping, that incentivise patronage be investigated?
Concessions The Council provides fare concessions or discounts off the Adult fares for a range of passenger types based on age, health status and ability to pay. Concessions apply for fare payment by cash or registered electronic bus card. Users paying by a registered card receive a greater discount than those paying by cash. This recognises the reduced transaction time when boarding the bus and to encourage greater card use.
Current Concessions are:
Under 5’s – free Child 5-15
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Students 16-19 if attending school Tertiary ACCESS for those people with impairments including Total Mobility clients Community Service Card holders Seniors (The SuperGold Card Scheme is a central government funded scheme providing free travel on services at off-peak time).
Discussion: 1. Should the current Concession groups continue to receive discounted fares? 2. Are there any other groups that should be included as a Concession type? 3. Should Concessions continue to be available for cash fares or only if paying by a registered bus card; cash users would pay the equivalent of an Adult cash fare?
Infrastructure and bus priorities Public transport supporting infrastructure is the responsibility of the territorial authorities. The collaboration between all councils over the years has been reasonably successful with the focus being new stops and shelters installed across the region as the bus services have grown. Priority measures would improve bus travel times and smooth out inconsistences in times at peak times.
Discussion: 1. What infrastructure improvements would you like to see?
These could include:
Electronic timetables at key bus stops with real time information Improved customer facilities at the New Plymouth bus centre Dedicated transport hub (including bus and cycle facilities) within New Plymouth city Car free zone in and around Ariki Street and Egmont St, New Plymouth, making the bus stops and main transfer point safer for passengers
2. Should bus services be given any form of priority over other vehicle traffic; measures could include intersection priority treatment e.g. bus advance, queue jump lane, bus active signal (lights turn green as bus approaches or stays green longer), or bus lanes or transit lanes (T2 or T3)?
Vehicle standards - diesel versus alternate fuels The Council ensures contracted bus services use vehicles that meet the national Requirements for Urban Buses in New Zealand. With the region now engaged in transitioning to a low emissions future through projects such as Taranaki 2050 and new industry initiatives such as Hiringa Energy, (green hydrogen energy), it is an opportune time raise to issue of when replacements to the current fleets of diesel powered buses should be considered.
All of the current buses are diesel and are on average 10 years old. Replacement of the Citylink urban buses will commence 2021/2022 with Citylink school buses not until 2030. The two main Connector buses are only two and four years old and are not due for replacement until at least 2024.
Discussion: 1. Should the change to alternate powered vehicles be a priority or should the existing time-frame for the introduction of alternate-fuelled vehicles be maintained?
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Passenger rail services Given the investment signals from the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Funding 2018/19 – 2027/28 (GPS), it is not considered appropriate to propose any light rail passenger transport services as part of the review. Section 183 of the GPS states:
While GPS 2018 makes provision for rail funding, the scope of this funding is very tight. GPS 2018 supports investment in:
improving urban rail services for passengers accessing housing, major employment areas and major metropolitan areas. This applies particularly to areas where demand is outstripping capacity and reliability needs to be improved or there is a need to reduce conflict between freight and passenger trains existing and new interregional commuter rail services, including the capital costs associated with the rolling stock to support housing and employment opportunities
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8. Service improvements come with increased costs
Cost of providing public transport to rate payers for 2019/2020 is $4,694,525. This is funded from the following sources:
Fares $1,173,800
Government subsidy $1,552,772
Rates $1,246,090
The rates come from targeted rates set across the region as follows:
New Plymouth / North Taranaki $1,152,745
Stratford $32,131
South Taranaki $61,214
These rates are set on the capital value of each property. For every $100,000 of capital value of a property, a ratepayer currently pays:
New Plymouth / North Taranaki $5.85
Stratford $1.09
South Taranaki $0.56
So, a property with a capital value of $500,000 currently pays:
New Plymouth / North Taranaki $29.25
Stratford $5.45
South Taranaki $2.80
Each additional $100,000 increase in targeted rates increases the rates by the following. For each $100,000 of capital value, a $100,000 increase in targeted rates is:
New Plymouth / North Taranaki $0.50
Stratford $3.39
South Taranaki $0.91
All figures are exclusive of GST.
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9. Objectives, policies and actions
The following pages detail the current Regional Public Transport Plan 2014-2024 objectives against which we progress towards achieving and delivering on our vision. These will be reviewed and updated following stakeholder engagement. The revised objectives and policies will be available as part of the public consultation phase. As part of the discussion please provide any feedback or comments you may have? 9.1. Network Objective 1: A core network of accessible, integrated and reliable public transport services that support Taranaki’s communities The Council proposes to provide a core network that is accessible, integrated and reliable connecting regional centres to key urban centres providing access to employment, educational, health, welfare, social, and retail services. A core network provides significant longer-term benefits for Taranaki, notably: efficient use of resources increased patronage as users can rely on consistent, dependable services efficient use of infrastructure, as it is used more frequently. Investing in this type of network is expected to achieve better value-for-money outcomes for the Council and its funders. The changing nature of demand means that there will be ongoing need to review existing services and consider new and innovative responses to changes in the region. The policies and actions below provide the opportunity for revised and new services to be implemented where these meet identified demand or social need in an affordable and integrated manner.
Policies Actions 1.1. Provide a core network of integrated and Continue to provide both urban, rural and connector public reliable services transport services, where appropriate, subject to meeting service KPI’s 1.2. Review the existing network prior to Monitor changes in populations, land-use and other factors renewing this Plan to determine the need that affect demand level and service usage and nature of potential changes 1.3. Encourage mutually supportive land use Work with the district councils to promote transit oriented and public transport development policies development around greenfield and urban intensification proposals
1.4. Enhance integration with long-distance Investigate options for improving integration with long- services distance and tourism bus services and where possible coordinate service arrival/departure times 1.5. Investigate new service opportunities Investigate options for new services where gaps in the network exist or as new development occurs
Consultation question:
Do you have any comments on Objective No.1, policies and actions?
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9.2. Services Objective 2: Responsive services that connect people with where they want to go The urban and connector service network will be the core of a timely route structure operating generally Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) with limited Saturday services on the urban service. Routes will mainly service major residential areas, schools, commercial and where possible industrial estates, and be integrated to maximise the range of travel options and destinations.
The rural service network will operate generally once-a-week to provide a lower frequency of geographic coverage across the region. Where possible the rural services will be routed to enable passengers to make connections to the urban, connector and exempt services for example inter- regional bus services. This will allow more passengers to access a wider range of destinations throughout the region.
Passengers will be expected to transfer between services to complete their journey and therefore the network will depend upon enabling passengers to move easily between different services, having appropriate infrastructure (subject to district council policies) at the key interchange points and providing good quality customer information.
Policies Actions
2.1. Provide a network of public transport services Plan and procure services using the following service layers: Urban: Regular frequency service (generally Monday to Saturday) that provides connections between Ōakura, Bell Block and Waitara to New Plymouth city centre, to and from the New Plymouth city centre Rural: Low frequency service (Minimum weekly) that provide access to town centres for social, welfare, health and activity services Connector: moderate frequency service (generally two-hourly week days) connecting Hāwera and New Plymouth 2.2. Provide a public transport network that Design routes and timetables to provide convenient maximises the range of travel options and connections between services and to minimise total destinations available journey time, including waiting time for connections 2.3. Enable timely and cost-effective servicei. Evaluate public transport infrastructure requirements provision in developing urban areas and service demands in urban development areas ii. Where appropriate introduce public transport services in new and developing urban areas in a timely and cost effective manner iii. Encourage planning decision-makers and authorities to ensure that public transport corridors are identified and provided for in all significant new developments.
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Policies Actions
2.4. Ensure that services respond to identifiedi. Identify the needs of existing and potential public customer needs transport customers through research and demand analysis then consider these during service planning, reviews, and procurement ii. Consult operators, customers, and the public in the affected area during the service planning and reviews prior to procurement iii. Work with representatives of target groups to identify the potential for scheduled or demand-responsive services to particular facilities with regular travel demands, and implement appropriate improvements iv. Consider options for new services where these are shown to meet customer demand in an affordable cost-effective and integrated manner and introduce such changes as a variation to this Plan where appropriate. 2.5. Maintain consistent levels of service in each Provide the following minimum service levels for each service layer, appropriate to demand service layer: Urban: Peak 40 minutes Off- peak 70 minutes Rural: Once-a-week with approximately two hour stopovers Connector: two hourly between 6am-7pm, weekdays (excluding public holidays) 2.6. Enable timely and cost-effective servicei. Put mechanisms in place within the PTOM contracting adjustments to meet demand environment to allow service provisions to be adjusted efficiently and effectively to match demand, fare revenue, and service yield changes; and respond to new service opportunities. ii. Put mechanisms in place to enable efficient communication with public transport customers, to ensure that services can continue to respond to demand
Consultation question:
Do you have any comments on Objective No.2 policies and actions? 9.3. Service quality Objective 3: A convenient and reliable public transport system using modern vehicles A high quality public transport system gets passengers quickly to where they want to go, and provides reliable whole-of-journey travel times. The most important consideration for passengers and potential users - is reliability- a trip leaves on time and arrives at (or very close to) the scheduled time.
Operational monitoring and fleet improvements will assist in reducing travel times and increase service reliability. However, where buses mix with traffic, journey times and reliability are affected by external factors. While the provision of priority measures, such as traffic signal priorities on urban services, would assist in improving overall journey reliability it is unlikely priority measures will be implemented during the term of this Plan.
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All vehicles operating on current service contracts will be required to comply with existing vehicle quality standards. In the future as the one urban contract (Citylink) is let all new and used passenger service vehicles used on the urban routes will be required to conform to the Transport Agency’s Requirements for Urban Buses (subject to any approved exemptions granted by the Transport Agency) - a nationwide set of standards for bus quality and accessibility. Vehicles providing services mainly to school students will not be required to meet the Requirements for Urban Buses but will be required to meet the standard set by the Council.
All vehicles used on rural or connector services will be able to conform to a lower standard appropriate for the demand characteristics, travel distance, road conditions and terrain of the service. However, all vehicles operating under contract will be required to meet applicable vehicle safety standards.
The PTOM provides for a partnering approach, where the Council and operators collaborate to achieve ongoing service and quality improvements.
The Council will also monitor trends in patronage to facilitate systematic improvement of the network through improved planning and operational and cost-efficiencies.
Policies Actions
3.1. Develop realistic, achievable timetables that are Develop timetables using actual monitored travel reliable and dependable times Work with operators to monitor actual travel times (if possible using GPS real time tracking) and other performance measurement systems, and modify timetables as required to provide customers with a high standard of service reliability.
3.2. Improve public transport journey times wherei. Increase electronic Smart Card usage (on applicable possible services) to reduce boarding times ii. Advocate for investigation of bus priority measures along key corridors to reduce bus journey times where appropriate iii. Advocate for specific measures to reduce the operating time of services, such as stop rationalisation or bus priority signage, where appropriate iv. Advocate for a change to the Road User Rule whereby buses departing from kerbside bus stops have right of way over through traffic when merging back into the travelling lane
3.3. Provide a reliable, punctual, customer focusedi. Specify whole network standards for reliability and network of services punctuality, and incentivise good service performance through the PTOM contracts
ii. Work in partnership with operators to continually improve reliability, punctuality, safety and all aspects of customer service iii. Effectively and efficiently monitor services and manage performance through appropriate contractual methods, as required iv. Identify failures in performance and work in partnership with operators to rectify any identified problems in a timely manner v. Work with operators to carry out driver and staff training, including customer service training, to ensure a consistent high standard of presentation and performance
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Policies Actions
vi. Specify driver, crew, and staff training as a condition of any contract with the Council ii. Require operators to ensure that training and performance includes the safety of the public, both on and off the vehicle, including the safety of cyclists iii. Require the inclusion of disability awareness training, and training on the needs of passengers with special needs, for all staff who are in contact with customers
3.4. Ensure that all vehicles meet required standardsi. Ensure that all future urban bus service contracts comply with Transport Agency Requirements for Urban Buses ii. Specify vehicle size and quality on rural and connector contracts match service demand, terrain, and road conditions as required iii. Enable cyclists to better access the public transport system, by providing for bicycles on selected services
3.5. Ensure agreements encourage good operatori. Incorporate specifications and a KPI regime including performance service reliability and punctuality, quality, compliance, customer service, and safety in PTOM service agreements ii. Terminate contracts for consistently poor performance iii. Where performance is consistently high and patronage has increased, ensure that appropriate reward mechanisms exist within contracts or through the PTOM framework
3.6. Monitor and continuously improve servicei. Work with operators to access operational delivery information in a timely fashion, and include conditions for timely operational reporting in PTOM contracts ii. Require contracted service operators to provide operational information, as required, including: Reliability (early running) Reliability (cancellation) Punctuality (late running) Patronage and passenger kilometres Service inputs (in-service kms and hours delivered) Farebox revenue Safety and security Driver training iii. Until the roll-out of PTOM contracts is completed, encourage operators of commercial services that will form part of a unit to provide the Council with detailed planning, cost, revenue, and service information, in addition to the information types under section 127 of the LTMA, to enable the Council to plan a more efficient and effective network iv. Ensure that suppliers have sufficient information about service performance across the whole network, so that they can continually improve services offered to customers v. Utilise shared, centrally accessed service specifications, service performance, and service
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Policies Actions measurement data between the Council and operators to improve service performance vi. Work with operators to agree on a monthly reporting framework for all contracted services, having regard to commercial confidentiality requirements ii. Collect customer feedback on service quality and performance (through surveys, customer complaint processes, and other methods) including information about: Reporting timeliness Customer satisfaction Passenger facilities (on bus) Complaints (including number resolved)
Consultation question:
Do you have any comments on Objective No.3, policies and actions? 9.4. Farebox recovery Objective 4: Effective and efficient allocation of public transport funding In the short to medium-term, central government funding is expected to be similar to current levels, although additional funds will be available to meet the operating costs associated with current commitments to the electronic ticketing and the National Total Mobility Administration System (NTMAS).
The Council has also adopted a farebox recovery policy, in line with Transport Agency requirements for such a policy to be included in the Plan. The farebox recovery policy aims to increase the contribution of user fares to operating costs from the current 38 per cent, to approximately 50 per cent by 2017/18), to contribute to the national target of 50 per cent. To achieve this, the Council will give priority to actions that grow patronage (especially where spare capacity is available), and reduce operating costs (if possible), in preference to simply raising fares.
The Council is conscious of the need to ensure that the public funds used to support the public transport system are used wisely and within required timeframes, in order to deliver cost-effective transport solutions for the region. The Council will continue to seek cost-efficiencies in the delivery of public transport services, and implement adjustments to services where financial performance is poor.
Policies Actions
4.1. Improve value for money from existing publici. Implement the PTOM changes as required by the NZ transport funding Transport Agency ii. Undertake regular reviews of service effectiveness and value for money iii. Promote and market a simple and reliable public transport product
4.2. Increase the level of farebox recovery Take steps to achieve the following Farebox Recovery Ratio (FRR) targets:
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Policies Actions Mode 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17
Bus 44% 46% 48%
Take the following actions to achieve the FRR targets: Work with operators to deliver increased fare revenue through measures to increase patronage, particularly where spare capacity exists on current services Identify and implement opportunities for improvements to procurement arrangements for public transport, including implementation of the PTOM where this has the potential to reduce operating costs Continue to undertake regular reviews of service cost- effectiveness and implement improvements, where appropriate, to reduce average unit operating costs Continue to promote improvements to infrastructure and services which contribute to more efficient operating conditions for public transport and lower operating costs (e.g. bus priority measures) Continue an annual fare review and adjustment process, and ensure that fare increases at least keep pace with increased operating costs (as measured through Transport Agency indexation) with additional modest increases when necessary to maintain progress towards the FRR target Closely monitor the impact of fare changes on patronage, and review the farebox recovery policy if growth in patronage is threatened by fare increases Work with funding agencies to review the economic value of public transport to non-users, and ensure that the farebox recovery policy is consistent with this over time Review the level and availability of concession fares, and eligibility, to ensure these are cost-effective and consistent with national policy directions
4.3. Encourage the development of new funding Support the examination of potential new funding and mechanisms for public transport financing mechanisms for transport in Taranaki such as parking revenue, sponsorship
Consultation question:
Do you have any comments on Objective No.4, policies and actions? 9.5. Fares and ticketing Objective 5: A fares and ticketing system that attracts and retains customers Fares will be subject to regular review and adjustment, at least annually, to ensure that user charges keep pace with changes in operating costs, and that the farebox recovery targets in Section 4.2 are achieved. The Council will continue to review the targets to ensure that they achieve an optimum revenue balance between fares and patronage. It is intended to achieve improvements in farebox recovery through increasing patronage and carefully managing operating costs balanced with fare increases.
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Policies Actions 5.1. Implement a fares and ticketing systemi. Ensure all operators implement the required fare and appropriate for the level of service provided ticketing systems ii. Ensure that all fare revenues collected by operators, and third parties are auditable and available for apportionment iii. Where required assign unit operators to use and manage, Council supplied, electronic ticketing equipment, and to provide an electronic fare collection system 5.2. Maintain fares at a level that will assist in achievini.g Conduct regular annual reviews of operating costs and farebox recovery targets Transport Agency indexation levels to determine the extent of any fare adjustments required to maintain farebox recovery targets in Policy 9.2 ii. Implement an annual standard fare adjustment on 1 August when fare increases are required iii. Implement actions to reduce operating costs and/or increase patronage 5.3. Provide concession fares for target groups oni. Retain existing urban services fare concessions for services target groups, including: Children under 5: free Children 5-15 years of age Secondary school students aged 16-19 years Tertiary students Beneficiaries ACCESS card holders Seniors: free off-peak where approved ii. Retain existing rural services fare concessions for target groups, including: Children under 5: free Children 5-15 years of age Seniors: free off-peak where approved ACCESS card holders iii. Provide connector service fare concessions for target groups, including: Children under 5: free Children 5-15 years of age Seniors: free off-peak where approved ACCESS card holders Tertiary students Beneficiaries iv. Regularly review concessionary fare levels and affordability v. Regularly review Total Mobility subsidy rates, in consultation with stakeholders, to determine whether they continue to meet user needs vi. Consider short-term promotional fare discounts to support new or improved services 5.4. Ensure that all users pay the correct fare Implement a fare inspection, enforcement, and auditing regime through operator contracts, to ensure that all passengers pay the correct fare and to minimise the opportunity for fraud 5.5. Participate in the collective regional councili. Continue to participate in the collective regional council electronic ticketing project Service Level Agreement with the contracted provider ii. Continue to participate in the joint regional council project to procure a new electronic bus ticketing system
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Consultation questions:
Do you have any comments on Objective No.5? 9.6. Process for establishing units Objective 6: Follow all legislative requirements and NZ Transport Agency guidelines to establish units that will be contracted to Council. Amendments to the LTMA in 2013 introduced the concept of a unit. A ‘Unit’ means: a public transport service, or group of public transport services: a. that a regional council identifies as integral to the region’s public transport network; and b. that operates , or will operate, on the entire length of one or more routes specified in the regional council’s regional public transport plan; and c. that includes all of the public transport services operating to a timetable that applies to the entire route or routes specified for the unit.
Policies Actions
6.1. Implement a process for establishing operating Follow the Transport Agency’s 2013 Guidelines for units for all public transport services that will be preparing regional public transport plans, Section 7.2. contracted to the Council Additional information is provided in Appendix I.
Consultation question:
Do you have any comments on Objective No.6, policies and actions?
9.7. Procurement approach for units
Objective 7: A procurement system that supports the efficient delivery of public transport services The amendments to the LTMA in 2013 also introduced a new policy and operating framework for the procurement and management of urban bus, rail, and ferry services. This new framework, known as the Public Transport Operating Model (PTOM), is designed to support partnering between procuring authorities (including the Council) and public transport operators. It is also designed to provide opportunities for competitors to access the public transport market, to provide incentives to reduce reliance on subsidies by promoting increased commerciality of service provision, and to provide a more transparent approach to service planning and procurement.
In future, all urban public transport services (except for exempt services) will be procured through price and quality-based service contracts while all rural public transport services will be procured through staged service contracts. This will create an environment where goals and objectives are aligned through collaborative planning, joint investment, performance incentives, and shared risks and rewards.
All public transport services described in this Plan (other than exempt services) will be required to be provided under contract to the Council as part of a unit, in order to implement the policies and actions described in this Plan.
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In line with the principles set out in section 115 of the LTMA (see section 2.1), the PTOM adopts a partnering approach towards increasing commerciality (the contribution of fare revenue to total operating costs), reducing reliance on public subsidies, and increasing patronage while giving the public confidence in competitive pricing for public transport provision.
Growing the business in this manner requires a two-tier process – through improvements to the network as a whole, or through improvements within a particular unit (a group of routes bundled together for contracting purposes). The urban service in Taranaki will be subject to a partnering contract designed to be consistent with requirements in the Transport Agency’s procurement manual. Exempt services will continue to operate outside the PTOM and not provided under contract to the Council.
In addition, there will be a transition period between the adoption of this Plan and full implementation of the PTOM contracting environment. Existing contracts will be managed in accordance with the Council’s procurement strategy, with required changes (either to manage capacity issues or to address matters related to the rollout of new contracts) managed through the variation processes defined in existing contractual arrangements.
Policies Actions 7.1. Ensure the appropriate allocation of roles, Work with operators, suppliers, and funders to implement responsibilities, and risk between the Council the PTOM to deliver an efficient and effective range of and operators using the PTOM public transport services across the region, resulting in increased patronage and fare revenues that cover a greater proportion of operating costs and reduce reliance on subsidies. Specifically: i. All public transport services that are integral to the regional public transport network described in this Plan (other than deemed exempt services) will be grouped into units, based around logical geographic catchments, and taking into account the need for units to be of sufficient size to ensure a competitive service supplier market and deliver efficient and effective services which can increase patronage ii. All public transport services described in this Plan (other than exempt services) will operate under a contract with the Council, in order to implement the policies and actions in this Plan. iii. Each unit will form the basis of an individual PTOM contract with the Council iv. The financial incentive mechanism that will be incorporated into the partnering contracts will describe a shared responsibility between the operator and the Council for growing the business, and sharing the fare revenue risk and reward v. All contracts will include key performance indicators around service performance, quality, cost effectiveness, and safety vi. Explicitly set out a structured process for the use and sharing of information as part of the PTOM implementation phase - including a clear description of rights and obligations - so that appropriate access to, and treatment of, all information is ensured
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Policies Actions vii. Adhere to the Transport Agency guidelines on PTOM implementation 7.2. Ensure service continuity to the travellingi. Incorporate appropriate service continuity provisions into public the unit contracts that include appropriate mechanisms for eliciting changes to a unit when network or service review processes deem this necessary ii. Provide appropriate lead times for all service provisions to allow operators sufficient time to secure resources 7.3. Identify specific exempt services that are noti. Provide for the following deemed exempt services to subject to PTOM contracts operate within the Taranaki region without a PTOM contract ii. Inter-regional services that operate without a direct subsidy from the Council iii. Existing registered commercial bus services in operation at 30 June 2011 that did not offer fares set by the Council 7.4. Adopt a partnership approach to networki. Use the PTOM contracting model to enter and manage planning and service changes contractual relationships with operators. Each PTOM unit will form an individual PTOM contract with the Council ii. Where possible, implement significant network changes at the start of the PTOM contract tendering / negotiation rounds iii. Work with contracted operators to develop a business plan for each PTOM unit that aims to grow its commerciality and passenger demand, subject to the overall network development plans and targets in the RPTP. The business plan will be jointly owned by The Council and the unit operator, and will clearly define individual and joint responsibilities iv. Revisit the business plan at regular intervals (at least annually) v. Publish an annual report of performance league tables showing PTOM unit patronage growth and commerciality vi. Ensure that information exchanged between the Council and operators under PTOM contracts includes: Reliability and punctuality of services Patronage, passenger kilometres, and farebox revenues (on a tag-on, tag-off basis for integrated ticketing customers and on a stage basis for others) Safety and security Staff training In consultation with operators, agree on protocols for the exchange of information on service inputs and cost efficiency, while ensuring appropriate arrangements to protect data confidentiality 7.5. Manage the transition from current contractsi. Procure unit contracts for bus services in accordance and registered commercial services to the with a procurement strategy endorsed by the Transport future PTOM contracting environment Agency. ii. If required deregister any previous commercial service that forms part of a unit on the date that the new unit contract takes effect. iii. Manage variations to existing contracts, to address capacity issues and / or matters related to the PTOM unit rollout, in accordance with the provisions in existing service contracts
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Policies Actions 7.6. Ensure that the operation of exempt servicesi. Assess all applications to operate or vary exempt does not adversely affect the wider public services according to the statutory requirements. The transport network Council may decline to register an exempt service, or vary the route or routes of an exempt service, where the
service or variation is: likely to have a material adverse effect on the financial viability of any unit likely to increase the net cost to the Council of any unit contrary to sound traffic management or any environmental factor identified by the Council as important to the region ii. The service is identified in this Plan as being integral to the public transport network in the region iii. Require a minimum notice period of not less than 15 working days for the variation or withdrawal of any deemed exempt service. (note: this notice period may be waived for exempt services that are not integral to the regional network). iv. Should any deemed exempt service cease to be operated by the relevant public transport operator, the relevant service will be deregistered one day following the date that the relevant public transport operator ceases to operate it.
Consultation question:
Do you have any comments on Objective No.7, policies and actions? 9.8. Managing, monitoring and evaluating unit performance
Objective 8: A system of monitoring and review that supports continuous improvement The Taranaki Regional Land Transport Strategy (RLTS) has identified a set of medium- and long-term targets for public transport, and the policies and actions in this Plan are designed to help achieve these targets.
The targets include:
A Regional Public Transport Plan for Taranaki is to be kept current in accordance with statutory requirements.
Increase the number of passenger trips carried on the New Plymouth urban services by 10% per annum until 2013/14.
90% of passengers rate the New Plymouth urban bus services and inter-town rural services as good, very good or excellent.
90% of passengers rate the Total Mobility services as good, very good or excellent.
Hold 6 New Plymouth Public Transport Officer Group meetings a year.
A Total Mobility Forum held each year to discuss issues of concern to Total Mobility users.
A Public Transport Users Forum is held twice a year to discuss issues of concern to public transport
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users.
The average frequency of public transport services operating in the New Plymouth urban area is maintained at 40 minutes for peak services and 70 minutes for off-peak services.
95% of the New Plymouth population resides within 500m of a public transport service.
The Council will regularly monitor progress towards these targets. It will also monitor the implementation of this Plan and use a series of key performance indicators (KPIs) to determine how well the public transport system is achieving its objectives. This information will be regularly published to ensure that the public has access to up-to-date information on service performance.
The LTMA requires the Council to ensure that the RPTP is kept current for a period of not less than 3 years in advance, but not more than 10 years in advance. The RPTP may be reviewed or varied from time to time, but it must be reviewed, and varied if necessary, when the public transport components of the regional land transport plan are approved or varied.
The Council has developed a policy to determine whether or not any proposed variation to the RPTP is significant (see Appendix V). If the proposed variation to the RPTP is significant, the Council must consult on such variation in accordance with the requirements of section 125 of the LTMA.
Policies Actions 8.1. Undertake regular monitoring andi. Implement monitoring, reporting, and analysis of service trip and reporting of service, unit and system unit performance (including patronage, ticket sales and type, performance punctuality and reliability, and other matters) against patronage, farebox recovery, service level, and service performance targets ii. Prepare a regular public report on progress using the following KPIs, segregated where possible by weekday peak, inter-peak, and weekend time periods : Total public transport boardings Passenger km travelled Proportion of residents within 500 metres walk of a stop on the rapid and frequent service network Patronage growth on all bus services Service improvements delivered to schedule within agreed budgets Customer satisfaction ratings for public transport services Customer rating of public transport value for money Reliability: late running and cancelled services Punctuality: proportion of services “on time” (i.e. percentage of scheduled trips between 59 seconds before and 4 minutes and 59 seconds after the scheduled departure time at the selected points) Proportion of services with disability access Operating subsidy per passenger km Farebox Recovery Ratio 8.2. Regularly review and update the Plani. Undertake a staged programme of service reviews and to take account of changing incorporate any necessary amendments to service descriptions circumstances through a variation to the RPTP ii. Use the monitoring information collected as part of Policy 8.2i and work with operators to introduce variations to services where required to improve efficiency and effectiveness, following consultation with affected parties; and incorporate any required amendments to service descriptions through a variation to the RPTP
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Policies Actions iii. Maintain an up to date register of RPTP service descriptions, including a record of any variations iv. Complete a full review of the RPTP at the same time, or as soon as practicable after the adoption of the next Regional Land Transport Plan, to determine whether any variation is needed to take account of changing circumstances 8.3. Ensure appropriate public Use the policy on significance in Appendix V to determine the consultation on future Plan variations appropriate level of consultation undertaken for any proposed variation to the RPTP
Consultation question:
Do you have any comments on Objective No.8, policies and actions? 9.9. Transport-disadvantaged
Objective 9: Improved access for communities and groups whose needs are not met by the public transport system An important focus of this Plan is to meet the needs of those who are least able to travel to basic community activities and services – the transport-disadvantaged. Providing a network of public transport services goes some way to meeting these needs. However, it is recognised that some groups have specific needs that may be met more effectively by access to specialised passenger transport services and / or concessionary fares. Subject to continued funding availability, the Council will therefore continue to support specific services such as the Total Mobility service for people with disabilities, fare concession schemes, and school bus services.
The Council will work with disability groups to ensure that the principles outlined in the Human Rights Commission report The Accessible Journey are reflected in the development of public transport services and infrastructure.
Policies Actions 9.1. Provide a public transport network thati. Identify target groups and areas where service planning can help is accessible and safe, particularly for the transport-disadvantaged, particularly vulnerable users such as vulnerable users children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities ii. Work with stakeholders to identify and resolve accessibility and safety issues iii. Specify services (or specific elements of services) that must be operated by accessible vehicles which conform to Transport Agency guidelines and the Council requirements iv. Ensure that accessible information is widely available by using appropriate formats and media, including audio and visual (see Section 6.6) v. Specifically consider the needs of the transport-disadvantaged when network changes are proposed and implemented, and take proactive steps to communicate changes to groups that may find the changes difficult to adapt to 9.2. Provide transport services and facilitiesi. Promote the location and design of facilities to ensure safe access for customers whose needs are not met for all customers to and around transport stops, with particular by the regular public transport network attention to the needs of people with disabilities ii. Promote better design of infrastructure to improve access and usability for the transport-disadvantaged
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Policies Actions iii. Work with operators and the Territorial Authorities facilities managers to ensure that training for drivers, crew and other staff in contact with the public includes appropriate assistance for customers who have difficulty using public transport iv. Develop and support demand-responsive services in order to provide transport options for those who are unable to use regular public transport services v. Continue to fund the Total Mobility scheme, including: Contracting taxi and specialist operators to provide targeted services Providing a discount on qualifying travel (up to a specified limit) In eligible cases, assisting with the installation of hoists in specialist vehicles so that wheelchairs can be carried Require all drivers on Total Mobility services have specialist training in order to provide adequate and appropriate assistance to mobility impaired people. 9.3. Provide safe public transport accessi. Provide school buses in urban areas to schools not served by the for school students regular bus network, or where capacity on that network cannot meet demand ii. Consult with community transport planners when carrying out service reviews that affect school travel iii. Work with the Ministry of Education to periodically review any issues that arise on the urban/rural fringes of the Taranaki region, to ensure that effective and non-duplicative provision of bus services is achieved 9.4. Provide concessionary fares for thei. Fund concessionary fares for the target groups identified in the transport disadvantaged and other section Transport Disadvantaged target groups ii. Continue to support the SuperGold card free off-peak travel scheme for senior citizens, while adequate funding is available 9.5. Support public transport services andi. Identify appropriate public transport services and facilities for rural facilities that better meet the needs of areas by: individual, rural, and isolated Engaging with district councils and local communities to develop communities, taking into account value proposals for community-driven initiatives to design and for money and local initiatives implement tailored public transport services on a trial basis Working with district councils and local communities to identify and resolve funding and procurement issues Working with district councils and local communities to explore the longer-term viability of services that have been trialled successfully 9.6. Ensure that transport services andi. As part of future service design reviews and general route facilities account for socio-economic planning, consider the local socio-economic characteristics characteristics including the deprivation index, and any greater need to provide public transport access within, to, and from particular communities ii. Identify appropriate public transport services and facilities to such areas iii. Work with social agencies to promote understanding of the electronic bus Smart Card and its associated benefits for low income and beneficiary households, including the need for registration to obtain access to concessionary fares (where eligible)
Consultation question:
Do you have any comments on Objective No.9, policies and actions?
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9.10. Accessibility Objective 10: Improved access for communities and groups who rely on public transport as their main means of transport An important focus of this Plan is to advocate for those who are the least able to access private transport. There are 3 keys areas of accessibility. 1 Access to the network 2 Facilities 3 Bus quality
Policies Actions 10.1. Ensure good access to public transport Design urban routes so that at least 95% of the New Plymouth services population resides within 400 m of a public transport route 10.2. Advocate for accessible infrastructure Continue to work with the Taranaki Disability Information Centre and agencies to advocate for facilities that cater to those with disabilities
Consultation question:
Do you have any comments on Objective No.10, policies and actions? 9.11. Infrastructure
Objective 11: Advocate for a high standard of public transport infrastructure that supports service provision and enhances the customer experience The Taranaki Regional Council does not own or maintain infrastructure as this is done by the district councils. Therefore, the actions are particularly relevant to the district councils.
All of these require clear, consistent branding, with service levels and information to meet customers’ needs for an integrated, easy-to-use, customer-focused system. An efficient and effective public transport system relies on the provision of well-designed and well- maintained facilities including: Roads Bus stops and shelters Transport centres
Their design also needs to provide good access, and safety and personal security at all stages of the journey, particularly for people with disabilities.
Policies Actions 11.1. Collaborate with district councils to integratei. Continue the Public Transport Operating Group for the Citylink infrastructure and service provision service between New Plymouth District Council and the Taranaki Regional Council ii. Work with all district councils to develop an on-going programme of infrastructure improvements based on level of service indicators, with upgrades to improve journey times, reliability, safety, and the connection environment for the customer iii. Work with bus operators and the district councils to make provision for terminal layover facilities as necessary to ensure the efficient and reliable operation of bus services
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Policies Actions iv. Ensure a consistent strategy for network branding, naming, and information, is applied to all public transport facilities and infrastructure 11.2. Advocate for the provision of accessible,i. Advocate for bus facilities that comply with design guidelines such customer-focused facilities appropriate to as the proposed Public Transport Infrastructure Guidelines and the public transport route and the immediate which are appropriate for existing and future land use locality ii. Advocate for central city and key interchange bus access, departure, and interchange points easy for customers to understand and access iii. Advocate for bus stops and interchange facilities focus on providing appropriate amenity and shelter, while maximising their attractiveness as a network access point from a customer perspective iv. Advocate for the location of bus stops in a way that allows for quick and convenient access, especially for transferring passengers v. Advocate for infrastructure that enhances customer safety and security by meeting or exceeding the safety requirements set out in design guidelines, as appropriate to the location 11.3. Advocate for the integration of publici. Work with public transport operators to provide on-vehicle facilities transport with cycling and walking to improve the ease of passenger transfer between cycling and public transport services ii. Advocate for integration between active modes and public transport services at both facility design and delivery stages, as appropriate iii. Advocate for convenient connections and visible signage between public transport, and cycling and walking networks 11.4. Work with district councils to consider type Establish a programme, in association with district councils and and style of infrastructure to be provided bus operators, for the installation of infrastructure (seats, new bus- shelters, upgrading older style shelters) 11.5. Advocate for improved access to bus-stops Work with disability agencies and district councils to improve and boarding areas access to and boarding areas at bus stops
Consultation question:
Do you have any comments on Objective No.11, policies and actions? 9.12. Customer interface
Objective 12: Simple, visible, and intuitive customer information and service The move to a more connected network needs to be accompanied by a more customer-focused approach to public transport. This includes: a. A better understanding of, and response to, customer needs b. A more proactive approach to dealing with complaints c. Using the customer feedback to identify opportunities for improvement d. The provision of training at all levels e. A stronger focus on customer service in contracts and supplier relationships.
A consistently branded network, integrated end-to-end service, and relevant and accurate customer information gives users confidence that they will reach their destination on time or be able to make a timely and convenient change to another service. A consistent brand will help customers to identify the network so it is easy to use, and also clearly integrates all elements of the network into a single multi-modal system.
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The Council recognises the need to provide customer information and communications material, in order to attract new customers and to encourage existing customers to continue or expand their use of public transport.
Policies Actions 12.1. Use customer feedback to continually Continue to enhance the process for dealing with customer enhance services feedback and complaints, to provide for a “one-stop-shop” approach, a clear escalation process, and clarity on the respective responsibilities of the Council and operators 12.2. Provide a consistent brand for thei. Ensure that the Council’s brand is consistently displayed and Council throughout the region clearly visible on all vehicles ii. Work with district councils to ensure service branding is provided on infrastructure so that customers can easily identify this iii. Provide for the Council and operator brands to be co-branded, as appropriate 12.3. Provide a range of marketing materiali. Work with operators to provide excellent customer information to to attract potential customers market public transport products ii. Work with operators to build a strong public transport brand and on-road presence which highlights the levels of service offered by different elements of the service network, and emphasising frequencies and ease of use iii. Work with operators to market the public transport system throughout the Taranaki region on an on-going basis iv. Proactively market service improvements to key market segments, using a range of approaches and communication channels that are relevant to each group v. Ensure that service changes are communicated to affected areas and groups before implementation, using a variety of communication channels, as appropriate vi. Promote and facilitate the use of public transport through business and school travel plans ii. Promote and facilitate the use of the educational unit in schools 12.4. Provide a wide choice of informationi. Provide up-to-date timetable information at all bus stops, in a channels for customers standardised format with the network brand described in Policy 6.2 above ii. Maintain - and continually improve - a public transport information website iii. Ensure that external vehicle destination displays comply with the requirements of Transport Agency’s Requirements for Urban Buses iv. Work with district councils to develop appropriate travel information to promote journeys that better integrate active modes and public transport v. Continue to provide information in formats that are accessible for people with impaired vision (large print timetables) vi. Continue to provide information to Total Mobility members, agencies, and assessors (newsletters) 12.5. Provide a high-quality traveli. Ensure that high-quality customer service standards are experience maintained by all drivers on public transport services ii. Work with operators to provide excellent customer information through a range of on-board media iii. Ensure drivers are trained in the need for smooth acceleration and braking, which will have multiple benefits of: improving the comfort and safety of passengers, improving fuel consumption, and reducing vehicle emissions iv. Work with operators on improving all drivers on public transport services’ disability awareness skills
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Policies Actions 12.6. Provide a range of customer feedbacki. Aim to respond to customer feedback within 10 working days channels ii. Monitor feedback on service performance and convey this to operators, as appropriate, for onward action iii. Hold an annual Total Mobility forum iv. Undertake the Transport Agency’s customer satisfaction surveys for bus services annually and Total Mobility as required
Consultation question:
Do you have any comments on Objective No.12, policies and actions?
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10. Appendix A: Public transport services integral to the public transport network
The Regional Council provides the following bus services covering New Plymouth, Ōakura, Bell Block, Waitara, Lepperton, Tikorangi, Motunui and Urenui. Other services may be identified and incorporated into the plan by way of variation.
Service Area/s covered Type
Route 1 CBD, Moturoa Urban - Monday to Friday
Route 2 CBD, Lynmouth, Marfell, Whalers Gate Urban - Monday to Friday
Route 3 CBD, Lynmouth, Marfell Urban - Monday to Friday
Route 4 CBD, Westown, Hurdon Urban - Monday to Friday
Route 5 CBD, Frankleigh, Park, Ferndale Urban - Monday to Friday
Route 6 CBD, Vogeltown/Brooklands Urban - Monday to Friday
Route 7 CBD, Welbourn/Highlands Park Urban - Monday to Friday
Route 8 CBD, Merrilands/Highlands Park Urban - Monday to Friday
Route 9 CBD, Fitzroy/The Valley/Glen Avon Urban - Monday to Friday
CBD, Strandon, Welbourn, Brooklands, Vogeltown, Frankleigh Park, Westown, Routes 51 – 54 Urban - School Marfell, Whalers Gate, Spotswood, Lynmouth
Route 20 CBD, Waitara/Bell Block/New Plymouth Urban - Monday to Friday
Route 40 CBD, Ōakura/New Plymouth Urban - Monday to Friday
Saturday - CBD, Vogeltown, Frankleigh Park, Westown, Marfell, Spotswood, Route 10 Urban - Saturday Moturoa,
Saturday - CBD, Strandon, Fitzroy, Bell Block, Merrilands, Brooklands, Route 11 Urban - Saturday Vogeltown
Route 12 Merrilands, Lynmouth, Spotswood Urban - School
Route 14 Merrilands Urban - School
Route 21 Waitara to Spotswood Urban - School
Route 22 Waitara/Motunui to New Plymouth Urban - School
Route 23 Urenui/Tikorangi to New Plymouth Urban - School
Route 24 Waitara to New Plymouth Urban - School
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Route 30 Bell Block to New Plymouth Urban - School
Route 31 Lepperton to New Plymouth Urban - School
Route 32 Bell Block to New Plymouth Urban - School
Route 33 Bell Block to New Plymouth Urban - School
Route 34 Bell Block to New Plymouth Urban - School
Route 35 New Plymouth to Bell Block Urban - School
Route 41 Ōmatā to New Plymouth Urban - School
Route 42 Ōakura to New Plymouth Urban - School
Route 43 Ōakura to New Plymouth Urban - School
Route 44 Ōakura to New Plymouth Urban - School
Route 45 New Plymouth to Ōakura Urban - School
Routes 91, 92, 93, 95 Various New Plymouth schools to Ariki Street Bus Centre Urban - School and 97
The Regional Council provides the following bus services covering south and coastal Taranaki. Other services may be identified and incorporated into the plan by way of variation.
Service Area/s covered Type
Waverley to Hāwera Waverley, Pātea, Kākaramea, Manutahi, Mokoia, Hāwera Rural
Ōpunake to Hāwera Ōpunake, Kaponga, Manaia, Hāwera Rural
Ōpunake to New Plymouth Ōpunake, Rāhotu, Pungarehu, Ōkato, Ōakura, New Plymouth Rural
The Regional Council provide the following bus service linking south and north Taranaki via State Highway 3. Other services may be identified and incorporated into the plan by way of variation.
Service Area/s covered Type
Hāwera to New Plymouth Hāwera, Eltham, Stratford, Inglewood, New Plymouth Connector
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Total Mobility The Total Mobility scheme caters to those people with impairments by providing access to appropriate transport. The Council intends to continue providing the Scheme throughout Taranaki where approved transport providers operate. Areas where approved operators are based are:
Area Approved transport provider
Energy City Cabs
New Plymouth Taxis New Plymouth Driving Miss Daisy
Freedom Companion Driving
Stratford Stratford Taxis
STOPS Hāwera
Other services The Council intends to continue to support Ironside Vehicle Society as a specialist transport provider as part of the Total Mobility Scheme.
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68 Executive, Audit & Risk Committee - South Taranaki and Regional Erosion Support Scheme (Stress-3) renewal
Agenda Memorandum
Date 16 September 2019
Memorandum to Chairperson and Members Executive, Audit & Risk Committee
Subject: South Taranaki and Regional Erosion Support Scheme (STRESS-3) renewal
Approved by: Stephen Hall, Director--Operations
BG Chamberlain, Chief Executive
Document: 2305374
Purpose 1. To update Council on its participation in the government’s hill country erosion fund for a further 4 years.
Executive summary 2. Council’s sustainable land management programme has been operating for over 20 years, its focus is to work with and encourage landowners to adopt sustainable land management practices to reduce soil erosion.
3. Over this time, the Council has prepared farm plans for landowners that include property specific soil conservation solutions. To date 450 plans have been prepared covering 207,000ha or 67% of the Taranaki hill country.
4. To help increase the adoption of sustainable land management practices in the hill country, Council has participated in and received funds from the government’s hill country erosion fund since 2009. Until 2019, Council has received $2.5 million and has now been successful in receiving an additional $3.9 million over the next 4 years. These funds are administered via the Council’s STRESS scheme (South Taranaki Regional Erosion Support Scheme) with a focus on farm plan implementation.
5. Since 2008, Council has also participated in additional government schemes that support Council’s sustainable land management programme (SLMP). In particular, the Afforestation Grant Scheme (AGS), however, this has now been replaced by the government’s one billion trees programme (1BT). The Council is not administering this scheme regionally, however assistance will be provided to landowners with their applications.
6. The previous STRESS rates compared to the new rates for STRESS-3 are shown in Table 1. They are also comparable to those that the government provides direct to landowners through its 1BT scheme.
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Table 1 Grant rate comparison with STRESS-2, STRESS-3 and 1BT
Exotic Manuka Reversion Fencing $/pole forestry forestry $/ha $/m $/ha $/ha STRESS-2 900-1000 1500 300-500 8-10 8 STRESS-3 2000 2300 1500 15 20 1-BT $2000* 2300* 1500 500/ha 0 *this includes a $500/ha top up for LUC class 7 land.
7. The treatment and grant options (their 4-year milestone targets in brackets) for sustainable landuse available through STRESS-3 are: fencing grants for both forestry and retirement (80.9kms); reversion (166 ha for the 1st year only); retirement (660 ha) grants per hectare; pole planting grants per pole (16,000 poles). Both exotic forestry and Manuka (770 ha) are eligible for forestry establishment grants but only radiata pine will be funded for the 2019 planting season.
8. Council’s contribution to co-funding over the 4 years is a cash-equivalent of $2,569,500 which is the amount required to promote and administer the scheme through Council’s SLMP, hill country programme.
9. A signed contract for STRESS-3 has been completed between Council and the Ministry of Primary industries.
Recommendations That the Taranaki Regional Council: a) receives this report on participation in STRESS-3 for a further 4 years ; and b) notes that a signed contract with the government is now in place and that STRESS-3 is operational.
Background 10. Council’s sustainable land management programme has been operating for over 20 years, its focus is to work with and encourage landowners to adopt sustainable land management practices to reduce soil erosion.
11. Over this time, the Council has prepared farm plans for landowners that include property specific soil conservation solutions. To date 450 plans have been prepared covering 207,000ha or 67% of the Taranaki hill country.
12. In 2004, the government introduced the sustainable land management hill country erosion programme (SLMHCEP) after a storm event in the lower North Island. A component of this programme is providing government funds to encourage greater implementation of sustainable land management practices.
13. Council was successful when it first applied to the government for funding in 2009 and has been participating ever since. The Council’s STRESS (South Taranaki Regional Erosion Support Scheme) was initiated as a result of receiving these funds. Since that time Council’s focus has been on plan implementation, providing advice, assistance and
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administering STRESS funding to accelerate farm plan implementation and increased sustainable farming practice. It is the main driver to help achieve sustainable land management in the hill country and is well known by plan holders.
14. Council submitted its third new application in October 2018 (STRESS-3). This application was successful and $3.9 million has been provided to Council over the next 4 years. This is $2.78 million more than the previous contract under STRESS-2, and will take the total grant investment to nearly $6.5 million. The Council’s land management, hill country team, administer the funds for the STRESS scheme through Council’s financial system.
15. In recent times the government have also launched their 1 Billion Trees programme (1BT), the size and scale of this government investment is significant and replaces the much smaller Afforestation Grants Scheme. The 1BT programme is aimed at increasing the number of trees planted in rural New Zealand. Via this programme there are also opportunities for an increase in sustainable land management practices, which align with the Council’s objectives. Unlike STRESS Council are not responsible for administering the 1BT programme, however staff will assist plan holders if need be in their 1BT grant applications.
Discussion 16. The focus for STRESS-3 is very similar to previous years with exotic forestry, Manuka, poplar poles, fencing, land retirement and farm mapping being the priority activities that will receive funds. Table 2 below provides an overview of these activities and associated milestones over the next four years.
2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Total Total STRESS-3 STRESS-2 $ STRESS funding 638,500 1,036,000 1,116,000 1,202,670 3,993,169 1,209,600 Ha of exotic forestry 75 153 149.5 170 548 545* Ha of manuka forestry 0 80 70 72.5 222 Ha treated with poles 150 150 150 150 600 764 Number of poles 4000 4000 4000 4000 16000 20,604 Ha of reversion retirement 166 0 0 0 166 1,734 Kms of fencing 10 10 17.3 20 57.3 80.9 Cost of farm plan prep 0 Ha mapped by contractor 500 1000 1000 1000 3500 0 Total cost of capacity x2 0 Table 2 Milestones and funding allocated for STRESS-3
17. The grant rates for STRESS-3 have increased since STRESS-2 and are set at the same rate as the government’s 1BT scheme. Councils have the option of increasing the grant rates if they use their own source of cash funds. The STRESS-3 contract is much the same as STRESS-2 whereby Council is not putting any of its own cash on top of the 1BT rates.
Decision-making considerations 18. Part 6 (Planning, decision-making and accountability) of the Local Government Act 2002 has been considered and documented in the preparation of this agenda item. The recommendations made in this item comply with the decision-making obligations of the Act.
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Financial considerations—LTP/Annual Plan 19. This memorandum and the associated recommendations are consistent with the Council’s adopted Long-Term Plan and estimates. Any financial information included in this memorandum has been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting practice.
Policy considerations 20. This memorandum and the associated recommendations are consistent with the policy documents and positions adopted by this Council under various legislative frameworks including, but not restricted to, the Local Government Act 2002, the Resource Management Act 1991 and the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.
Iwi considerations 21. This memorandum and the associated recommendations are consistent with the Council’s policy for the development of Māori capacity to contribute to decision-making processes (schedule 10 of the Local Government Act 2002) as outlined in the adopted long- term plan and/or annual plan. Similarly, iwi involvement in adopted work programmes has been recognised in the preparation of this memorandum.
Legal considerations 22. This memorandum and the associated recommendations comply with the appropriate statutory requirements imposed upon the Council.
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Executive, Audit & Risk Committee Public Excluded
In accordance with section 48(1) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, resolves that the public is excluded from the following part of the proceedings of the Executive, Audit and Risk Committee Meeting on Monday 5 August 2019 for the following reason/s:
Item 5 - Confirmation of Confidential Minutes
That the public conduct of the whole or the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information where the withholding of the information is necessary to protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information.
Item 6 - Accommodation Review
That the public conduct of the whole or the relevant part of the proceedings would be likely to result in the disclosure of information where the withholding of the information is necessary to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions by or between or to members or officers or employees of any local authority, and maintain legal professional privilege.
Item 7 - Port Taranaki Ltd: Annual Report and Annual General Meeting
This Item is to be considered in Public Excluded as the public conduct of the whole or the relevant part of the proceedings would be likely to result in the disclosure of information where the withholding of the information is necessary to protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information.
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