Matamata-Piako District Council
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1 APPENDIX A BEFORE THE WAIKATO REGIONAL TRANSPORT COMMITTEE IN THE MATTER of the the Land Transport Management Act 2003 AND IN THE MATTER of the review of the Draft Waikato Regional Land Transport Strategy 2011 - 2041 AND IN THE MATTER of submissions to the Draft Waikato Regional Land Transport Strategy 2011 - 2041 JOINT SUBMISSIONS OF: HAURAKI DISTRICT COUNCIL; and MATAMATA-PIAKO DISTRICT COUNCIL Joint Submissions to the RLTS by Hauraki District Council and Matamata-Piako District Council Page 1 of 23 2 December 2010 INTRODUCTION This is a joint submission on the Draft Waikato Regional Land Transport Strategy 2011 – 2041 (RLTS) by the Hauraki and Matamata-Piako District Councils (the Councils). The Councils generally support the RLTS. The document is visionary without being overly ambitious. It is balanced, comprehensive, well-written, well structured, and easy to navigate and understand. The language is positive and encouraging and the tenor of the document reflects a participatory and consultative approach. This bodes well for the successful implementation of the strategy that will ultimately be dependent upon the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and Environment Waikato (EW) working in close partnership, and with “buy in” from, the constituent Territorial Authorities (TAs) in the Region. The Councils consider that the RLTS, while comprehensive, can benefit from the inclusion of further, more detailed, information regarding the origin and destination of freight movements, within and through, the Region. The Councils understand that further investigations into freight movements are currently being undertaken as part of a parallel study into the preferred routes for High Productivity Motor Vehicles. The Councils recommend that a summary of the findings of this parallel study be included into the Final RLTS. The inclusion of further information regarding freight movements, will assist stakeholders in understanding the logistics involved, and the economic opportunities for freight handling and distribution within the Region. The Councils’ more specific submissions in respect of the various parts of the RLTS are shown in the Tables below. The Tables provide: A reference to the relevant page number in the RLTS (EW Document 17207111, undated); The nature of the submission; The submitter [e.g. the Hauraki District Council (HDC); or Matamata-Piako District Council (MPDC); or both Councils]. Joint Submissions to the RLTS by Hauraki District Council and Matamata-Piako District Council Page 2 of 23 3 Where specific wording changes are requested, proposed deletions are shown in strikethrough, and additions in bold red text. Paragraph numbers as per the RLTS have been retained. 3.0 Vision and outcomes for the Waikato Region Page Submission Submitter 19 3.2 Vision - The Councils support the RLTS’s HDC & comprehensive and aspirational “Vision” of “an affordable, MPDC integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable land transport system that enhances the environmental, economic, social and cultural wellbeing of the population”. 19 3.3.1 Outcome for Integration - The Councils support the HDC & recognition given in the “Outcome for Integration” to MPDC “collaborative planning and partnerships”. 20 3.3.2 Outcome for Economic Development - The Councils HDC & support the emphasis that the RLTS places on the need to MPDC promote economic activity. 20 -21 3.3.3, 3.3.4 3.3.5 Outcomes for Safety, Access, Mobility HDC & and Public Health - The Councils support the RLTS’s MPDC emphasis on safety, and acknowledgement of the need to improve access to public transport (also for the small provincial towns in recognition of the needs of an ageing population, and the demand for total mobility where mobility access is unable to be provided for as part of the public transport system). 21 3.3.6 Outcome for Environmental Sustainability - The HDC & Councils support the recognition given in the “Environmental MPDC Outcome” sought by the RLTS to, first and foremost, retain efficiency in the transport system, while recognising the need for adaptability and resilience in the face emerging long-term influences. Joint Submissions to the RLTS by Hauraki District Council and Matamata-Piako District Council Page 3 of 23 4 4.0 Strategic approach for the strategy Page Submission Submitter 23 – 30 The Councils support the composite option (e.g. strategic HDC & corridors, demand management, and road safety) selected MPDC as the RLTS’s preferred strategic approach. 5.0 Key regional challenges for the Waikato Region Page Submission Submitter 31-46 Chapter 5 of the RLTS presents a balanced view of the key HDC & challenges facing the Region. The Councils particularly MPDC support the following two high priority regional challenges identified in the RLTS: Promoting opportunities to optimise investment in the Waikato Expressway by ensuring integration with the local road network; and: Addressing the need for better access to services for rural communities. 46 High priority regional challenges - The Councils consider HDC & that the diversion of available funding towards the early MPDC completion of the Waikato Expressway with a potential funding “gap” for improvements to (and maintenance of) the remainder of the Region’s main thoroughfares and strategic corridors, will present particular challenges over the term of the RLTS. The Councils consider that it will be beneficial to identify the likely funding “gap” created by the priority placed on completion of the Expressway, as a ninth high priority regional challenge. Joint Submissions to the RLTS by Hauraki District Council and Matamata-Piako District Council Page 4 of 23 5 6.0 Policy framework for the RLTS Page Submission Submitter 49 - 54 The Councils generally support the Policy Framework and HDC & Guiding Principles as outlined in Chapter 6 of the RLTS with MPDC the two provisos outlined below: 52 P.P 1 – The Councils have concerns with some of the RPS HDC & integrated land use policies and principles that are MPDC referenced in RLTS Principle P.P 1 (p52). The Councils intend to submit on these provisions through the RPS Schedule 1 process. 52 P.P 2 – All of the small rural towns within HDC and MPDC HDC & are bisected by state highways. While the Councils support MPDC the protection of the State Highway Network as essential strategic corridors for intra and inter-regional transport, it must be recognised that these routes also serve a local transport function, embedded within the historical development of some rural towns. The Councils wish the local function of urban sections of the State Highway Network within rural towns to be recognised and do not want the development of the towns to be constrained by an overly protectionist regulatory regime. Joint Submissions to the RLTS by Hauraki District Council and Matamata-Piako District Council Page 5 of 23 6 7.0 Regional policies and actions Page Submission Submitter 55 – 68 The Councils generally support the Regional Policies and HDC & Actions as set out in Chapter 7 of the RLTS, with the MPDC following comments: 7.2.1/ 7.2.2 Integrated land use and transport policies and actions Page Submission Submitter 55 P 7.2- This Policy requires the transport system to be HDC & managed in a way that is consistent with the integrated land MPDC use policies in the RPS. As mentioned before, the Councils intend to challenge certain of the RPS policies and methods through the separate RPS Schedule 1 process. 56 A 7.3 – This action requires EW to coordinate the HDC & development of a regionally consistent road hierarchy to MPDC protect strategic corridors. The Councils support a regionally consistent approach but wish the local function of urban sections of the State Highway system within rural towns to be recognised and provided for in the development of a roading hierarchy. The Councils also wish to retain the ability to negotiate with NZTA directly on new access points to the State Highway Network, where exceptions to the hierarchy need to be made to ensure the future development of rural towns. 56 A 7.6 & A 7.7– It is recommended that the wording of these HDC & actions be amended in the manner as indicated below, to MPDC enable “trade-offs” to be made between transport and other environmental effects (and recognition given to funding constraints) when considering planning instruments, Joint Submissions to the RLTS by Hauraki District Council and Matamata-Piako District Council Page 6 of 23 7 LTCCPs and Annual Plans: “Territorial authorities and Environment Waikato will ensure statutory and non-statutory land use and transport planning documents are generally consistent with and responsive to the Regional Land Transport Strategy”. “Territorial Authorities and Environment Waikato will ensure that Long Term Council Community Plans and Annual Plans are generally aligned with and give effect to the Regional Land Transport Strategy and Regional Land Transport Programme”. 57 A 7.12 – Under this action, the RTC will advocate for HDC & regional spatial planning. The Councils support the region- MPDC wide context for spatial planning, but on the understanding that spatial planning is a TA function. 7.3.2 Freight and economic development actions Page Submission Submitter 58 A 7.15 – This action requires TAs to identify and manage HDC & routes for aggregate haulage. The Councils do not support MPDC this approach which seeks to create advantages (“pick winners”) for certain industries (e.g. aggregates, in this instance), while the same support is not provided for other industries that are also