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Te Ahu a Turanga Notice of Requirement by NZ Transport Agency

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Te Ahu a Turanga Notice of Requirement by NZ Transport Agency Te Ahu A Turanga Notice of Requirement by NZ Transport Agency Statement of the Mayor of Palmerston North City, Grant Smith Kia ora tatou, Nau mai, Haere mai, Good morning, 1. My name is Grant Smith and I am making this statement in my capacity as Mayor of Palmerston North City. I have provided a brief biography as Attachment A to this statement. 2. Palmerston North City Council lodged a submission on the Te Ahu A Turanga Manawatu-Tararua Gorge Highway notice of requirement by the NZ Transport Agency, which I refer to as “the project” in this statement. The details of that submission are discussed in the Council’s legal submissions and in the evidence of Mr David Murphy, the Council’s City Planning Manager. I wish to make some further comments in support of the Council’s submission today. 3. The Council recognises the significance of the project, both in terms of its scale and its importance to the City and the wider Central NZ and East Coast-Hawke’s Bay region, a wider region connecting nearly 600,000 people. The project will re- establish a significant connection across the Ruahine Range, and it is important to the community that we get it right. This includes properly recognising the importance of the Manawatu Gorge, and ensuring that the road caters properly for all road users. In particular, the safety of vulnerable road users should not be overlooked in favour of expediency. 4. There has been a significant response from the community regarding the need to provide for walking and cycling as part of the project. The Council’s decision to lodge a submission was the result of a strong desire by the community desire for walking and cycling facilities, as supported by various policy documents that Mr Murphy has discussed, together with the need to ensure road users are safe. The community has been clear in its wishes and I encourage the Hearings Panel to recommend that suitable walking and cycling facilities be provided as part of the project. Importance of Te Apiti – Manawatu Gorge Park 5. The Project is approximately 11.5km long and runs through an area that is predominantly farmed hill country at the southern end of the Ruahine Range, between Ashhurst and Woodville in an area that traverses and adjoins Te Apiti – Manawatu Gorge Park. The route chosen by the NZTA is not only important to the Council because of the connection that it will provide between Palmerston North and Woodville (as well as the eastern parts of the North Island), it will also provide opportunities for further development of tourism and recreation activities associated with the Manawatu Gorge. 6. As the harbour is to Wellington and the Mount is to the Bay of Plenty, the Manawatu Gorge is the icon for Palmerston North and the surrounding Manawatu region. Its importance to the city, and the desire for it to be preserved and enhanced for future generations to experience is what has driven the Council’s submission on the project. 7. As shown by the number of submissions made in favour of provision of walking and cycling facilities as part of the project, I consider that the project route will be popular for recreational use by both local residents and tourists. The Council is committed to completing the Manawatu River shared path that will deliver a range of cyclists to the base of the project via a separated facility to further explore the Te Apiti recreational area. The Manawatu River shared path network does not direct cyclists to the Saddle Road or Pahiatua Track. This underlines the importance of considering the potential safety risks to those using the project route, and the enjoyment of those people walking and cycling along the route (or parts of it). 8. I am a member of the Te Apiti Governance Group and have promoted enhancing the strategic focus of the group since becoming Mayor four years ago. The recent work of the Governance Group in approving the Draft Te Apiti Master Plan for public consultation builds on the work undertaken by the Group over the last decade and is itself an economic development action supported by Accelerate 25. Involvement with the development of the project 9. I recognise and acknowledge the relationship that the NZTA and the Council share. The Council appreciates the importance of the NZTA’s work in the Manawatu region and its importance to Palmerston North. In particular, the Council acknowledges the NZTA’s work on the Palmerston North Integrated Transport Improvements Project, which is a strategic project for both the NZTA and Palmerston North City. The benefits of the project will be further enhanced when it connects with the proposed regional freight ring road around Palmerston North City that will unlock a number of economic development opportunities. The Council has been involved in the development of the project from the early stages. 10. I have personally been involved with the Te Ahu A Turanga Manawatu-Tararua Gorge Highway project, on behalf of the Council, throughout its development. This has included: (a) As a member of the Regional Transport Committee that approved the Regional Land Transport Plan and received updates on the project. (b) Leading a regional delegation and presentation to the NZTA board expressing concern regarding the initial shortlisting process for the project prior to a final decision being made on the preferred route. (c) Workshops to assist with the shortlisting process for the project. (d) Scoping of the Palmerston North Integrated Transport Project following the completion of the shortlisting project. (e) Ongoing dialogue with senior NZTA officials. 11. As recorded in the Council’s submission, the Council favoured the southernmost route originally proposed, which would have resulted in a direct connection with Stoney Creek Road as the eastern alignment of the proposed regional freight ring road. However, the Council did support the proposed alignment as it can connect to the proposed regional freight ring road and on the understanding that NZTA would progress a business case to investigate this project. While the initial focus was on route selection and integration with the Council’s land-use planning, once the route was selected the focus quickly turned to the recreational value of Te Apiti and how it could provide for walking and cycling. 12. While the Council appreciates that there are limited funds for the NZTA to allocate to projects within the region and throughout New Zealand, it does not consider that important opportunities should be lost or safety compromised in the desire to achieve expediency. In recent decades the region has been underfunded in Transport, with both the AA and NZTA’s own records or staff acknowledging this fact. Furthermore, I understand that the NZTA’s statutory documents including the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Funding and the Regional Land Transport Plan support provision of facilities for alternative modes of transport, in particular walking and cycling. Page 2 NZTA Strategic Project: Palmerston North Integrated Transport Improvements Project 13. As I have already mentioned, the NZTA and the Council have been working together on the Palmerston North Integrated Transport Improvements Project. That project is significant for Palmerston North and the Manawatu region and is a result of strategic conversations that occurred as part of the shortlisting exercise for the present project, as well as building on previous work by NZTA and local councils, e.g. Accessing Central New Zealand and Joint Transport Study. It will also ensure Palmerston North’s investment is set in a regional context and integrates with the Council’s land-use planning. 14. The integrated improvements project involves a commitment made by NZTA to complete further transport projects in the Palmerston North area. A key outcome is to remove state highways from the Palmerston North City urban area via provision of a Regional Freight Ring Road. The proposed Regional Freight Ring Road supports planned land-use and regional economic development opportunities, e.g. FoodHQ, multi-modal industrial park, Airport extension, Defence, CBD enhancements and promoting increased walking and cycling on urban roads. The Council and NZTA are working closely with KiwiRail regarding development of multi- modal hub alongside the Manawatu Business Park at Railway Road. As a result it is important for the project to link in with the proposed regional freight ring road. All of this work, including the recreational value of Te Apiti, is summarised in the PNCC Spatial Plan. 15. I have discussed the integrated transport improvements project in this submission as I wish to highlight the ongoing and important relationship between the NZTA and the Council. One of the benefits of the closure of the Manawatu Gorge road is it has forced a broader and strategic discussion on the future of the state highway network in the Manawatu and its relationship to the projected growth and development of Palmerston North. Importance of the Project for Palmerston North 16. I am committed to Palmerston North’s new vision: Small city benefits, Big city ambition. This reflects the value we all place on the great quality of life, community spirit, connectedness, safety and affordable access to services that come with being a small city internationally, as well as our ambition to have the opportunities larger metropolitan cities offer. I believe that unlocking these opportunities calls for well- planned growth and sustainable management of our infrastructure resources. 17. The project is a major piece of infrastructure and will have significant benefits for Palmerston North as compared with the existing situation (in particular following closure of the Manawatu Gorge route). However, I am concerned that walking and cycling have not been given sufficient attention by the NZTA, as the focus appears to have been on the time savings for vehicles will be significant for this Project (when compared with the current interim situation) rather than considering all other modes of transport.
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