Minutes of Regional Transport Committee

1. Welcome/Apologies/Notices

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and spoke of the privilege of holding the meeting in Wairoa at Wairoa District Council (WDC). He welcomed Lisa Rossiter of NZTA and Jon Kingsford, Director-Infrastructure at Napier City Council as new members to the group.

A member of WDC also welcomed everyone to Wairoa and spoke of their pleasure at hosting people from the far south and far north of the east coast.

RTC1/17

That apologies from Brian Gregory, Mark Clews, Kim Santer and Mayor Bill Dalton be accepted.

Kerr/Wilson

CARRIED

2. Conflict of Interest Declarations

There were no conflict of interest declarations.

3.	Short Term Replacements For The Regional Transport Committee
	There were no short term replacements for the Regional Transport Committee for this meeting.

4. Confirmation of Minutes of the Regional Transport Committee held on 9 December 2016

RTC2/17

Resolution

Minutes of the Regional Transport Committee held on Friday, 9 December 2016, a copy having been circulated prior to the meeting, were taken as read and confirmed.

Kerr/Wilson

CARRIED

Follow-ups from Previous Regional Transport Committee Meetings

Water bottling plants implications on transport network. It is expected that OnePure in Awatoto will be operating by May with around 8 20-foot containers shipped to the Port each day. The Elwood Road plant is not operating at present.

State Highway 38, Wairoa to Bay of Plenty, will be moving to the next stage of the development of the business case, the investment logic mapping part of the process has been done.

Both items will remain on the follow-ups as standing items.

RTC3/17

Resolution

That the Regional Transport Committee receives the “Follow-ups from Previous Regional Transport Committee Meetings”.

Dick/Wilson

CARRIED

Call for Items of Business not on the Agenda

Minor items for discussion

Item	Topic	Councillor / Staff
1.	Discussion of possible rail familiarisation field trip.	Alan Dick

Deputations from Rex McIntyre and Hylton Gudsell

Mr McIntyre representing the East Transport Initiative Group, a 10 member group, who wished to advocate for State Highway 2. He raised a number of points:

· that the Napier to Opotiki Highway is most insecure

· needs a feasibility study done before more money is wasted

· of particular concern is the Devil’s Elbow

· also from Tangoio to Pūtōrino

· dangerous in a major flood event or earthquake

· wants a study to investigate using the rail corridor for an alternative route

Mr Jamie Cox complimented Mr McIntyre on his efforts in bringing the group’s concerns to the attention of the committee.

Mr Hylton Gudsell proposed a Waikare bypass of 2.75kms, his plan affects only 1 farmer on the north side of the Waikare gorge and 2 farmers on the south side. He presented a proposal, with estimated costs, to alter a dangerous section of road which has large vehicles continually crossing the white line to get through the gorge. He felt that $12m was a small price to pay for safety and time saved on the Napier to Wairoa road.

Mayor Craig Little and Ms Lisa Rossiter thanked Mr Gudsell for his ideas and presentation to this committee.

RTC4/17

Resolution

That the Regional Transport Committee receives the verbal reports from Rex McIntyre and Hylton Gudsell.

Dick/Wilson

CARRIED

The Gisborne Transport Committee (GTC) and Gisborne District Council (GDC) staff arrived at 10.45am to take part in consideration of item 9.

The Chair welcomed Meng Foon, Mayor of GDC, and the GTC Committee, plus staff members of GDC.

He spoke of this being an historic occasion where the two committees have come together, the catalyst being both Matariki and the Tairawhiti Economic Action Plan, which call for the two committees to work together on the State Highway 2 proposals.

Mayor Foon then spoke of the amount of common ground that the two committees have and how it would be good to work together. Both Mayor Walker (CHBDC) and Mayor Little (WDC) agreed that it was great to be a part of such a group meeting.

Item 8 was considered immediately following item 6.

9.	Discussion of Inter-Regional Transport Matters with Gisborne Regional Transport Committee
	Much discussion ensued of the issues of SH2 and how progress could be made to alleviate some of the major problems. The NZ Transport Agency need to report to a Governance group who can then report back to committees, councils and communities. Mayor Foon pointed out that SH2 reached as far as Opotiki and he would endeavor to make connection with the Bay of Plenty transport committee, with the aim being to show the government that the whole area is working together with a common interest. The NZ Transport Agency has funding to do a programme business case on SH2 but terms of reference would need to be established after the investment logic mapping process to make sure that the process was robust. Ms Rossiter will ensure that a draft terms of reference for the business case is brought back to the committee for discussion. The governance group will meet again in Wairoa as the project commences but requested that the Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne TAG groups also meet before the next round of RTC meetings. Discussion then followed a presentation from Mr Jamie Cox (WDC) regarding forestry and roading and spoke of common issues of unsealed roads and dust. He also presented a model which calculates the value of produce travelling on key routes in the Wairoa District and predicts how this will grow in coming years. It was felt that Tourism in the area was being held back by the condition of SH2. The Chair spoke of the proposed rail movement of logs from Wairoa to Napier which would reduce the heavy traffic movements by 50 trucks per day at the present time, but the immensity of the log harvest in the coming years would impact on SH2 in the future. Cr Akuhata-Brown noted that there is support in Gisborne for re-establishing rail from Wairoa to Gisborne for both freight and tourism. Mayor Foon is keen to support the Matariki actions for a feasibility study into a cycleway between Napier and Gisborne. Mr Wayne Oldfield and Ms Lisa Rossiter spoke of the change happening within the Transport Agency, which would now be more customer focussed. Regional relationship directors want to be more involved with communities/iwi etc. and with fewer internal responsibilities. The Agency wishes to work closely with local government in the development of the State Highway Investment Proposal which will form part of the Regional Land Transport Plan. Ms Rossiter noted that the Agency’s long term strategic view document will be released in the next week.
With the departure of the Gisborne delegation at 11.45am, the meeting continued.
RTC5/17	Resolutions 1. That the Regional Transport Committee receives the “Discussion of Inter-Regional Transport Matters with Gisborne Regional Transport Committee” report. 2. That a governance group be established for the Matariki and Tairawhiti economic development plan actions for SH2, comprising mayors and regional transport committee chairs of affected councils, or their alternates. 3. That consideration of the Waikare Gorge deviation proposal and the proposal to relocate SH2 between Tangoio and Tūtira, adjacent to the existing rail corridor, be included in the process of developing the SH2 Opotiki to Napier programme business case. Dick/Wilson CARRIED

Review of Regional Land Transport Plan Strategic Direction

It was requested that the wording be tidied for 2015 Problem Statement No 1, to now read “Parts of the transport system lack capability limiting opportunities for improved economic and social development.”

Suggested new wording for Problem Statement No 2 was, “Limited shared view of cross-boundary issues increases the risk of misaligned investment and/or management of the transport system.”

Re-wording for Problem Statement No 3 regarding safety, is to be agreed by the TAG.

RTC6/17

Resolutions

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1. Agrees that the decisions to be made are not significant under the criteria contained in Council’s adopted Significance and Engagement Policy, and that Council can exercise its discretion and make decisions on this issue without conferring directly with the community and persons likely to be affected by or to have an interest in the decision.

2. Agrees to proposed changes to the problem statements for the Regional Land Transport Plan 2018, with any alterations agreed at the meeting.

Dick/Kerr

CARRIED

10.

NZTA Central Region - Regional Director's Report for January-March 2017

During discussion about new vehicle mass and dimension rules, it was asked if it was possible for empty containers to be transported two at a time? It was understood that this would be “route specific”. This will be followed up.

The NZ Transport Agency is awaiting a report from Opus, commissioned by Tūhoe, on a trial of non-traditional sealing methods. WDC an interested bystander.

RTC7/17

Resolution

That the Regional Transport Committee receives the ‘NZTA Central Region – Regional Director’s Report for January-March 2017’.

Walker/Wilson

CARRIED

11.

March 2017 Transport Manager's Report

Regarding the Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Transport, it was expected that individual councils would make their own submissions. The Transport Manager would prepare a draft submission on the draft GPS and circulate to all before sending.

Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs were in support of the Driver Licensing Programmes to help equip youth seeking employment.

The Chair commented that it is good to see bus patronage picking up.

There was disappointment expressed regarding the cancellation of the Alcohol Expo this year, but explanation of the required teaching programmes was understood.

RTC8/17

Resolution

That the Regional Transport Committee receives and notes the “March 2017 Transport Manager's report”.

Walker/Kerr

CARRIED

Councillor Keith Price, Jon Kingsford, Ian Emmerson and Steve Young left the meeting at 1.34pm

12.

Advisory Representative Verbal Reports

David Murray, the sole remaining advisor, explained the role that AA can play during disasters in providing rapid communication and consultation with members, as demonstrated in Marlborough recently.

RTC9/17

Resolution

That the Regional Transport Committee receives the “Advisory Representative Verbal Reports”.

Walker/Wilson

CARRIED

13.

Discussion of Items Not on the Agenda

Minor items (for discussion only)

Item

Topic

Councillor / Staff

Possible rail familiarisation field trip.

It was suggested that a field trip, on trucks equipped to go on rail, be scheduled for 12 people to travel the rail corridor from Napier to Wairoa. It was suggested that if numbers exceeded the 12 another trip could be run, just from Napier to Tūtira.

Alan Dick

Closure:

There being no further business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 1.42pm on 10 March 2017.

Signed as a true and correct record.

DATE: ................................................ CHAIRMAN: ...............................................