The RLTP provides a three-year (2012/13 to 2014/15) breakdown of the transport activities planned in the region by the various organisations that have responsibility for transport. It also provides an indicative 10-year financial expenditure forecast of anticipated expenditure and funding sources within the region.

The organisations responsible for transport in the Canterbury region

The RLTP contains the bid for transport related expenditure activities from the following organisations that exist within the Canterbury region:

• Ashburton District Council
• Christchurch City Council
• Department of Conservation (Mt Cook)
• Environment Canterbury
• Hurunui District Council
• Kaikoura District Council
• Mackenzie District Council
• Selwyn District Council
• The New Zealand Transport Agency
• Timaru District Council
• Waimakariri District Council
• Waimate District Council

Note: Activities of the Waitaki District Council are not included in this RLTP. Waitaki District Council activities are included in the Regional Land Transport Programme for the Otago region.

The rail network forms an integral part of Canterbury's transport system. Rail programmes, which are undertaken by the New Zealand Railways Corporation, are funded directly by Treasury and not through the National Land Transport Fund to which this RLTP relates.

Development of the RLTP

Responsibility for preparing this Regional Land Transport Programme lies with the Canterbury Regional Transport Committee (RTC). The RLTP is prepared in order to bid for funding assistance from the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF). The NLTF is administered by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) on behalf of the New Zealand government. The RTC has prepared this RLTP on behalf of the Canterbury Regional Council as required in the Land Transport Management Act 2003, as amended in 2008. The RTC is not accountable for the delivery of this programme. It is a forecast of anticipated revenue and expenditure and a proposal for funding support from the National Land Transport Fund, not a funding commitment. Delivery of the programme is reliant upon approved organisations and NZTA securing the funds and delivering the activities.

This RLTP contains activities that have been submitted by the District, City and Regional Councils in Canterbury. It also contains activities proposed by the NZTA, that operates the State Highway network, and the Department of Conservation (DOC), that provides some public access roads on conservation land. The RLTP provides regional coordination and a mechanism for applying regional priorities to proposed activities, to inform the allocation of funding through the NLTF.

Strategic context and transport priorities

National context

The Canterbury Regional Land Transport Programme (RLTP) has been prepared with regard to the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Funding 2012/13 – 2021/22 (GPS 2012). The GPS 2012 outlines what the government is seeking to achieve through investment in the land transport network from the National Land Transport Fund. NZTA will approve the final allocation of funding through the NLTF in late August 2012.

Regional context

The Canterbury Regional Land Transport Strategy 2012–2042 (RLTS) provides the strategic context for this RLTP, including the following strategic direction for transport investment:

• Finishing what we started
  Completing agreed infrastructure projects

• Looking after what we have
  Greater attention to maintaining existing networks

• Providing more choice
  Investing in more initiatives that facilitate walking, cycling and public transport usage (particularly in urban areas) to provide greater mode choice

• Doing things smarter
  Ensuring that land use, pricing, education and enforcement measures will achieve network efficiency and safety gains

Certain activities including local road maintenance, local road renewals and local road minor capital works, and existing public transport services must be included in the RLTP without prioritisation, making them a high national and regional priority. Based on the RLTS, the RTC developed the following priorities for other activities included in the RLTP:

• First Priority Activities
  Statutory Land Transport Planning
  State Highway Maintenance, Operations and Renewals

• Second Priority Activities
  Road User Safety Promotion Projects
  Transport Planning Projects

• Third Priority Activities
  Projects associated with agreed strategic infrastructure projects
  Projects associated with Earthquake Recovery

• Fourth Priority Activities
  Other projects in order of priority according to the assessment profile scores for:
  • National Strategic Fit
  • Effectiveness
  • Efficiency
  • Regional Strategic Fit

Download the RLTP (pdf 319 kB)