Tauranga transport projects dropped by NZTA revealed

Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless is disappointed some transport projects won't receive NZTA funding. Photo / File

Too many projects, not enough money.

That's the justification behind the NZ Transport Agency turning down key Tauranga transport projects that it was hoped would alleviate some of the city's congestion woes.

Letters obtained by the Bay of Plenty Times reveal planned upgrades to widen 15th Ave near Turret Rd are among eight city projects that have been canned. This comes despite council approval of designs which include traffic lights at the Burrows St intersection and closing off the Turret Rd end of 14th Ave to motorists.

Fifteenth Ave is a key arterial route for Tauranga commuters and its upgrade was one of 28 projects Tauranga City Council applied for funding for through the Government's National Land Transport Programme. Seven were approved. Others were categorised as possibles - if more funding for them could be found.

Tauranga City Council acting general manager of infrastructure Martin Parkes says the council will be working to find a strategic way forward after finding out which transport projects are going ahead, and which aren't. Photo / File

The transport agency sent the letters to leaders of the Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council on Friday.

A regional council request for funding for seven projects, all pertaining to the running of the city's school bus service, was approved, as was Western Bay of Plenty District Council's request for support for the Ōmokoroa to Tauranga City Cycleway project and the Ōmokoroa Rd corridor walking and cycling improvements.

In the letters, NZ Transport Agency interim chief executive Mark Ratcliffe said the agency's priorities were for a safer transport system that delivered value for money and worked harder to protect the environment.

Criteria used to prioritise projects included whether the project was ready to be delivered in 2019 to 2021, how critical it was to address problems, to what extent it met the Government's objectives, and if there was any pre-existing agreement or commitment to proceed.

Western Bay of Plenty Mayor Garry Webber said while he's pleased local cycleways have been approved for funding, he's keen to find out about others today. Photo / File

Ratcliffe said the transport agency experienced the "highest pressure ever" on NLTP funding through applications throughout New Zealand but there was only so much money available. The allocation of funding was "challenging".

"There is now limited funding remaining to commit to new projects, and the priority for this will be projects that deliver the highest safety outcomes, in alignment with the [Government Policy Standard]."

In a regional transport meeting on Friday, transport agency representatives said the prioritisation of projects would focus on those of "low cost, low risk".

Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless said he was disappointed. But he was not about to give up.

"We've been waiting for this [upgrade to 15th Ave] for a long time. It was first promised in 2008."

Brownless said he was hopeful that although the construction of the upgrade had been turned down, a detailed business case for the proposal had still been approved. This was expected to be led by the transport agency.

"That gives us a chance to argue our case. I'm not stopping my efforts to get this done."

Western Bay Mayor Garry Webber said the two local projects they received funding for were council-led. There were several other Western Bay projects he was keen for an update on such as the proposed Ōmokoroa interchange, SH2 upgrade from Loop Rd to the city, and Tauriko interchange, which were led by the transport agency.

Ratcliffe is expected to meet with local Government leaders tomorrow to go over these agency-lead projects.

Traffic backs up on 15th Ave heading to Turret Rd. Photo / Andrew Warner

Tauranga acting general manager of infrastructure Martin Parkes said there had been a period of uncertainty, and it was good "that we now have clarity as a number of projects had been put on hold while we were awaiting decisions".

"We will progress with the projects that have been approved and work on a recommended way forward for the projects that are unlikely to be funded.

"This will be done in close collaboration with NZTA via UFTI [Urban Form and Transport Initiative]. Through this partnership, which is similar to Get Wellington Moving, we will develop a strategic way forward for the sub-region including an action plan."

Transport projects, re-prioritised

"Unlikely"
In addition to the 15th Ave upgrade, other projects turned down by the transport agency were Pyes Pa and Joyce Rd improvements, seismic resilience of bridges, works on the public transport priority for Arataki multi-modal project, public transport priority for key routes, works on the city Cycle Action Plan, Domain Rd improvement works and Totara St improvement plans.

"Approved"
Grenada St connection, streetlighting upgrade to LED, construction of the urban cycle network, four applications under the Tauranga CC Improvement Programme, Tauranga school bus services and ticketing support, Ōmokoroa to Tauranga city cycleway and Ōmokoroa Rd corridor walking and cycling improvements.