Public urged to have say on transport blueprint

Northlanders are being urged to attend upcoming public drop-in ‘have your say’ sessions to make their views known to those planning the blueprints addressing some of the region’s most pressing transport issues.

The Northland Regional Transport Committee will hold a series of drop-in sessions during March on both the Draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2021-2027 (RLTP) and the Draft Regional Public Transport Plan 2021-2031(RPTP) as part of a public consultation process.

Drop-in sessions are Northland wide, but locals can have their say at the Mangawhai session on Thursday March 11 at the Domain Hall, 11.30am–1.30pm.

Regional council member Rick Stolwerk, who chairs the Regional Transport Committee, says regardless of where they live in the region, every Northlander has a vested interest in securing the best ‘fit for purpose’ transport system Te Taitokerau can afford.

“We’re hoping as many people as possible will make the effort to come along and share their thoughts.”

He says while local bodies are constantly asking the public for its views on a wide range of matters, that input is especially important in this case as the RLTP – produced every six years – will serve as a blueprint for tens of millions of dollars spending on the region’s roading infrastructure over the next three years in particular.

“Like its predecessors, the plan will attempt to address a raft of issues including critical matters like regional route resilience and security, but this time we’re facing some additional challenges thrown up by Covid-19 which has added an extra layer of complexity to our longer-term planning and the time it will take to deliver some work.”

The draft plan proposes priorities for major works projects and spending and specifically asks for the public’s views on those proposed priorities, which include reducing transport related deaths and serious injuries by investing in road infrastructure, regional and national connectivity, economic and tourism development, and better transport options.

As is common with most other regions, a lack of funding continues to be the biggest issue facing Northland’s land transport.

Meanwhile, Cr Stolwerk says the second plan released for consultation – the Draft RPTP – sets out how public passenger transport services and assistance for the transport disadvantaged will be provided for over the next decade.

“Once again cost is a big issue for us and one of the biggest challenges is always how to continue to grow patronage while maintaining the affordability and quality of these services.”

Challenges to be overcome with regional rural services include long distances travelled, low passenger numbers, retaining an affordable fare level and securing local and national funding assistance.

Details on the public consultation – including the two draft plans – is available from the regional council’s website at nrc.govt.nz/transportplan.

Consultation on both draft plans runs from February 24 until March 26.

n REMINDER: Mangawhai drop-in session is Thursday March 11 at the Domain Hall, 11.30am–1.30pm.