Regional roading plan gets green light

 

Work has begun on an important plan that will serve as the blue-print for tens of millions of dollars spending on the region’s roading infrastructure over the next three years.

Northland Regional Transport Committee chair, John Bain, says the Regional Land Transport Programme 2015-18 will set out how Northland wishes to spend availa-ble funding on roading infrastructure, which includes things like roads, bridges, public transport, cycleways and footpaths.

The Regional Land Transport Programme (RLTP) is a legally-required document the Northland Regional Council (NRC) has the technical responsibility to produce.

While the RLTP will ultimately include plans to spend tens of millions regionally over its three year life, funding – or specifically, the lack of it – will continue to be the biggest issue facing Northland as the programme is drafted.

"As a region, Northland could always spend more on its roading and in many instances, you could make a very good case to do just that, but the reality is there is a fi-nite amount of money available, both at a local and national level."

Local authority staff have now begun preparing an initial draft of the latest RLTP, which is expected to be released for extensive, region-wide public comment later this year/early next year.

After that public consultation, a revised draft is expected to be final-ised by the end of April next year and will formally be released on July 1 to coincide with the start of the 2015/16 financial year.

Those interested in roading and other transport-related issues are welcome to attend meetings of the Regional Transport Committee, which are open to the public.

Details of upcoming meetings – including associated agendas – can be viewed online via nrc.govt. nz/agendas.

---