Otago Regional Transport Plan out for consultation

Otago Regional Council's Regional Transport Committee is calling for submissions on the draft Otago Regional Land Transport Programme (RLTP) 2012-15.

This programme outlines the land transport projects that the committee proposes to recommend be funded for the next three years from the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF), administered by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).

Any land transport activity proposal put forward by Otago councils or NZTA must be included in the programme before NZTA nationally can consider funding it.

The draft RLTP proposes spending $460 million from mid-2012 to mid-2015 on projects throughout Otago, including the entire Waitaki District.

Many of the proposed projects focus on improving road safety in the region. Other funding proposals have been put forward for roading, walking and cycling facilities, and public transport services and infrastructure.

This is the only opportunity people have to comment on proposed improvements to the region's state highways.

Committee chairman Stephen Woodhead said the plan focused on maintaining and enhancing the existing transport network because of the likely future constraints on land transport funding in the region.

Five of the proposed improvements would cost more than $3m each during the three-year period 2012-2015:

* SH88 cycling and pedestrian facilities (completing the walk/cycle route to Port Chalmers): $5.9m

* Peninsula roading, Dunedin - improvements to the Harington Point Road for walking, cycling and sea-wall renewal: $3.2m (with a total cost projected to be $5.1m); an extra $13.9m for Portobello Road development would start after the end of the 2012-15 programme)

* Frankton Flats Road Project 2 (link roads between the new State Highway roundabout and Glenda Drive): $3.4m

* State highway safety retrofits across Otago: $3m

* Improvements to the Invercargill-to-Queenstown-Christchurch highways to accommodate longer and heavier trucks: $3.4m.

Other large programmes recommended for funding include:

* Dunedin City Council's package of commuter cycle routes

* ORC's public transport programme in Dunedin and the Wakatipu Basin.

Four additional large roading projects, which begin in 2012-2015, but finish later are:

* Queenstown Inner Links, Stage 1 ($1.1m in 2012-15, total cost $10.6m)

* Queenstown Inner Links, Stage 2 ($285,782 in 2012-15, total cost $26.6m)

* Queenstown Eastern Access Road ($610,000 in 2012-15; total cost $9m)

* Kakaho Creek realignment, SH 1 ($1.7m in 2012-15, total cost $4.7m).

Replacement of Beaumont bridge, which would be done during the 2015-18 programme is recommended. The plan also recommends the strengthening of the Clydevale bridge, which is a crucial link between Otago and Southland because of its frequent use by trucks carrying livestock between the two provinces.

The draft programme has had input from all Otago territorial local authorities and the NZTA.

Mr Woodhead said a safe, well maintained roading network was important for a large region like Otago.

"All of us depend on our roads to connect our communities, and drive the success of the export and tourism based industries which provide much of our wealth and employment opportunities."

"I hope people will take the chance to give us feedback on how we should develop our transport network," Mr Woodhead said.

Submissions on the draft RLTP close with ORC at 5.30pm on Friday 4 May.

The committee will be hearing submissions during the week of 14 May. It will then prepare a final RLTP which it will recommend to the ORC.

ORC then forwards it to NZTA for a final decision on whether any of the recommended projects should be funded.

A final document will be published in August.