The DCC's strategic priorities for transport network infrastructure

1.1 The DCC's strategic priorities for transport network infrastructure

The DCC is still guided by its Integrated Transport Strategy (ITS) of 2013. Until recently, the strategic principles between that document and the Government Policy Statement (GPS) were reasonably aligned. Under the new GPS (GPS 2024), the strategic principles are not aligned.

Local Government is reliant on co-funding from NZTA for the transport network. In order to obtain that co-funding its work has to align with the current GPS.

The challenge then lies in aligning with the recent GPS 2024 and the ITS. The two sets of strategic objectives are set side by side below for comparison:

Table 1: Legislative and planning framework impacting Transport

Without an aligned approach to infrastructure management, a 30 year infrastructure strategy will constantly change as the GPS changes because of its intrinsic link to co-funding and the minimization of burden on the ratepayer.

The key strategic priorities for the transport part of this Infrastructure Strategy are drawn from commonalities and agreed Council Zero Carbon goals, the Future Development Strategy (FDS) and subsequent growth and the principles of good asset management.

• Maintaining and renewing existing assets
• Providing travel choices
• Supporting economic productivity
• Resilience - ensuring the ongoing resilience of Dunedin's transport system and key infrastructure
• Growth - planning for and responding to growth.

1.1.1 Safety

There has been a slight downward trend in deaths and serious injuries on the network over recent years, however crash numbers involving death or serious injury (DSI) has not reduced significantly. In fact, these numbers were the highest since 2019. Of particular concern is that vulnerable road users (VRU’s) are over-represented in crash statistics, for example nearly a quarter (24%) of the DSI crashes involve pedestrians. Road factors are reported as being a causal factor in a significant number (10%) of crashes.

Infrastructure interventions to help address this were co-funded through the Low Cost Low Risk work programme. The interventions were typically intersection upgrades or roundabouts to improve intersection driver behaviors (to name but a few). The investment was driven on road classification (which assists in determining risk profile) and death and serious injury statistics. Low Cost Low Risk interventions such as these are no longer co-funded by NZTA, nor are they supported by the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Should interventions such as these be favored by the DCC, they will be at full cost to the ratepayer for at least the next three years.

Figure 1: Map showing vulnerable fatal, serious and minor road user crashes for the period 2017-2021, orange - red being the most intensive crash areas (Source: NZTA, Safer Journeys Risk Assessment Waka Kotahi, MegaMaps RtZ Edition 2)

1.1.2 Resilience

There are ongoing responses to managing resilience in the transport corridor across the city, but significant investment is required. As weather events become more frequent consideration will need to be given to whether assumptions and designs for existing assets need to be reconsidered. As an example, should consideration be given to increasing the design assumptions behind road culverts? Do we need to increase their capacity to accommodate more frequent flooding events in the future?

Through Lifelines, agencies work together to plan alternative routes and develop strategies to respond to weather events and other natural disasters. However, these strategies largely focus on the existing asset, and its capability, not on what the asset should look like in the future.

Dunedin would need significant investment on its routes into and out of the city (both north and south) as it has limited redundancy from a linear infrastructure perspective (as road and rail largely follow one another into, and out of, the city in both directions). The limited alternative routes are constrained in their ability to take heavy vehicles (and indeed, are themselves prone to flooding and slip risk). This is key to the supply of fast-moving imported consumer goods which predominantly come via road from the Port of Lyttleton.

There is limited investment in the 9 Year plan to address resilience issues, the investment through Crown Infrastructure Resilience Programme is primarily around areas such as the Peninsula and South Dunedin. The investment profile is small and is only committed for the 2024-2027 National Land Transport Plan (NLTP).

1.1.3 National Policy Statement for Urban Development

The Dunedin City District Plan controls what people can do on their land and how it can be developed to achieve sustainable management of natural and physical resources. This includes managing the use and development of natural and physical resources, in a way that enables people and communities to provide for their social, economic, and cultural wellbeing and for their health and safety.

The National Policy Statement for Urban Development (NPS-UD) 2020 sets out the objectives and policies for planning for well-functioning urban environments under the Resource Management Act 1991. To support growth in the area, a transport assessment of the infrastructure needs for the identified growth areas has been completed. This has been translated into the Future Development Strategy FDS and informs a $20M investment profile for the next ten years.  Growth assumptions are reviewed regularly, and the investment profile for the following 20 years will be reassessed in 2034.

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