Transport projects and funding

The plan compiles regional transport activities proposed for funding by councils in Canterbury, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and the Department of Conservation. These are developed into a programme that aligns with the strategic framework.

Road maintenance, operations and renewals represent at least 40% of planned land transport investment by local and central government in the Canterbury region over the next 10 years. This is the top priority for investment ahead of improvement projects.

Top-ranked transport projects

The plan ranks improvement projects, by using criteria for regional significance, investment priority weightings and a scoring system that considered impact and achievability [add link to above]. Nearly thirty regionally significant improvements were identified which include, but are not limited to:

A second Ashburton urban bridge, Ashburton District
Improving public transport, Greater Christchurch
Northern link, including Woodend State Highway 1 bypass, Waimakariri District
Includes: Pages Road Bridge Renewal, Christchurch *re-ranked; Updating Conway Bridge, Hurunui District; Updating the Heaton Hayes Rail Crossing to Timaru Port, Timaru District; State Highway resilience improvements, regionwide.

Submissions also supported consideration of the Christchurch to Timaru corridor, including the bridges over Rakaia and Rangitata as significant investments on the horizon.

Funding sources

There is still some uncertainty about the amount of transport funding available, while we await decisions from central government. Increased government funding or more equitable distribution of funding to the South Island were raised by a few submitters on the plan

The majority of submitters (90%) who responded to a question about how we might mitigate the risk of lack of funding, were in favour of investigating new funding sources.

Suggestions for alternative funding sources provided by submitters included: tolls, private public partnerships, increased government funding, regional fuel levies, congestion pricing, user pays, fuel tax or tax on vehicle travel.

While these changes are outside the control of the plan, the Regional Transport Committee has agreed to advocate for these on behalf of Canterbury.

Monitoring indicator framework

Most submissions (64%) were supportive of the monitoring indicator framework, but there were concerns about including additional indicators and clearer targets.

The committee have agreed to investigate the development of new indicators for:

maintenance (including cycleways)
deaths and serious injuries by user group
mode shift
environmental impacts.