Congested traffic crossing the Hairini Bridge. Photo / File
Congested traffic crossing the Hairini Bridge. Photo / File
Tauranga City Council's new hard line on Government transport funding has gained the support of both Tauranga's MP and regional council leaders.
The city's decision to stop awarding tenders for $22 million of transport projects came as a "surprise" to Tauranga-based Labour MP Jan Tinetti.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford wants the council to write to him about its issues.
Council leaders met Tinetti and Twyford on February 12. Tinetti felt they agreed on a positive way forward.
This was why she was surprised when Tauranga decided on March 13 to put its foot down after discovering a few days after the meeting that the NZ Transport Agency had rejected Tauranga's transport business case, leaving some big projects in funding limbo.
On March 15 the agency's interim chief executive Mark Ratcliffe signalled in a letter to all councils that funding issues were nationwide.
There were many more projects seeking funding than was available, especially for local road improvements, public transport, walking and cycling.
Ratcliffe said this was in part due to huge demand from councils for increased funding offers for projects in line with the new Government's priorities.
He appreciated councils had been seeking clarity "for some time".
Christine Jones, Tauranga's growth and infrastructure manager, said it was likely to be April or May before the council had clarity.
In the meantime, $7.9 million of projects were on hold.
The other $14.1 million of projects, already tendered, were being "managed in a way to reduce risk to the council while still delivering much-needed outcomes for the community", Jones said.
The council was looking to keep the projects moving without overinvesting in case of a funding shortfall.
To the same end, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council has offered to underwrite NZTA's share on several of Tauranga's projects, including $8.4 million worth of bus infrastructure.
Chief executive Fiona McTavish said putting projects on hold was "a prudent and sensible approach".
McTavish said no decision had been made on how the regional council would fund its offer but a targeted rate on Tauranga ratepayers was unlikely.
Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless said if the regional council could fund its offer without hitting Tauranga people in the pocket, he would be interested.
Tauranga MP Simon Bridges said the council's move to get noticed was "the right thing to do".
"Tauranga is getting ignored by the Government when it comes to our biggest issue - transport. It's not just Tauranga. Money is being siphoned off into pet political projects elsewhere in New Zealand, like trams in Auckland."
Twyford said no-one wanted to see delays in Tauranga's transport plan being rolled out.
"I'm happy to take up any issues raised with NZTA.
"Auckland is only getting its fair share of transport money based on population."
An agency spokesperson said it was "working closely with Tauranga City Council to resolve these funding issues."
Stuart Crosby says transport funding mechanisms need to change. Photo / Andrew Warner
Stuart Crosby says major change is needed to how long term transport planning and funding is done in New Zealand.
The former Tauranga mayor, current regional councillor and vice-president of Local Government New Zealand, said new Governments with new transport priorities left in their wake huge amounts of plan reworking for both the NZ Transport Agency and local and regional councils who were trying to plan long term.
He said the Clark Government focused on public transport, Key on freight movement then Ardern on modal shift.
He said transport planning and funding needed to be able to "transcend" Government Policy Statements - how new Governments dictate their priorities to funding agencies - to allow councils to plan ahead and avoid "flip-flopping of policy all the time".
Crosby said he believed Tauranga City Council had made its decision to take a stand "in good faith" but also had sympathy for the amount of work lumped on transport agency staff.
