Horizons Regional Council adopts revised Regional Land Transport Plan

The Ōtaki to north of Levin highway is one of three key projects identified in Horizons Regional Council's Regional Land Transport Plan. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Horizons Regional Council has officially adopted a mid-term review of its Regional Land Transport Plan for 2021-2031.

Council chairwoman Rachel Keedwell said the mid-term review of the current plan, which was adopted on Tuesday, resulted in a refresh of the overall strategic direction for transport planning and investment in the region.

“The reviewed plan places more focus on improving and maintaining our transport network, with a view to increasing resilience and safety while also reducing the impact of transport on the environment. You’ll see this outcome reflected in the list of prioritised activities, with projects such as the overall maintenance of our roading network placing high on the list.”

Keedwell said progressing and developing the Regional Freight Ring Road as part of the Palmerston North Integrated Transport Initiative, resilience improvements to State Highway 1 at Utiku, and the Ōtaki to north of Levin highway have all been identified as key projects in achieving this vision.

“These and the rest of the projects included in this plan will allow for safer and more efficient movement of freight and people through central New Zealand, and will have far-reaching benefits for our communities and beyond.”

Horizons Regional Council has adopted its Regional Land Transport Plan.

Keedwell said the five objectives and investment priorities had also been reviewed and updated to reflect the changed direction for the plan.

“Our 30-year vision for land transport in the Horizons Region is, ‘He rohe hei tūhonohono i te puku o Aotearoa me hakarato mai i ētahi whiringa waka, he manahau, he haumaru, he whai wāhi noa, ā, he toitū hoki’, or, ‘A region that connects central New Zealand and provides resilient, safe, accessible and sustainable transport options’.”

The council’s five objectives - travel choice, connectivity and efficiency, safety, climate change and resilience, and network quality and integration - were centred around that vision, she said.

“These objectives and the investment priorities have been decided following public consultation earlier this year, which received nearly 90 submissions from individuals and organisations across the region.”

Keedwell said the Regional Land Transport Plan stated the regional land transport priorities for the duration of the plan and outlined the proposed land transport activities to contribute to the priorities.

“Regional Land Transport Plans enable councils and other organisations to secure funding for current and future land transport projects in the Horizons region during the life of the plan. Once a plan is finalised, New Zealand Transport Agency [Waka Kotahi] will then decide what activities it will include in the National Land Transport Plan, at which point they are secured for funding.”

She said the mid-term review of the plan, which was first adopted in 2021, provided an opportunity for the council to make key updates to ensure the plan was representative of current regional transport interests.

“Transport plays a big role in shaping what the Horizons region is like as a place to live, so it’s important our transport plans support our broader goals for the region.

“This review is part of the standard process, where a plan is formulated and introduced every six years, providing a roadmap of strategic direction for land transport in the region for the next 10 years. Reviews are made on Regional Land Transport Plans every three years.”

The 2021-2031 Regional Land Transport Plan (2024 review) is available on the Horizons website on the Transport and Planning page.