Horowhenua District Council is calling for public feedback as it prepares a Horowhenua Integrated Transport Strategy.

The Strategy will recognise changing travel demands and address transport challenges over the next 30 years relating to existing and foreseeable problems, and their exacerbation, due to a range of factors including growth, demography, technology, climate change, peak oil, employment patterns and the wider economy.

Development of the Horowhenua Integrated Transport Strategy will be undertaken alongside NZTA’s work on the Ōtaki to North Levin project and is expected to inform planning work for the expressway. NZTA will continue to provide updates to stakeholders and the community on the expressway project, and Council will continue to collaborate with NZTA on critical elements of the project that are important for the district and community.

Growth Response Manager Daniel Haigh said the aim is to develop an integrated, multi-modal transport strategy for the district to provide an overarching strategic vision and principles to guide and inform infrastructure planning, investment and delivery over the next 30 years.

“We need help from the public to create a safe, responsive, resilient and sustainable transport system that is affordable and integrated with the national and regional context for rail and state highways.”

Principal Policy Advisor Cynthia Ward said ten strategic focus areas have been identified: safety, public transport, cycling, walking, influencing travel choice, freight, Levin town centre, resilience, network management and integrated land use planning.

“Now we need to hear from the public, iwi and stakeholders about their thoughts. To help, we’ve created a survey that covers off parking, safety, public transport, cycling, walking and much more.”

Mr Haigh said Council has already started engagement with residents of Manakau, and will be engaging soon with communities in Ōhau and east of Levin, as they will be directly impacted by the expressway. “We also started the conversation through the 2019/2020 Annual Plan process.”

“We’ll begin some of the focus area work straight away – in particular work associated with Ō2NL. This is so we can have an opportunity to influence the NZTA business case for the expressway.”

Anyone interested in taking part in a focus group is asked to contact Cynthia Ward by emailing growth@horowhenua.govt.nz.

From 2 April, you can provide feedback on the Horowhenua Integrated Transport Strategy by taking part in our online survey, which is available on Council’s Facebook page and the Have Your Say page on Council’s website, horowhenua.govt.nz/HITS. Alternatively, pick up a printed copy from Council’s main office or Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō in Levin, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom in Foxton, or the Shannon Library.

The engagement period closes on 10 May 2019 at 4pm.

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