19 June 2018

Major priority changes have been made in the Bay of Plenty Regional Land Transport Plan following public submissions.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council Transport Committee has moved three State Highway 2 projects to the top of the priority list, with improving the stretch between Te Puna and Ōmokoroa jumping from number 11 to number one, while the corridor between Waihi and Ōmokoroa is now third moving from sixth.

Regional Transport Committee chairman, Cr Stuart Crosby says a number of the stories told during the plan’s hearing process resonated with the committee and the public submissions helped the committee produce a more well balanced, multi-modal document.

“When we released the draft we knew it would evolve and we now believe we have balanced all the transport challenges, needs and priorities across the region,” Cr Crosby says.

“We know transport in the region, and everything it involves including health, safety and travel times, impacts everyone in their day-to-day lives. We must find new ways of meeting the transport needs of a vibrant and growing region.”

The Plan outlines a prioritised list of 40 transport projects from Waihi Beach in the west, including Rotorua and through to Opotiki in the east. It incorporates everything from state highway network and local road improvements, to public transport and cycling projects.

The final Regional Land Transport Plan will be considered for adoption by the Regional Council on 28 June 2018 and then submitted to NZ Transport Agency, which will then make the ultimate decisions on funding allocations.

The Regional Transport Committee is a regional governance body made up of Mayoral or mayoral-nominee representatives from the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Tauranga City Council, Rotorua Lakes Council, Whakatane District Council, Kawerau District Council, Opotiki District Council and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, as well as the NZ Transport Agency.

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