The joint $1.78 billion transport funding bid by Otago and Southland has been adopted by the combined Otago and Southland regional transport committee, following a meeting in Balclutha.
The respective Regional Land Transport Plans will next go before Otago Regional Council and Environment Southland this month before the plan is lodged with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi by the end of July.
Otago and Southland is collectively seeking a total $1.78b in funding from NZTA’s State Highway improvement programme, for their respective 2024-27 programmes of activities: $1.26b for Otago and $495 million for Southland.
NZTA’s State Highway improvement programme across Southland and Otago aims to address safety issues.
The Otago Regional Council’s transport manager Lorraine Cheyne thanked all the submitters from across Otago and Southland.
"Our thanks go out to all submitters for their thoughtful, quality contributions which helped by giving the Regional Land Transport Plan an increased customer voice on connectivity, accessibility and transport choice across the regions."
The revised plan has a "strengthened focus" on options for those who are transport disadvantaged and also references the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, she said.
There was also greater emphasis on the role of public and active transport, including the potential of cycle trails, Ms Cheyne said.
Some themes within the submissions included having transport to access health services, given the status of Dunedin Hospital as the key tertiary hospital for the south of the South Island.
It was asked that there be recognition of blind users in the transport sector, and also around the ties to the transport sector for the disadvantaged.
Completing cycle connections, particularly the rail trails and connections into Dunedin and Southland, and also a call to treat Christchurch to Invercargill as a "linear city" with transport services, both road and rail was a priority.
The Land Transport Management Act (LTMA) requires regional transport committees prepare a Regional Land Transport Plan for their region on a six-year cycle. The LTMA also requires a mid-term review of the plan be completed within the six months of the expiry of the first three years of the plan.
The Otago Southland Regional Land Transport Plan was submitted to the New Zealand Transport Agency in June 2021 and covered the period July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2027 in detail.
