The Selwyn District Council applied for 51 per cent funding for 35 of its transport projects scheduled to happen in the next three years, but only two were approved.
This leaves it $27 million short for new projects. It was also left with a $9.9 million hole in its maintenance budget.
Councillors were briefed on a likely list of infrastructure projects for which the council will pick up the bill at the expense of other projects.
Of the 33 unfunded projects, the council is expected to pay the remaining 51 per cent for 13, at an estimated cost of $10.867 million coming from the council’s 49 per cent share of the 20 shelved projects.
A further 10 low-cost and low-risk projects have also been shelved to make up the shortfall.
The remaining two major projects, the Walkers and Two Chain Rds roundabout and the Jones and Two Chain Rds realignment, will be funded as both are part of the Rolleston flyover project which made the Government’s list of Roads of Regional Significance.
The council will sign off on the new plan at its next meeting on October 23.
The funding is set out in the New Zealand Transport Agency’s National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) which the council applies to for funding every three years.
NZTA takes direction from the Government on what types of projects to fund.
While councillors were supportive of council staff’s efforts to make do with the funding received, Rolleston Ward councillor Phil Dean slammed NZTA and the Government.
“Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has put us in a terrible position where we now need to determine which of our safety projects we’re going to prioritise,” Dean said.
Last month Mayor Sam Broughton had suggested a regional fuel tax or toll roads may be a solution to bring more money in to pay for roads in future years instead of relying solely on rates and Government funding.
“A regional fuel tax or a consideration of toll roads are just options that New Zealand needs to have a conversation about,” Broughton said.
The fuel tax or toll roads were not discussed at the briefing
The council has also topped up its maintenance budgets to fill some of the shortfalls.
Of the $83.563 million requested, the council received $73.616 million with the biggest shortfalls in road safety promotion and maintenance of walkways and cycle paths receiving 35 and 31 per cent of their budgets respectively.
The council added $4.286 million to the budget which means 95 per cent of work is funded.
- Walkers and Two Chain Rds roundabout
- Jones and Two Chain Rds realignment
Projects council is picking up the tab for
- Dunns Crossing and Burnham School Rds traffic lights
- Hoskyns Rd widening stage one
- Springs and Hamptons Rds roundabout
- Gerald St and Vernon Drive traffic lights
- Goulds and Ellesmere Junction Rds intersection safety upgrade
- Levi Rd widening
- Weedons Ross Rd seal widening stage two
- Ellesmere Rd arterial intersections safety upgrades
- Two Chain Rd widening stage one
- Hamptons Rd widening
- Hoskyns Rd arterial intersections safety upgrades
- Rural Rd intersection safety programme
- Township footpath and crossings programme
- Selwyn and Springston Rolleston Rds roundabout
- Selwyn and Dunns Crossing Rds roundabout
- Lincoln park and ride
- Mathias St level crossing upgrade
- Bealey and Telegraph Rds intersection rural intersection advanced warning sign (RIAWS) safety upgrade
- Birchs Rd intersections cycle safety upgrade
- Maddisons and Curraghs Rds intersection RIAWS safety upgrade
- Springston Rolleston and Waterholes Rds intersection RIAWS safety upgrade
- Shands and Boundary Rds intersection RIAWS safety upgrade
- Dunns Crossing Rd widening stage one
- Brookside Rd and Rolleston Dr roundabout
- Prebbleton to city cycle link
- Bus stop improvement programme
