Dunedin city councillors were keen to talk about Mosgiel’s traffic infrastructure at a recent workshop on NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi’s (NZTA) co-funding process.
Cr Brent Weatherall said the council had lobbied NZTA for proactive action on heavy traffic and congestion which had, over time, become a reactive response.
He described the co-funding process as an ‘‘absolute cluster’’ and asked if the council was mistaken in its approach.
‘‘If we are doing something wrong, for goodness sake tell us, because we’ll try and fix it, because at the moment we’re really going nowhere.
‘‘I can’t really see the urgency shown from [NZTA] as to what you can do to help us.’’
NZTA regional relationships director for the West Coast, Canterbury, Otago and Tasman James Caygill presented at Thursday’s workshop and said Cr Weatherall’s comments were ‘‘fair’’.
However, the agency had no funding mechanism beyond the government policy statement (GPS), which every three years set goals and guided investment for the land transport system, Mr Caygill said.
‘‘This GPS is quite brutally clear: our priority for the state highway network is making progress on those 17 roads of national significance.
‘‘I know you don’t want to hear this, but Mosgiel and the issues of Mosgiel are not unique, very far from unique ... they are simply not of a size or scale to get anywhere near the top of that list.’’
Workshop material said NZTA co-funding for new projects required business cases and relied heavily on national prioritisation and tight alignment with the GPS.
NZTA was aware of the issues and, alongside the council, was ‘‘making such progress as we can with very limited resources, but our priorities and objectives are set by ministers,’’ Mr Caygill said.
Cr Weatherall said traffic improvements would benefit Mosgiel’s planned inland port, satisfying GPS guidelines for infrastructure spending to support economic growth.
Mr Caygill said the infrastructure project’s outcomes had to be proven through the co-funding process.
‘‘There’s no shortage of transport projects around the country that will deliver strong economic growth and have proven that out through the process
,’’ he said.
‘‘Mosgiel hasn’t even begun that process.’’
Last month, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop said there was no evidence truck movements on the state highway network through Mosgiel were ‘‘unusual for this type of road’’.
On Thursday, Cr Andrew Simms said the council owned land in East Taieri, once intended for road-widening and intersection improvement projects.
He said there was a ‘‘possibility’’ of private funding for such work and asked if there was precedent for this.
Mr Caygill said this was effectively a public-private partnership, and he was not aware of any at a local level. It would be for the council consider, he said.
Asked by council transport group manager Jeanine Benson, Mr Caygill said he did not know if there was any legislative reason a public-private partnership could not be considered, but he was happy to make inquiries.
