Regional councils
As required by the Land Transport Management Act 2003 (LTMA), regional councils establish and appoint members of regional transport committees. The LTMA also requires regional councils to:
- approve regional land transport strategies that establish the transport outcomes regions wish to achieve
- approve the regional land transport programmes (put forward by regional transport committees) that list and prioritise activities proposed by councils in the region and the NZTA for state highways (a different process applies in the Auckland region)
- assess the programme as a whole against the regional land transport strategy and the GPS
- make changes as required to the programme
- plan for and deliver public transport activities.
Under the Public Transport Management Act, regional councils and others that provide public transport (eg ARTA in Auckland) must prepare regional public transport plans.
Regional transport committees
These committees prepare regional land transport strategies and regional land transport programmes and provide advice as requested by the regional council. Committee members must include:
- two representatives of the particular regional council
- one representative of each local council in the region
- one representative of the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA)
- one cultural representative
- one representative for each of the New Zealand Transport Strategy 2008 objectives (economic development, safety and personal security, public health, access and mobility, environmental sustainability).
Unitary authorities
Unitary authorities carry out the roles of both regional and district councils. As such they are required, like regional councils, to:
- approve regional land transport strategies that establish the transport outcomes regions wish to achieve
- approve the regional land transport programmes (put forward by regional transport committees) that list and prioritise activities proposed by councils in the region and the NZTA for state highways (a different process applies in the Auckland region)
- assess the programme as a whole against the regional land transport strategy and the GPS on Land Transport Funding
- make changes as required to the programme
- plan for and deliver public transport activities.
Additionally, unitary authorities must plan for and deliver local roading activities.
Each regional council that is a unitary authority, or a combination of unitary authorities, must appoint to its regional transport committee:
- five representatives of the unitary authority
- one representative of the NZTA
- one person to represent cultural interests
- one person to represent each of the objectives set out in the Land Transport Management Act (economic development, safety and personal security, public health, access and mobility and environmental sustainability. .
The different process for Auckland
Auckland Transport (AT) (external link) has taken over the functions of the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA). They are an amalgamation of the ARTA and the eight local boards before 1 November 2010. Auckland Transport is a Council Controlled organisation and is unique in that it represents all transport and functions of the city under one organisation for the first time in Auckland’s history.
Auckland Transport's main tasks are:
- To design, build and maintain Auckland’s roads, ferry wharves, cycleways and walkways.
- Co-ordinate road safety and community transport initiatives such as school travel.
- Plan and fund bus, train and ferry services across Auckland.
Working together
Find out how we use integrated planning to work together with regional and territorial authorities to meet the transport needs of New Zealanders.
