District Roading

Significant Activities

District Roading

Rationale for delivery of activity

The road network forms the backbone of Otorohanga’s infrastructure and impacts on the potential for development in the District. The purpose of this activity is to provide for the safe and efficient passage of traffic throughout the District and Council acknowledges its interdependency on the State Highway network, as well as partnerships with key stakeholders in the transport arena.

This is the single largest activity of Council, and provides for road improvement, seal extension projects and maintenance works such as pavement rehabilitation, reseals, bridge repairs, storm damage restoration, general maintenance, vegetation control, landscaping, sign posting and pavement marking (traffic services), street lighting, street cleaning, minor safety projects, and footpath repairs.

The rationale for Council’s involvement stems in part, from statutory requirements. The Local Government Acts 1974 and 2002 empower Council to construct, upgrade and repair all roads, which is done with the help of Government funding. It also ensures common law rights of public access.

Council considers the following Community Outcomes to be relevant to this significant activity. These outcomes are not, in many cases, linked directly to particular roading activities, but Council has endeavoured to establish links as best it can. These roading activities are at an individual level, and form a part of the four overall target levels of service discussed in the following sections.

The information on roading contained in this Annual Plan reflects the content of Council’s 2008/09 Land Transport Programme (LTP) which is required by Land Transport New Zealand.

Council’s LTP document is available for consultation at the offices of Council. In future, the LTP will be incorporated into Council’s LTCCP documents.

Community Outcomes

            Ongoing work is undertaken to improve the safety and efficiency of the roading network.

            Footpaths and other walking areas are safe for pedestrians.

            Pedestrians' and motorists' safety in the main street is addressed.

            Otorohanga is a safe environment to live and play.

            Infrastructure is adequate to deal with environmental issues from any development.

            Existing economic strengths in the community are promoted and make the town an attractive destination for the development of small to medium sized businesses. That the business community is vibrant and progressive and a cornerstone of the greater community.

            All residents have equal access to services and facilities.

            An historic tourist route is developed and promoted.

            Employment and business opportunities are increased and enhanced, and people in Kawhia benefit from these.

            There is an adequate range of health and well-being, youth and adult social services provided in Kawhia.

            The Māori character of Kawhia is recognised and enhanced.

Council contribution to Community Outcomes

            Take advantage of traffic flows at SH3 / SH31 intersection.

            A tidy business area.

            Maximise parking.

            Traffic safety.

            Safe access over the railway line to Progress Park.

            Continue funding new footpaths and footpath replacements.

            Develop better defined priority system for allocating funding.

            Review main street safety.

            Improve bypass access for heavy vehicles.

            Enforce traffic bylaws.

            Maintain high standard of roading.

            Develop an historic tourist route.

            Improve recreational facilities (fishing, sailing, boating and water skiing).

            Improve roading in and to Kawhia.

            Bilingual street signs.

           That the rate of roading improvement is in keeping with economic development.

            Undertake future proofing to accommodate roading needs.

            Have a stock droving bylaw.

Target levels of service

Council targets the following general levels of service:

            Implement and maintain regular road inspections and effective proactive and reactive road maintenance.

            Review and implement minor safety improvements where appropriate to achieve a reducing crash trend on roads managed by Council.

            Aim to provide a footpath on one side of each urban street and both sides in high traffic and business areas.

            Provide annual construction and improvements programme in accordance with budget allocations.

More specific details of technical and functional Levels of Service targeted under these general levels of service are contained in Council’s Roading Asset Management Plan, but can be summarised as follows:

Target Levels of Service – Road Maintenance

Road maintenance is considered one of Council’s most important activities. The most significant targets and associated measurement methods are in the following table.

Target Levels of Service – Minor Safety Improvements

A schedule of desired minor road safety improvements is maintained and updated, based upon observed hazards and recorded accidents.

Council targets annual completion of a number of projects based on this schedule, to ensure that Minor Safety Project funding available from Land Transport NZ (currently in the order of $350,000 per annum) is utilised to the greatest possible extent. Crash statistics on District roads are also monitored to assess the effectiveness of these safety improvement works.

Target Levels of Service – Footpath Construction

Council maintains prioritised lists of footpath construction projects, and targets annual extension of footpaths in the Otorohanga and Kawhia communities to typical values of $45,000 and $10,000 respectively.

Target Levels of Service – Road Construction and Other Improvements

Council develops and maintains a list of major road construction and improvement projects, which includes seal extensions, road widening and smoothing of sealed and unsealed pavements. These projects are prioritised based on consistent and objective criteria. Such works form part of an ongoing policy of major road improvements that has been conducted by Council for more than 30 years. Most projects qualify for project funding from Land Transport New Zealand.

A number of the highest priority projects are targeted for completion each year, with the extent of these projects being dependant upon the level of Council funding available. In recent years the typical total cost of these construction and improvement projects has been in the order of $1.5 to $2 million per annum, but a reduced program with total costs of significantly less than $1 million per annum is currently planned for 2008/09 to 2009/10 to maintain rating requirements at acceptable levels.

Service Category	Service Criteria	Target Level & Measurement Method
Routine general pavement and bridge maintenance	Various technical standards, as per requirements of ODC Contract 700 – Road Maintenance.	95% compliance from random inspections.
Response to hazardous or other identified defects requiring urgent action	Immediate signposting, temporary repairs within 48 hours, permanent repairs within one month	100% compliance from service requester records
Delineator Devices	As per requirements of ODC Contract 700 – Road Maintenance.	95% compliance from random inspections. Contractor records also to support standards being achieved.
Pavement Marking	Markings renewed once or twice per annum, depending on location.	95% compliance, based on marking contract schedules.
Maintenance Chip Reseals	Significant continuous pavement lengths remain waterproof and with adequate skid resistance.	100% compliance, based on assessment using Roading Asset Management Maintenance data & visual inspections.
Pavement Rehabilitation – Sealed Roads	Average National Association of Australian State Roading Authorities Roughness < 150.	95% of lane km. Assessed by bi-annual roughness survey.
Pavement Rehabilitation – Unsealed Roads	Prioritised improvement program based on objective criteria.	80% of annual programmed works completed by 30 June.
‘Functional’ (Customer Service) Aspects	Respond to all enquiries, requests or complaints Written responses provided to written enquiries, requests or complaints.	100% compliance, based on Service Requestor records 100% within 3 weeks of receipt, from Service Requester records.

Roading Assets

Council’s roading assets include:

790 kilometres of rural roads	27 kilometres of urban roads
167 Bridges	Streetlights, footpaths, signs etc.

Required additional asset capacity

Though Council’s road network does generally have adequate capacity, and the projected overall traffic growth rate is relatively low, recent development activity is beginning to result in localised capacity shortfalls, particularly on rural roads in the north of the District. In response to this a program of capacity enhancement works has been scheduled for Te Tahi, Mangati and Hanning Roads, that will in part be funded through imposition of Development Contributions.

It is also considered likely that other localised road capacity improvement works will be required in the future, and it is intended that such works will also be funded through levy of Development Contributions as the need arises.

Changes – demand and levels of service

In recent times the population of the District has been relatively static, following a long period of slow decline. It is considered unlikely that significant additional pressure will be placed on the roading network during the next 10 or 15 years, other than at a very few locations towards the northern boundary of the District. Identified target levels of service are also considered unlikely to significantly change during this period, though Council will continue an ongoing program of road improvements as funding permits.

Regional Land Transport Strategy

The Regional Land Transport Committee prepared the Waikato Regional Land Transport Strategy, which was adopted by Environment Waikato on the 29^th of November 2006

The purpose of the Strategy is to guide the development and management of the land transport system in the Waikato Region over the next 10 years.

Sources of Revenue

Sources of Revenue are disclosed in the Revenue and Financial policy.

Asset maintenance, renewal and replacement

Asset maintenance, renewal and replacement will be undertaken by contractors as required.

Council’s roading assets are currently well maintained and generally in sound condition and no particular problems are envisaged in sustaining this situation. Associated costs will be met by reserve funds, rates, loan monies or general funding.

Risks

Potential risks associated with this activity are mainly economic and include:

            Land Transport NZ subsidies are less than the level expected.

            Traffic volumes, the nature of road use and weather conditions may increase road requirements.

            Contract costs may increase at higher than expected rates.

Statement of Cost of Service

	2007/08	2008/09	2008/09
	Annual Plan	LTCCP	Annual Plan	Variance
INCOME			(a)
Otorohanga District
Funding Assistance	3,201,971	3,177,851	3,221,600	43,749
Petrol Tax	102,600	105,000	102,600	(2,400)
User Fees and Charges	13,338	13,650	13,338	(312)
Development Contributions	25,000	-	50,000	50,000
	3,342,909	3,296,501	3,387,538	91,037
TOTAL INCOME	3,342,909	3,296,501	3,387,538	91,037
EXPENDITURE
Otorohanga District
Funding Assisted Works
Structural Maintenance
General Pavement Maintenance	1,651,860	1,690,500	1,780,000	89,500
Emergency Restoration	66,690	68,250	62,500	(5,750)
Bridge Maintenance	112,860	115,500	115,000	(500)
Corridor Maintenance	-
Amenity/ Safety Maintenance	251,370	257,250	350,000	92,750
Street Cleaning	11,799	12,075	-	(12,075)
Level Crossing Maintenance	2,770	2,835	2,000	(835)
Traffic Services	133,380	136,500	190,000	53,500
Carraigeway Lighting	76,950	78,750	-	(78,750)
Professional Services	128,250	110,250	105,500	(4,750)
Depreciation	2,177,363	2,228,550	2,075,000	(153,550)
	4,613,292	4,700,460	4,680,000	(20,460)
Other Works
General Expenditure	1,140,193	1,136,944	1,290,083	153,139
	1,140,193	1,136,944	1,290,083	153,139
TOTAL EXPENDITURE	5,753,485	5,837,404	5,970,083	132,679
OPERATING SURPLUS (DEFICIT)	(2,410,576)	(2,540,904)	(2,582,545)	(41,641)
FUNDED BY
Rates and General Funding	2,414,811	2,540,904	2,679,495	138,591
Transfers to/from Reserves	(25,000)	-	(50,000)	(50,000)
Movement in Account Balances	20,765	-	(46,950)	(46,950)
	2,410,576	2,540,904	2,582,545	(41,641)
TOTAL FUNDING	2,410,576	2,540,904	2,582,545	(41,641)