Managing road safety and efficiency under the Resource Management Act 1991: The way forward

Executive summary

Print version: Managing road safety and efficiency under the Resource Management Act 1991 (PDF, 259 KB, 63 pages)

What this guideline is about

Land Transport NZ and other roading authorities have become increasingly concerned over escalating pressures to meet road safety and efficiency demands as a result of the downstream and cumulative impacts of development. This development may have been caused either by permissiveness or deficiencies in district plans, or as a consequence of consents to resource consent applications. For example, Land Transport NZ is often requested to fight a rearguard action to tackle concerns over road safety and efficiency ‘after the event’, when a development that caused the problems has already been constructed.

District plans around the country are in a state of flux, ie, they can be changed or varied at any time, or they may be in the statutory review process. This process provides opportunities for these plans to be scrutinised and can be a vehicle for bolstering them in how they address road safety and efficiency concerns.

Recent investigations undertaken by Land Transport NZ have revealed that while local territorial authorities (councils) often identify road safety and efficiency in their issues, objectives and policies, these provisions are frequently not comprehensively followed through into ‘methods of implementation’, and even less so into ‘anticipated environmental outcomes’ or ‘monitoring’ provisions.

Nevertheless, some significant provisions were identified by Transfund New Zealand (Transfund NZ), which is now incorporated into Land Transport NZ, in its 2002 assessment of current district plans (Transfund NZ, 2002). This is enhanced by recommendations contained within relevant road policy documents. Feedback from key organisations has also been canvassed and reviewed. The outcome of this assembled existing knowledge has been the development of this best practice guideline.

Its use to you

This document targets two main user groups: councils, and developers and their consultants.

Councils can be guided by this document when assessing provisions within their respective plans. It provides discussion on various ways to address road safety and efficiency, and contains examples of relevant plan provisions.

It will also be useful to councils when assessing applications for resource consent. The guideline describes relevant informational requirements, and provides a basis against which to assess road safety and efficiency flow-on effects.

Developers and their consultants will find this document useful in their early discussions with councils over pending resource consent applications and identifying the need for particular issues to be addressed that may not be readily apparent.

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Page created: 26 September 2008