NLTP Bulletin

Welcome to the NLTP Bulletin, our newsletter with information about management of the current National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) and what we're working on for the development of the 2021-24 NLTP.

2021-24 NLTP development

• This week we held the initial moderation sessions for improvements and low cost low risk activities; the final moderation of continuous programmes will occur later in the month.
   
• We expect to provide feedback to councils by mid-March, after these sessions have finished.
   
• Thank you for completing the detail needed for new activity management plans and continuous programmes templates.
   
• This additional information, for example on benefits and RLTP alignment, will support improved reporting of expenditure against outcomes for the GPS and RLTP objectives.
   
• We're currently working on the details for the improvement templates, including low cost low risk, and expect to have these available within the next month.
   
• We’ve also recently updated TIO so you can now archive any activity that is not funded and not submitted for inclusion in the 2021-24 NLTP.
   
• Before the release of the improvements and low cost low risk templates, we're asking you to move all activities that are no longer required to the archived activities list. Further information on how to archive phases can be found on the TIO homepage.
   
• We're in the process of responding to your submissions on the Waka Kotahi Investment Proposal. Once all replies are sent, we will share any changes made to projects in the regions.
   
• The feedback we received on the proposed non-state highway activities will help inform which activities are prioritised for inclusion. The activities will be assessed and prioritised in the coming months, before a final list is developed and put forward for approval.

Benefits measures - upcoming engagement

	The benefits framework categorises and describes the various contributions of land transport to the wellbeing of all New Zealanders. It has applied to all new business cases since August 2020 and all 2021–24 NLTP processes and documents.   We’re coming to Auckland next week, and Wellington and Christchurch in March to ask for your input on the existing benefits measures in the framework.   This is an opportunity to let us know your feedback - we're interested in understanding which measures work for you, which might be improved and where there are gaps in the current set (and your suggestions to fill gaps).   We’re also making the material available for feedback online for those that can’t make the in-person sessions. If you’d like to participate in the online engagement, please email us and we'll send you the details. See the session times and more about the engagement See more about the benefits framework

Investment Prioritisation Method

• To help you better understand how we apply the Investment Prioritisation Method (IPM) to proposals, we’ve created some examples that show how the priority factors are worked through.
   
• The examples include urban and rural scenarios and show how each are considered through the IPM.
  
  See the examples 

New NLTP funding dashboard: online drop-in sessions

	Next month we’re hosting online demonstrations of the new NLTP funding dashboard.   The dashboard is a self-service tool that shows NLTP activity funding and status of funding requests as interactive graphs.   You now have quick access to what's been funded by region, activity class and year.    We recommend you attend one of these half hour sessions for an overview of the data available and the insights offered. The sessions are:   - 3 March at 2.30pm  - 4 March at 3.00pm  - 5 March at 11.00am   If you would like to attend, email frontfootqueries@nzta.govt.nz advising your preferred session and we will forward you the invitation. View the funding dashboard

2018-21 NLTP management

• This week the Waka Kotahi CE Nicole Rosie held a live call with your CEs and transport executives to provide an update on what’s happening at Waka Kotahi. Some of what was discussed was the funding environment for the current and next NLTP.
   
• Funding commitments in the current NLTP period mean we expect to end this financial year with our short-term borrowing facilities (totalling $250 million) fully drawn down to meet these commitments.
   
• This financial situation is largely the result of cost and scope increases for existing projects, supporting public transport services (before dedicated COVID funding was available), higher than normal emergency works expenditure increases in maintenance and operational costs, and the funding of new projects such as the Manawatū Gorge alternate route.
   
• As a result, we are not currently approving funding for any new delivery projects in this NLTP period. We're continually monitoring and reviewing the situation, but it's unlikely we will be approving funding for any new work for the remainder of this NLTP.
   
• We're working with both the Ministry of Transport and Treasury on options to ease this pressure as well to help manage the funding challenge as we move into the next NLTP.

More information

For more information on the NLTP, you can visit our website or contact us online.