A plan representing $11.8 billion of transport priorities over the next 3–6 years has been adopted by Waikato Regional Council.

The Waikato Regional Land Transport Plan 2024–2054 outlines the Waikato region’s transport priorities and for the next 10-30 years and makes the case for central government funding.

Some key regional priorities include implementing the Metro Spatial Plan Business Case, building regional resilience, reducing transport emissions and shaping urban areas to promote active modes and provide more transport options.

Resilience work is focused on the Coromandel Peninsula and Te Pōporo/Bulli Point on the southeast of Lake Taupō, along with increased maintenance activity on local roads and state highways regionwide.

It addresses road safety concerns, focusing on speed and infrastructure, issues faced by high-risk and vulnerable network users, and enforcement, education and behaviour change initiatives.

Under the plan, the region should also see the beginning of two roads of national significance projects: the Hamilton Southern Links and the Cambridge to Piarere extension of the Waikato Expressway.

The Waikato Regional Transport Committee – which unanimously endorsed the plan at its June 21 meeting – developed it collectively over the last 18 months.

During that time there was a change in government and new government policy statement on land transport, which landed on the last day of the public consultation period.

Staff were flexible with final deadlines to allow submitters to account for the new GPS and in the end, the committee received 89 submissions from local authorities, stakeholders, advocacy groups and individuals.

Waikato Regional Councillor and Chair of the Regional Transport Committee Mich’eal Downard says the plan is positively shaped by stakeholder input throughout the consultation process, and thanked everyone who made the effort to submit.

He says the hearings committee worked hard under a tight timeframe to incorporate the feedback and changes had been made to what was a robust draft plan to begin with.

The RLTP now goes to NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.