Goal
To provide and maintain a safe and cost effective land transport system within the district and minimise effects on the environment.
Background and Rationale for the Council’s Involvement
The Council is responsible for the maintenance and construction of local roads. It receives funding assistance from Central Government through Land Transport New Zealand for maintaining local roads and streets. It also undertakes some upgrading and unsubsidised extension work as funding allows.
The total roading network maintained by Council is 199.2km, of which approximately 50% is sealed and 50% is unsealed. There are 40 bridges and 10 fords. There is currently 21km of footpaths, and 244 streetlights in the urban area. Much of the footpaths in the urban area have been upgraded in 2005 and 2006, and streetlights are being upgraded as the contractor is able, see Projects for more information.
State Highway One, the main route from Christchurch to Blenheim, runs through the length of the Kaikoura district, and includes Churchill Street and Beach Road. The State Highway is not part of the Council’s roading network, and is owned by Transit New Zealand.
The Existing Situation Described
Roads
Generally speaking, the roads in Council ownership are in a reasonable state of repair and if they are regularly maintained and renewed at the appropriate time, they can be expected to last indefinitely.
However the desired level of service is limited by the need to apply for funding assistance. Land Transport subsidies have reduced from 52% in 2001 to 47% as it is now.
Seal extensions are being undertaken each year to improve the quality of rural roads, and kerb and channels are being established and renewed as funds are available.
12 of the 40 bridges will not be replaced when they reach the end of their life. Either fords, culverts or nothing will go in their place. Middle Creek Bridge is being replaced in the 2008/2009 financial year.
Footpaths
The majority of the town’s footpaths have been upgraded; this work has been funded by loans, as no subsidies are available. As a result of this, most footpaths are in an excellent condition.
A number of locations have been identified for the construction of new footpaths where currently none existed, particularly on South Bay Parade between Takahe Drive and the playground beside Finz Restaurant. Also identified for investigation are the length of Ludstone Road from Rorrisons Road to Grays Lane, and some footpaths on the peninsula.
Following a submission to the Draft Annual Plan, Council will be vigorously investigating options for a footpath or walkway from Churchill Street to South Bay, subject to funding assistance from Land Transport NZ.
Streetlights
The majority of the town’s streetlights are currently being upgraded. This involves new lights being installed on existing lampposts, with the exception of some parts of the Esplanade, where decorative streetlights will be installed in conjunction with under-grounding of power lines, and the residential portion of the peninsula where the residents did not want to see additional street lights installed.
Council is currently trialling solar powered streetlights, and if successful could systematically convert lights as they need replacing.
Maintenance and Operating Issues
Council will continue to retain ownership of the roading network, with the exception of the state highways. Connell Wagner is currently the consultant engineer, however Council's own Asset Managers are now dealing with the day to day contract supervision, with Fulton Hogan undertaking the annual maintenance under contract, and major works are tendered.
With the establishment of seal extensions, new kerb and channel, new footpaths and more streetlights comes increased costs relating to depreciation, maintenance, and electricity. However, with the district experiencing steady growth, it is estimated that the cost of service per rateable property will not be greatly affected.
Significant Negative Effects
With roading development comes negative effects on the community such as noise, air pollution, stormwater run-off and safety concerns. Through Green Globe certification and benchmarking, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions are monitored, and energy efficiency projects and tree planting is undertaken to mitigate the effects on these issues.
Proposed Future Capital Works
The most significant capital works identified in the LTCCP for the next three years is detailed in the table below.
| Surface Renewals |
$150,000 p.a. |
| Kerb & Channel |
$30,000 p.a. |
| Seal Extensions |
$72,000 p.a. |
| Reseals |
$110,000 p.a. |
| Footpath Renewals |
$10,000 p.a. |
| Streetlight Renewals |
$22,000 p.a. |
| Middle Creek Bridge |
$200,000 in 2007/2008 |
Particularly in the case of reseals, Council has in place a programme that ensures that reseals are undertaken generally every 14 years, however the actual condition of the roads are assessed annually and the priority order of roads to be resealed may be changed in order to optimise the capital works programme.
How Capital Works are to be funded
Council proposes to fund the costs of these capital works in the first instance by Land Transport
subsidies (currently at a rate of 47% of total cost), secondly by depreciation reserves and development contributions, and by loan where these sources of funding are unavailable or insufficient.
Depreciation reserves have been determined as the most appropriate source of funding for renewal expenditure (replacement or development of an existing asset to its original condition), and these reserves are also used to repay debt, and thereby reduce the annual loan-servicing requirement.
Where new subdivisions are developed, the cost of establishing roads, footpaths and streetlights are borne by the developer. The resulting infrastructure is then vested in Council, and the ratepayer currently meets the increased level of service required and the ongoing operational cost. Council has implemented a development contributions policy requiring a contribution from development of this kind, to meet the future obligation to service the additional infrastructure requirement as a result of these developments, and to provide for development of paper roads to give alternative access to these new urban areas.
How will the cost of Roading affect my rates?
The annual net cost of the Roading Activity is expected to continue to increase, due mainly to the seal extension programme and vested assets (there are more sealed roads to maintain) and the footpath and streetlight upgrades undertaken in 2005 (there are higher costs relating to electricity and depreciation).
However, growth of the rating base of the district is forecast to double within the next 10 years, and this means the additional rateable properties will absorb any increase in the rates requirement.
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