Commision News & Views with Commission Chair Anne Tolley

Congestion on Tauranga's major arterial routes has long been an issue, particularly during peak commute times, which is why we have around $1 billion in transport infrastructure investment earmarked in the current 2021-2031 Long-Term Plan.

It's interesting to note though that our congestion issues have eased quite a lot at the moment, with more people working at home, isolating with Covid or as a close contact, or choosing not to use their cars because of high fuel prices. And what a difference a 10-15 per cent reduction in traffic makes! For example, a trip from Papamoa to the CBD during the morning rush hour is now routinely accomplished in around 15 minutes, and I'm getting similar feedback from people across the city.

Those influences will be temporary though – we can expect things to gradually revert back to something like the normal travel pattern, but it does emphasise that we can make a significant change just by thinking about how and when we travel.

Simple options like car-pooling, traveling at off-peak times, using public transport, cycling or walking – if your destination is not too far away – can help take the pressure off our road network and make a big difference to the city's transport efficiency, not to mention our carbon emissions footprint.

We're working with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to improve our city bus services and as more people use public transport, more will be invested in service frequency and bus shelters to make this a viable alternative to getting in the car.

During the next month, we'll be consulting with the community on a proposed new way of funding some of our transport infrastructure, as well as the infrastructure needed to allow housing development in Tauriko West. From the roading perspective, this would involve raising $200 million towards our transport spending through the Government's Infrastructure Funding and Financing Act, with repayments financed by a levy across all eligible properties across the city – because everyone will benefit from the improvements provided. The levy cost would be offset by a reduction in the transport targeted rate, but the real benefit to the council and ratepayers is that this approach would keep the debt off our balance sheet, allowing us to continue investing in other essential projects. It also reduces the need for rate-funded debt retirement, which brings ratepayer costs down in the short-to-medium term.

Take a look at our proposed LTP Amendment consultation document and let us know if you think this new approach to funding and financing infrastructure is a good idea.