This is the last stage of a multi-million dollar investment in upgrading Saxton Creek from Champion Road to the sea. The upgrade of the Creek between Champion Road and Main Road Stoke will be completed by June 2021, and Stage 4 is scheduled for completion by 2023/24.

A total of $20 million has been budgeted for Stage 4 (Main Road Stoke to the sea) in the Long Term Plan, funded in part by central government through a grant of $7.5 million from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund (which is also being used in 2020/21).

This project seeks to provide safe, affordable and sustainable flood management for the City Centre, to achieve acceptable levels of risk for urban areas within the Maitai River floodplain. The project was signalled in the 2018-28 Long Term Plan and is at an early stage of options identification.

Community engagement is planned for the next three years, to raise awareness of current and future flood risk, and align flood mitigation options with community priorities. $830,000 has been budgeted for these investigations and the development of designs. A further $9.8 million has been allocated as a placeholder in 2024/25 – 2030/31 for implementation of options that reduce flood risk within the floodplain, including areas potentially susceptible to coastal inundation.

It is anticipated that this project will span multiple decades, and that flood protection will be upgraded over time as existing structures require renewal, and to respond to the effects of climate change on flood risk.

A large portion of Nelson’s water supply and wastewater network was installed between 1950 and 1970. Over the next three decades a large portion of this network will be due for renewal. To manage this workload Council has budgeted in the order of $20 million for water supply pipeline renewals and $20 million for wastewater pipeline renewals in this Long Term Plan.

The NRSBU was established in 2000 by the Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council, with costs shared between the councils and the major industrial users. Its purpose is to manage and operate the wastewater treatment facilities at Bell Island and the associated reticulation network efficiently and in accordance with resource consent conditions to meet the needs of its customers.

Priorities for the NRSBU include the commitment to measure and reduce gas emissions, increased capital expenditure over the next ten years for infrastructure renewals, pipeline upgrades to accommodate future growth and pond desludging and increased operational expenditure to cater for maintenance contract costs.

Total capital expenditure for the next ten years is $58.4 million (uninflated) and operating costs are approximately $10.5 million per annum.

The current resource consent is due to expire in December 2024, and work commenced in 2019 to prepare for its renewal. The proposal is to ensure that the existing facility will continue to operate in its existing location until its long term future is decided.

This approach underpins our rising main renewal strategy, which allows us to plan for and implement the renewal of the Atawhai Rising Main - the main pipe feeding the wastewater treatment facility.

Planning work will commence slightly earlier than originally proposed for the renewal of this key lifeline asset, that conveys half the City’s wastewater from Neale Park Pump Station to the Nelson Wastewater Treatment Plant. The renewal of this key asset will be split into three stages, with the first stage being undertaken in the next 10 years with a budget of $23 million. This work is based on an assumption that Nelson’s wastewater treatment plant will continue to be located north of Atawhai.

The Future Development Strategy has identified parts of the Central City as areas which will need additional capacity over the first 10 years of the Infrastructure Strategy. As capacity increases so too will demand for services and infrastructure.

Nelson works in close partnership with Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency) to deliver positive outcomes for the region. Waka Kotahi takes its direction from the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2021-24 (GPS) that sets the Government’s priorities for land transport investment over the next 10 year period.

Key transport outcomes of the GPS are Inclusive Access, Health and Safe People, Economic Prosperity, Environmental Sustainability, and Resilience and Security.

The four strategic priorities of the GPS are Safety, Better Travel Options, Climate Change and Improving Freight Connections. Addressing congestion is not a specific priority.

Each Regional Council is required to prepare a Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) and a Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP) that gives effect to the GPS. These documents are prepared in partnership with Waka Kotahi and are used to access funding from the National Land Transport Fund.

Waka Kotahi assists Council by way of a subsidy, called the Funding Assistance Rate (FAR) to fund aspects of our transport programme work. For Nelson this FAR is 51% and includes assistance for maintenance and operations of existing assets (such as footpaths, roads, streetlights and traffic signals) as well as assistance for new projects (such as roads and footpaths) and programme improvements such as public transport.

Funding for the ongoing routine operations and maintenance of our City’s roading network has been included in the RLTP and Long Term Plan and is separate to any Nelson Future Access funding. Waka Kotahi 100% funds all state highway networks.

Most transport projects are only affordable if they qualify for subsidy.

Waka Kotahi has however signalled that the NLTF is facing considerable funding constraints, with overall investment in the land transport system expected to increase from $18.5 billion (2018-21) to $20.8 billion (2021-24). Significant programmes are already underway across the country which will require more than 90% of the anticipated revenue from the NLTF to meet existing commitments and to fund programmes at current levels of service.

As a result, Waka Kotahi has advised it is not currently approving funding for any new delivery projects in this NLTP period (2018-2021) but will continue to monitor and review the situation.

Transport is the second biggest carbon emitter in New Zealand, behind agriculture. Changing our attitudes to transport and how we use it will be critical to achieving climate change targets. In light of this, Council is adopting sustainability and climate change targets consistent with central government’s stated priorities, including those outlined in the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2021.

Council is encouraging the community to transition to more sustainable modes - choosing active transport (including walking, cycling, skateboarding, riding scooters), and public transport more often for their journeys. This will support social and environmental wellbeing, and reduce the City’s greenhouse gas emissions. A reduction in car use (particularly single occupancy vehicles) will also contribute to improved traffic flows, and has the potential to reduce the need for investment in major road upgrades.

To make progress in our region, investment and support will be required from Waka Kotahi for a variety of projects and programmes that support a move toward a more sustainable transport system. There is a risk that if that Waka Kotahi funding support is not possible or less than expected we may not achieve modal shift and current congestion levels may worsen.

The NFA is led by central government through Waka Kotahi, working with Council and local iwi. Council is not leading this project, but is a heavily involved party, engaged in decision-making and responding to central government’s decisions.

The NFA will help us plan a transport system that is fundamental to shaping our city and providing vital access for people, goods and services to key hubs (including our Airport and Port) that are essential to our wellbeing and economic success. The outcomes will reflect initiatives that work for everyone by identifying an investment programme that supports the community’s aspirations for a thriving City Centre, a healthy environment, and response to our climate objectives. The strategic direction in the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) fully supports the NFA, which aims to confirm the best way to provide a long-term (30 year) safe, accessible and resilient transport system that supports economic prosperity and meets the diverse needs of our community.

Waka Kotahi has advised that the NFA project (including the Rocks Rd walking and cycling facility) is running significantly behind time and that no decisions on packages of activities have been made yet. This means that Council has been unable to place any specific work related to this project in the Long Term Plan (or RLTP) other than general placeholders for the NFA project over the next 10 years. Placeholder funding will be aimed at improving safety and encouraging active travel. This placeholder funding will still attract, if approved, Waka Kotahi subsidy.

Placeholder funding of $30.2 million over 10 years has been provided in this Long Term Plan, which includes an amount of $15.4 million from Waka Kotahi subsidy, based on a 51% FAR.

Completion of the NFA business case still requires careful consideration of the environmental factors relating to working within the coastal marine area, as well as the feedback from residents, transport system users and other stakeholders and partners.

An agreed package of activities will need to be included in the final business case, and the business case endorsed by Nelson City Council and approved by Waka Kotahi, before Waka Kotahi can consider funding. The NFA business

case will not be completed before the Long Term Plan or RLTP is finalised but Waka Kotahi has advised that it is committed to completing this work in a timely way. Once the business case is completed the RLTP will need to be amended to include the relevant activities and that will then need to be considered by Council for funding.

Depending on the significance of the funding requirements a separate consultation process may be required.

After considering the Government spending priorities set out in the GPS and Waka Kotahi’s funding constraints, it is possible that over the next 10 years Nelson will not see any additional funding to support the delivery/outcomes of the final business case. It will be unaffordable for Nelson to undertake this work without significant Waka Kotahi funding support. In addition, Council is also mindful that any improvement measures implemented on our arterial roads over the next 10 years are also likely to provide benefit to the state highway. In such an event Council will be advocating that this work should qualify for a financial assistance rate (FAR) higher than the 51% that currently applies.

You can find all of the detail regarding the Nelson Future Access Project here.