LGOIMA Request Details: LG2442

I refer to your official information request dated 30/03/2026  

The information you have requested is below. 

The document referring to intended projects was provided by the roading team in August 2023, as part of the 2024-34 early LTP engagement. This document is reproduced in part below. 

For information, the non-reproduced part/s of the document comprise maps referenced under ‘areas covered’ only. 

This document not only provided details for Himatangi Beach (highlighted), but also Rongotea, Rangiotu, and Colyton areas, as requested by the LTP engagement team at the time. 

You will note that all projects listed were caveated with the statement highlighted (at the bottom of the original table in red, and reproduced here): 

'All programmes are provisional and are subject to obtaining funding from both Council and Waka Kotahi. Projects are also beholden to changes in Central Government direction and expectation’ 

Speed management activities were indicated, based on the 2022 Setting of Speed Limits Rule, and subject to further consultation processes. However, the application of speed limit/s are beholden to whatever legislation is in place at the time they are to be installed, and not when they are envisaged. 

In this case, the legislation was fundamentally changed in early 2024 by the Hon Simeon Brown, Minister of Transport at that time. These changes now make the original programme/s null and void and can no longer be legally instigated. 

In addition, all requests for speed management activities under the 2024-27 National Land Transport Funding application were declined by NZTA as a result of changing Central Government direction (after the latest NZ elections in late 2023). 

This impact was recorded/can be seen under Council's Land Transport Activity Management Plan, Section 2.4.5, pages B-36 and B-37: https://www.mdc.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/11166/MDC-2024-Roading-AMP-V8.0.pdf 

All requests for footpaths under the 2024-27 National Land Transport Funding application were declined by NZTA as a result of changing Central Government direction (after the latest NZ elections in late 2023). As such, footpath projects listed in the 2024-27 Activity Management Plan were rescinded. 

This impact was recorded/can be seen under Council's latest Land Transport Activity Management Plan, Section 2.5.4, page B-42: https://www.mdc.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/11166/MDC-2024-Roading-AMP-V8.0.pdf 

Renewal and capital works projects - such as road reconstructions - are always provisional in nature and can only proceed if the cost of doing the work and subsequent, reduced maintenance of the new asset/s turns out to be lower than continuing to maintain the existing asset/s as they stand. 

In addition, the change in Central Government in 2023 has laid expectations on Councils to reduce expenditure and focus on ‘core services’ to meet the ‘value for money’ objective in the latest Government Priority Statement on Land Transport (GPS). 

As such, the aspirational programme of work attached - developed under direction from the previous Government’s GPS - will not attract funding as it no longer meets the amended criteria.

Manawatū District Council publishes responses to Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA).  We will publish the LGOIMA response along with a summary of the request on our website.  Requests and responses may be paraphrased.  

To protect your privacy, we will not generally publish personal information about you, or information that identifies you.  

 

If you wish to discuss this response with us, please feel free to contact the LGOIMA Response Team on 06 323 0000 or by replying to this email.