Transport funding pause angers councillors

Just over $10 million of funding that had been allocated for active travel improvements across Tasman is currently being held back from the district, much to the anger of councillors.

The distribution of Crown funds has been paused while the country has a caretaker government as it waits for an expected coalition agreement.

This includes grants for the Transport Choices programme that, while managed by Waka Kotahi, uses money from the government’s Climate Emergency Response Fund and must be approved by ministers.

A Waka Kotahi spokesperson says further Transport Choices funding commitments have been paused until the agency receives clear direction from the incoming government.

The three projects that are currently under construction in Tasman – on Richmond’s William St, and on Motueka’s Pah St and Old Wharf Rd – are unaffected and will be completed.

Tasman District Council’s transportation manager, Jamie McPherson, describes the pause as “a bit of a spanner in the works”.

“It’s really put the cat amongst the pigeons internally. There’s a number of projects we probably can’t commit to yet until we either know more from Waka Kotahi or re-look at the scope [of the work programme].”

The council had been allocated $16 million for projects to upgrade walking and cycling connections, but only $5.6 million has been approved to spend, leaving just over $10 million worth of projects hanging in limbo – some even having made it as far as being awarded to contractors.

Clarity on the future of the funds is not expected until early 2024.

Councillor Kit Maling thought the pause was “totally unsatisfactory” considering the council had diverted resources to implement the time-sensitive Transport Choices projects.

“That had an effect on our Annual Plan. It just makes absolute ludicrous work in the community because you’re stopping and starting projects.”

Councillor Jo Ellis also highlights the potential expectations from residents who have been consulted on the projects.

“Our community is not going to see, from what I can see, any projects that look like what they’ve actually fed back into.”

Several of the Transport Choices projects interlink with each other and so the pause was cause for alarm for the councillors for the Motueka Ward – where many of the projects are slated for.

The three ward councillors – Barry Dowler, Brent Maru, and Trindi Walker – were united in calling for the resources allocated for already-approved work on Tudor St to shift to other projects in Motueka West that are otherwise at risk because of the pause in funding.

“The western side is the bit where we really saw benefit in for Motueka,” Brent says.

The call for reprioritisation of funds was supported by councillor Mark Greening who thought all the funding currently being held won’t be released by a National-led government.

“It may change, but given who they’re negotiating with, I don’t envisage that.”

The council’s Streets for People programme, which also delivers walking and cycling improvements, is unaffected.