Attachment: The Transport Choices process

Expression of Interest forms were sent by Waka Kotahi to all councils.

3 August 2022.

Councils provided Waka Kotahi with Expressions of Interest. Councils were required to indicate interest in the initiative, but only at a high level and without detail about the nature of the proposed projects, at this time.  

Due by 19 August 2022.

Interested councils were required to provide more specific details in support of their applications. Where requested, Waka Kotahi worked with interested councils about possible projects.

Completed by 3 September 2022.

Waka Kotahi provided a briefing paper to the Ministers of Transport and Finance (the Ministers). The paper presented three indicative programme options proposed for funding, drawn from the applications submitted by councils.

1) “balanced programme”. This was identified as Waka Kotahi’s preferred option, because it gave equal weighting to all criteria (confidence, VKT¹ reduction and value ratio score, deliverability, and risk mitigation score); or

2) “VKT reduction weighted programme” – greater weighting was given to larger urban areas where the VKT reduction impact score was highest; or

3) “deliverability (easier to implement) weighted programme” – higher weighting assigned for projects that signalled deliverability within the necessary timeframe.

Waka Kotahi sought approval from the Ministers on the final programme. The paper also sought agreement on the proposed programme support and contingency budgets.

The Ministers provided an in-principle approval of Waka Kotahi’s preferred programme.

October 2022.

A second briefing paper was provided to the Ministers with further information on what support Waka Kotahi would provide to individual councils, the centralised support function (this includes for example, providing specialist capabilities at the programme level across councils, and nationally procured local engagement resources and toolkits)², and a delivery plan for the agreed indicative programme over the next six months.

This briefing was provided in advance/support of the public announcement of selected projects.

1 December 2022.

Stage 2 – Refinement of proposals and final endorsement

Waka Kotahi is working with those councils that have had projects approved to refine the proposals, including agreeing the scope of each project, confirming ability and capacity to complete the projects within the delivery timeframe, refining how councils will provide a contribution, and agreeing monitoring and evaluation specifics (as part of the Funding Agreements that are to be completed in this stage of the project).

Currently under way.

Waka Kotahi will provide the Ministers with a final list of projects for endorsement. This endorsement is of the list provided to them, is based on the projects which have already been approved in principle, and there is no expectation that new projects will be able to be introduced at this point.

From end of March 2023.