Environment Southland councillors have approved a regional land transport plan which has an aligned strategy with the Otago regional council.
The Southland regional land transport plan 2015-2021 is part of a joint document with the Otago regional council titled: Otago Southland regional land transport plans, and is considered a good basis for other collaborative work between the two entities.
Southland regional transport committee chairman Ali Timms says having an aligned strategy means there is an opportunity to work across boundaries and prioritise projects that benefit both regions.
She says the two regional transport committees would continue to work together, resulting in a strong southern voice for access to national funding for regionally important roading projects.
“It’s about actual journeys. They don’t stop at regional council borders. It’s about how we move from Otago to Southland and Southland to Otago.”
Timms says Southland was eligible for up to $20 million worth of funding from the regional petrol tax fund, which is available until 2018 for improvement projects.
The priority projects identified in the plan for Southland include sealing parts of the Curio Bay to Haldane Road; Edendale bypass; widening Falls Creek Bridge; Milford rockfall/avalanche protection; stock truck effluent disposal facilities; and the Visiting Driver Signature Project.
