ROAD THROUGH CORRIDOR PROBLEMS CLEARER

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28 March 2002

ROAD THROUGH CORRIDOR PROBLEMS CLEARER

LGNZ Media Release

A New Zealand Utilities Advisory Group has been established to identify and discuss issues related to roads and utilities within the road corridor.

The group aims to create a high level of national consistency while recognising the impracticality of designing a "one size fits all" regime.
Chairperson John Hutchings says that the interests of individual corridor users are chipping away at the interests of the whole. "Groups with an interest in the corridor have agreed that we need to have a fresh look at how the space is allocated."

The organisations' participating are working together to achieve a robust legal, policy and operating framework for both the community and utility networks (gas, electricity, telecommunications, water, waste water, storm water and road controlling authorities). The group is also looking at ways of minimising disruptions for road users, pedestrians, adjacent land owners, the community and road owners.

John says the main focus will be to develop a Code of Practice for site construction and restoration within the roading corridor. The group will base its work on similar work councils have already undertaken and recognise those regulations and national codes that already exist for utilities.

"We also want to see what costs and charges are incurred by users of the roading corridor and then we want to develop good practice guidelines."

Best practice models will be developed to reflect the interests of utility operators and to assist councils in their application of the Resource Management Act.

The group will also give consideration to the methods through which better access may be provided to records about the location of utilities in the roading corridor and recommendations about the potential of an integrated GIS based system.

The membership of the New Zealand Utilities Advisory Group includes representatives from: electricity Networks Association; Gas Association of New Zealand; Ingenium (the Association of Local Government Engineers); New Zealand Water and Waste Association; Telecom; TelstraClear; Transit New Zealand and Local Government New Zealand.