QTS-109 · Infrastructure strategy · 2025
Strategy for the Procurement of Transport Infrastructure (Transport Procurement Strategy 2025-28)
Part of: Rapid transit evidence →
QLDC's transport procurement strategy for 2025-28 (v2.1, July 2025), endorsed by NZTA on 18 July 2025 until 18 July 2028, sets out how the Council will procure its land transport programme. It describes an LTP 2024-34 'set in a financially constrained environment and focused on a baseline approach', with building defect and weathertightness claims producing 'a significant de-escalation of the proposed programme' (pp.7, 21). Transport capital is $411.7m and operating $127.1m over ten years (p.22), and NLTP approved funding fell $39m short of the request (p.21). The next three years focus on 'key pre-implementation activities, behaviour change through travel demand management and planning' (p.5). It notes in passing that 'The conversation around mass rapid transport become key solutions which are being explored' (p.20).
What the document says
Context and purpose. NZTA requires approved organisations to hold an endorsed procurement strategy to receive National Land Transport Fund co-investment. This QLDC strategy (Version 2.1, July 2025) was prepared by Paul Rogers (consultant) and Alison Tomlinson, reviewed by Geoff Mayman, Katherine Harbrow and Pamela Parker, and approved by Tony Avery, General Manager Property & Infrastructure (p.2). NZTA's Dean Hollis endorsed it on 18 July 2025; the endorsement expires 18 July 2028.
Programme. The LTP 2024-34 'was set in a financially constrained environment and focused on a baseline approach' (p.21). Two building defect and weathertightness claims 'required QLDC to seriously review its capital works programme and service delivery' and 'saw a significant de-escalation of the proposed programme' (p.7). The ten-year transport budget is 'circa $412m' (p.6): $411.7m capital and $127.1m operating (p.22). 'Overall, there was a shortfall between requested and approved funding of $39m' (p.21). 'The next three years of transport capital expenditure will focus on key pre-implementation activities, behaviour change through travel demand management and planning and preparing for our future transport needs' (p.5). The Kā Huanui a Tāhuna alliance will focus on 'NZTA's $250m Queenstown Upgrades Programme', with arterial practical completion targeted for late 2025 (p.7).
Procurement programme (Table 5, p.25, uninflated, 2025/26-2027/28): road maintenance $10.8m, $11.2m, $11.7m, with a new 5+3+3 contract tendered by open RFP in April 2026 to start 1 April 2027 (p.8); reseals $4.4-4.6m a year; pavement rehabilitation $2m a year; low-cost low-risk improvements $3.6m, $2.2m, $3.6m; travel demand management $100k a year; transport modelling $1.3m in 2025/26, cost-shared with NZTA and ORC; transport master planning and activity management planning $0 (no subsidised budget); engineering and specialist support panel $3m, $5m, $8m.
Public transport and parking. 'The Council does not run any Public Transport' (p.19); ORC contracts bus and ferry services, and QLDC subsidises local bus services and maintains stops and wharves through the Way to Go partnership (MoU December 2018) (pp.19-20). Parking buildings and machines are part of the roading activity (p.5), but no parking procurement line appears.
Mass rapid transit: In describing the Way to Go partnership's public transport workstream (section 4.1.1), the strategy states: 'The conversation around mass rapid transport become key solutions which are being explored' (p.20). No mass rapid transit corridor or budget is named, and no MRT procurement activity appears in the 2025-28 programme.
Key figures
- Ten-year transport capital $411.7m and operating $127.1m (p.22)
- Shortfall between requested and approved NLTP funding $39m (p.21)
- Road maintenance $10.8m / $11.2m / $11.7m, 2025/26-2027/28 (p.25)
- Travel demand management $100k a year (p.25)
- Transport modelling $1.3m in 2025/26 (p.25)
- NZTA endorsement expires 18 July 2028
Rapid transit
Mass rapid transit means light rail, gondola/cable car, bus rapid transit and similar dedicated rapid-transit technologies. It does not include ordinary bus services or ferries.
Passing. Mentions mass rapid transit without assessing it.
Notes mass rapid transport is being explored via Way to Go; no MRT activity or budget in the 2025-28 procurement programme
Section 4.1.1 (Way to Go Partnership) lists the public transport workstream (services, stops and shelters, Bee cards, trialling services such as water ferries) and adds: 'The conversation around mass rapid transport become key solutions which are being explored' (p.20). No mode, corridor or mass rapid transit is named, and the 2025-28 procurement programme (Table 5, p.25) contains no MRT investigation or study; transport master planning has no subsidised budget.
"The conversation around mass rapid transport become key solutions which are being explored." (p.20) | "The next three years of transport capital expenditure will focus on key pre-implementation activities, behaviour change through travel demand management and planning and preparing for our future transport needs." (p.5)
Files
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Main document
Public copies
Actions recorded
Tender a new road network maintenance contract (5+3+3) by open-market RFP
Not assessed · QLDC · RFP April 2026; contract from 1 April 2027
Council intends to tender this new agreement via an open market RFP in April 2026
Procure a transport model, $1.3m, cost-shared with NZTA and ORC
Not assessed · NZTA · 2025/26
Transport modelling: $1.3m
Fund travel demand management at $100k a year
Not assessed · QLDC · 2025/26-2027/28
Travel demand management: $100k each year
Reseals ($4.4-4.6m a year) and pavement rehabilitation ($2m a year) via PQM procurement
Not assessed · QLDC · 2025/26-2027/28
Reseals: $4.4m, $4.5m, $4.6m
Low-cost, low-risk local road improvements, $3.6m, $2.2m, $3.6m
Not assessed · QLDC · 2025/26-2027/28
Engineering and specialist support services panel (3 Waters and transport), $3m, $5m, $8m
Not assessed · QLDC · 2025/26-2027/28
Focus capital on pre-implementation, travel demand management behaviour change and planning for future needs
Not assessed · QLDC · 2025-28
will focus on key pre-implementation activities
Explore mass rapid transport options through the Way to Go partnership
Not assessed · Way to Go · Relevant to rapid transit
mass rapid transport become key solutions which are being explored
Study cost
A study cost has been requested under the Official Information Act or LGOIMA. No figure has been received.
Citation
Strategy for the Procurement of Transport Infrastructure (Transport Procurement Strategy 2025-28) (2025).