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Customer Services
Palmerston North City Council
06 356 8199

Kia ora A Citizen
 
We have received your official information request 
We received your request on 3/6/2024 seeking information on cycle.
 
We will do our best to respond to your request as soon as possible and no later than 2/7/2024. If we aren’t able to respond to your request within this 20 working day period, we will let you know. 
  
We are working on your request 
We are currently gathering any information we hold that relates to your request. If we need to clarify anything, we'll get in touch with you.  
  
On some occasions we need to charge for the cost of labour and materials involved in making information available, or for making information available urgently. If a charge is required, we will let you know before your request is processed.   
  
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by emailing [email address]. Your reference number is LGOIMA SRC0148127  
  
Ngā mihi
 
Merle Lavin
Democracy & Governance Support Officer

Official Information Team
Legal Services

Palmerston North City Council
Te Marae o Hine − 32 The Square
Private Bag 11034, Palmerston North 4442

06 356 8199
pncc.govt.nz

show quoted sections

Kia ora,

 

I refer to your official information request received on 3 June 2024 for
various information on the Pioneer Highway cycleway and other cycleway
projects.

 

Our response

Q1. The originally projected number of daily users of the Pioneer Highway
cycle lane and the confirmed number of users since its completion.

Our Group Manager - Transport and Development advises that the original
cycleway works were commenced in the 1990s and 2000s and this is not data
that we hold. We have not undertaken a user count on this section. The
shared pathway (used by both pedestrians, cyclists, mobility devices and
wheeled recreational devices) that is currently being constructed in this
area is not yet completed. Our Urban Cycle Network Masterplan will provide
useful context on the development of cycleways in the city:
[1]urban-cycle-network-masterplan-2019.pdf (pncc.govt.nz)

 

We are required under the Local Government Official Information and
Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) to provide you with a response to your request,
given the information is not held by us we have decided to refuse your
request under section 17(g) of the LGOIMA - the information sought does
not exist.

 

Q2. The total cost of the Pioneer Highway cycle lane, including
consultation, planning, design and construction.

The shared pathway that is currently being constructed in this area is not
yet complete and as a result we are unable to provide total costs. As
noted above the original Pioneer Highway cycleway dates back to the 1990s/
2000s. Further information on what has been spent on cycleways throughout
the city can be found under the Active Transport sections of our Annual
Reports. These reports can be found online: [2]Long-term plan, annual
budget and annual report | Palmerston North City Council (pncc.govt.nz)

 

Q3. Please provide the number of events where cyclists have been harmed on
Pioneer Highway in the 10 years prior to the project being initiated.

Our Group Manager - Transport and Development advises the following, from
2014 onwards, there has been one fatality, one serious casualty and
fourteen minor casualties.

 

Q4. Please provide the number of PNCC staff or appointees who use the
Pioneer Highway cycle lane that have been involved with approving the
funding for it.

Council does not hold information on staff or consultant use of the cycle
lanes in the city.

 

We are required under the LGOIMA to provide you with a response to your
request, given we do not hold the information we have decided to refuse
your request under section 17(g) of the LGOIMA - the information sought
does not exist nor held by another agency.

 

Q5. The total cost of all cycle lanes completed and proposed for
Palmerston North city along with the total number of projected users, the
total cost of benefits to the community and the projected total reduction
in harm events per year as a result. Please reference all studies and
activities conducted that produced these numbers, I do not require a copy
of the actual studies or activities at this time.

Given the scope of your request is for all cycle lanes completed and
proposed in the city without a time period we have decided to refuse your
request under section 17(f) of the LGOIMA - the information requested
cannot be made available without substantial collation or research. We are
happy to consider a request for specific project or reasonable time period
if provided.

 

We note that many of the specific cycleway or shared pathway projects are
set out on our website and reports to Council / relevant committees on
these projects are available on our website: [3]Previous meetings, agendas
and minutes | Palmerston North City Council (pncc.govt.nz)

 

The urban cycleways masterplan is available on our website:
[4]urban-cycle-network-masterplan-2019.pdf (pncc.govt.nz)

 

As noted above, total costs per financial reporting period is available in
our annual report for each year (search the document for the Active
Transport sections): [5]Annual Report | Palmerston North City Council
(pncc.govt.nz)

 

Q6. The total amount of external funding (non-PNCC) that has been made
available for any of the cycle lane projects.

Given the scope of your request is for all cycle lanes completed and
proposed in the city without a time period we have decided to refuse your
request under section 17(f) of the LGOIMA - the information requested
cannot be made available without substantial collation or research. We are
happy to consider a request for specific project or reasonable time period
if provided.

 

Q7. Please provide details (personal identity redacted) of any declared
conflict of interest by any PNCC staff member or appointee involved with
approving any of the cycle lane projects or the funding for these.

Our records show we do not hold any declarations of conflicts of interests
for staff working on any cycle lane projects.  

 

In regard to appointed elected members, the pecuniary interests of our
elected members is published pursuant to section 54A of the LGA 2022
annually. This is available on our website (scroll to the bottom to see
the previous two annual declarations): [6]Register of members’ pecuniary
interests | Palmerston North City Council (pncc.govt.nz)   The Registers
provide summaries of elected members’ financial, business and personal
interests including certain assets, business associations and gifts they
have received annually. The summaries are an individual snapshot of
members’ interests annually.

In addition to the Register, elected members may make a declaration of any
interest or conflicts during a meeting according to the requirements
of Local Authorities (Members' Interests) Act 1968. These are recorded in
the minutes of the meeting, which are available online: [7]Previous
meetings, agendas and minutes | Palmerston North City Council
(pncc.govt.nz).

Q8. Please provide the names of the companies or individuals who have been
awarded contracts to complete any of the cycle lane consultation,
planning, design and construction to date, and how much each has been
awarded as payment.

We have decided to refuse your request under section 17(f) of the LGOIMA -
the information requested cannot be made available without substantial
collation or research. We are happy to consider a request for specific
project or reasonable time period if provided such as the past two years.

 

Q9. Please provide any information other than public submissions, that
relate to initiating, advancing or completing the cycle lanes projects
that has been received by any PNCC personnel or appointees from, or sent
to any entity or individual with an interest in any business that sells or
markets bicycles, including any digital messages.

Given the scope of your request is for “the cycle lane projects” and “by
any entity or individual”, this would require searching through our
records for any communications from any bicycle companies in New Zealand
or individual who sells/markets bikes. This would be difficult for us to
narrow down and key word searches are unlikely to easily identify the
communications you are seeking. We consider that a specific time period is
unlikely to refine the request either. As a result we have decided to
refuse your request under section 17(f) of the LGOIMA - the information
requested cannot be made available without substantial collation or
research.

 

 

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
[8]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

 

Ngā mihi,

 

 

Kate Scrase
Legal Advisor
Kaitohutohu ā-Ture

Official Information Team
Legal Services

Palmerston North City Council
[9][IMG] Te Marae o Hine − 32 The Square
Private Bag 11034, Palmerston North 4442

06 356 8199
[10]pncc.govt.nz

 

References

Visible links
1. https://www.pncc.govt.nz/files/assets/pu...
2. https://www.pncc.govt.nz/Council/Documen...
3. https://www.pncc.govt.nz/Participate-Pal...
4. https://www.pncc.govt.nz/files/assets/pu...
5. https://www.pncc.govt.nz/Council/Documen...
6. https://www.pncc.govt.nz/Council/Documen...
7. https://www.pncc.govt.nz/Participate-Pal...
8. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
9. https://www.pncc.govt.nz/
10. https://www.pncc.govt.nz/