Our social and environmental responsibilities are guided by legislation and external and internal strategy and policy documents.
Our guiding environmental and social legislation and policies
Guiding legislation
Land Transport Management Act 2003 (LTMA)
The LTMA provides the legal framework for managing and funding land transport activities. The purpose of the LTMA is to contribute to an effective, efficient, and safe land transport system in the public interest. Section 96 (1)(a) requires that the Transport Agency exhibits a sense of social and environmental responsibility.
Resource Management Act 1991
The RMA promotes sustainable development by managing the use, development and protection of natural and physical resources in a way, or at a rate, that enables people and communities to provide for their social, economic and cultural wellbeing and for their health and safety. The Transport Agency has a duty to avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse environmental effects from its activities.
The Transport Agency is also subject to a number of other statutes which influence how we meet our social and environmental responsibilities including but not exclusive to:
- Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014
- Biosecurity Act 1993
- Wildlife Act 1953
- Marine Reserves Act 1971
- Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978
- Conservation Act 1987
- Local Government Act 2002
- Health Act 1956.
To ensure our environmental statutory requirements are managed in a robust, user-friendly and transparent manner, we use a legal compliance system.
Find out more about our consent compliance management system
Guiding policies
Government Policy Statement on Land Transport
The Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS), which sets out the government’s priorities for that funding, states that integrated planning is important to ensuring decisions about land use, transport and urban design contribute to the achievement of the government's goals for transport and energy efficiency.
The GPS also states that allocation of funding should achieve the following short- to medium-term impacts:
more transport options, particularly for those with limited access to a carreductions in adverse environmental effects from land transportcontributions to positive health outcomes.
Read the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport
Environmental and Social Responsibility Policy
Our Environmental and Social Responsibility Policy (ESR) states that we promote an accessible and safe transport system that contributes positively to New Zealand's economic, social and environmental welfare and are committed to acting in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.
Read our Environmental and Social Responsibility Policy
State highway environmental plan
The State highway environmental plan defines objectives and methods to help ensure that our Highways and Network Operations group meets the requirements of our ESR.
Read the State highway environmental plan
Environmental and social responsibility standard
The standard provides tools, references and resources for project managers and their teams to ensure that environmental and social matters are considered appropriately throughout the lifecycle of their state highway project. One of the most important tools used are environmental and social management plans.
Find out more about our environmental and social responsibility standard
Find out more about environmental and social management plans