Tararua District Council recently had a productive meeting with Thomas Read, President of the Tararua Federated Farmers, and Dave Hands, a Tararua Federated Farmers Executive. The purpose of the meeting was to address and clarify information circulating about the current Traffic and Road Use Bylaw, specifically regarding Stock Crossings and other stock movements on a road. This bylaw is currently open for consultation until December 16th and can be viewed here:  Stock Crossing Consultation

Currently, a permit is required for the movement of stock (this allows Council, as the Road Controlling Authority, to monitor damage to the roadway) and this requirement is expected to continue to be required under the new bylaw. A permit for a stock crossing is free to lodge with council. In some circumstances, additionally, a Traffic Management Plan may be necessary for stock crossings that occur in the hours of darkness or in hazardous locations, such as sharp bends, due to the heightened risk to safety of other road users. The Traffic Management Plan costs $462 to lodge, which covers the inspection of site time of officers and administrative costs.

Recent changes by NZTA to the NZ Guide of Temporary Traffic Management, allows Council, as the Road Controlling Authority, to accept traffic management plans prepared by farmers themselves, avoiding consultant fees that could reach up to $2000. Should a Traffic Management Plan be required, the Council can help guide farmers in preparing a Traffic Management Plan for their particular site. A variety of legislation (The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, the Local Government Act 1974 and 2002, the Land Transport Act 1998  and the Land Transport (Road User ) Rule 2004)  requires farmers to adhere to these rules to ensure the safety of road users. The same legislation allows Council to develop a bylaw to control livestock on roads in its district and provides Council the tools to monitor compliance.

At present, information about stock crossings is scattered across several bylaws, making it difficult for users to navigate. Traffic Management Plan requirements for stock movement have been in place since 2018. During the recent review of the Public Places Bylaw, it was recommended that a dedicated stock control bylaw be created next year to remove the Traffic Management Plan requirement for most stock movement activities and provide greater clarity.

The new bylaw will consolidate all requirements for stock crossings, stock courses, general movement of stock (droving), roadside grazing, requirements to keep the roadway clean and underpass requirements, into one comprehensive document. The goal is to create a user-friendly, easy-to-understand bylaw that ensures the safety of farmers, their livestock, and road users.

Council will collaborate with Federated Farmers and other key stakeholders, including iwi partners, Dairy NZ, Beef and Lamb NZ and the Rural Support Trust, to develop this new bylaw. Until the new bylaw is drafted and adopted, the current Traffic and Road Use Bylaw will remain in effect.