Official Information Request - weather-related RLC-managed Rd closures

Sent: Wednesday, 19 July 2023 4:13 pm
Subject: Official Information request - weather-related council-managed road closures

I refer to your Official Information request of 26 June 2023 regarding weather-related council-managed road closures, and provide the following available information:

• The total number of weather-related council-managed road closures over the past five years, broken down by year and region.
  Attached is a record of unplanned road closures which Rotorua Lakes Council (RLC) prepares for Waka Kotahi. This is for the period July 2022 to 17 July 2023 and all roads are in the Rotorua District region. RLC did not keep records prior to July 2022 therefore your request for records from 2018-June 2022 is declined under section 17(e) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act ‘that the information requested does not exist’.
• The total number of council-managed road closures by weather event (please provide the total number of closures by the type of weather event that caused the closure).
  Council does not record road closures by weather event. This part of your request is declined under section 17(e) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act ‘that the information requested does not exist’.
• Please provide details of any research, studies, or assessments conducted by the council to evaluate the vulnerability of roads to climate change impacts, including projected risks and adaptation strategies.
  Refer to the attached Transport Activity Management Plan.
• Please provide details on insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by the council in transitioning to a low-emissions and climate-resilient transport system, particularly in light of the growing importance of climate change considerations.
  Refer to the attached Transport Activity Management Plan for Council services. If you are referring to public transport (ie: buses), BOP Regional Council manages these services in Rotorua. You may wish to contact BOPRC for any information they may have.
• What is the council's strategic approach to managing the impact of climate change on land transport infrastructure?
  Refer to the attached Transport Activity Management Plan and ‘Our action’ on the Climate Change page of Council’s website HERE.
• What are the measures and initiatives implemented by the council to mitigate the effects of climate change?
  Refer to ‘Our action’ on the Climate Change page of Council’s website HERE.

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this response/decision. The Ombudsman’s Office can be contacted by calling 0800 802 602, emailing info@ombudsman.parliament.nz, online at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz, or by post to The Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.

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Regards