Driving progress on roads

Despite the blast of wintry weather this week, summer is just around the corner and so too is our peak season for road maintenance and construction. During our Council meeting last week, Councillors were updated on this year’s seal extension programme. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has confirmed its subsidy to help the Council seal almost 2km of Church Road near Kaitaia. Residents on Koropewa Road near Waipapa will also be relieved that Waka Kotahi NZTA has confirmed its subsidy to seal 1.6km of that road. Both projects are due to be completed by April 2021.

The Council’s non-subsidised sealing programme is also set to continue. We successfully sealed a 3.9km stretch of Kumi Road in Awanui last year but work planned on Porotu Road and Puketi Road was halted due to Covid-19 Level 4 lockdown restrictions. That work will begin again soon and is due for completion early in the summer.

As you may be aware, Central Government has committed funding to seal strategic detour and tourism routes in the Far North. Funding will come from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund and the Provincial Growth Fund, and will seal sections of Pungaere Road (3.7km), Peria Road (4.8km), Ngapipito Road (5km) and Ruapekapeka Road (5.1km). We have already begun design work on these sites and are confident these projects can be delivered during the summer construction season.

Of course, road maintenance doesn’t stop over winter. Our contractors have been very busy with routine maintenance, as well as clearing slips and repairing roads damaged by the storm that hit our district in July. In August alone, they repaired 306 potholes on our sealed road network and 2265 potholes on unsealed roads. They graded one-third, or 262km, of the unsealed road network and applied 7,813 cubic metres of metal to unsealed roads as part of maintenance work. They flushed 132 culverts, cleared 122 culvert ends and replaced another 25m of culvert pipe. Roadside drains along 350 metres of road were also dug out to ensure storm water flows. Eighteen road signs were repaired and eight new or replacement signs erected. Despite wet winter weather, our contractors also built or renewed 41.5 square metres of footpath.

Since 2016, we have been part of the Northland Transportation Alliance along with Whangarei and Kaipara District Councils, Northland Regional Council and Waka Kotahi NZTA. The aim of the Alliance is to create a coordinated approach to transport and roading services across Northland. When the Alliance was formed, it was envisaged it would deliver savings of $18 million over 10 years through improved coordination, less duplication of administration and more favourable supply contracts. According to a recent report, the Alliance has already saved its partners about $10 million in its first four years. Improving our roads has long been a top priority for Far North residents. The projects listed here are a fraction of the work we are undertaking to make that happen.