Waimea Weekly Locally Owned and Operated
Wednesday 7 June 2023
Dinosaurs roar into Richmond
The Amazing Dinosaur Discovery organiser Paul Johnson says he is looking forward to bringing the exhibit to Richmond. Photo: Chris Symes/Shuttersport. See page 4.
Cameras not a goer at notorious lights ANNE HARDIE Elderly residents crossing the road at Richmond’s notorious Queen St lights say red-light running is getting worse, but authorities all say it is not their responsibility. Arvida Oakwoods’ Village Residents’ committee secretary Alec Waugh has been emailing the Tasman District Council about
problems at the lights, including the increasing red-light running. He says it is an intersection that would benefit from red-light cameras but has learnt there are no red-light cameras operating anywhere in the South Island. “There’s no red-light camera anywhere in the South Island,” he says. “They’re all in the North Island. “This intersection would be a
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good one for a red-light camera.” Police told Waimea Weekly that cameras are owned by the council or Waka Kotahi, while the council says Waka Kotahi is the agency that operates the cameras. Waka Kotahi, however, says it is the police who are responsible for them. A Waka Kotahi spokesperson says the responsibility for road safety cameras is going to be transferred
from the police to Waka Kotahi, but the formal handover has not happened yet. In the year to the end of March, police statistics show there were 10 incidences at the lights due to people failing to comply with yellow or red lights. A police spokesperson says people who take the risk to run a red light put themselves and the lives of innocent members of the com-
munity at risk. They also say police regularly carry out operations targeting red light runners because of the danger that behaviour poses. But while police are in charge of infringements, cameras were the responsibility of Waka Kotahi or the council, depending on whether it was a State Highway or not.
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