June 20 2023
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‘Years of repairs’ for road network u by Paul Campbell
Emergency repairs are expected to take several years to clear the backlog on 104 roads in Kaipara and another 346 roads in Whangārei and Far North Districts, and works are preventing normal general maintenance, says a report from the Northland Transportation Alliance.
Cinema makes progress toward reopening Dargaville’s Anzac Theatre cinema will soon be back in action, with work progressing on the lower floor of …
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Relief fund tops half million mark
The Mayoral Relief Fund, established to provide aid to citizens in Kaipara following the severe weather …
P5
Bright idea for ambulance appeal
This year’s Hato Hone St John ambulance appeal is all about bright colours and fresh ideas, with …
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“In May alone, there was another weather event causing a further substantial increase in reported road damage,” says NTA general manager Calvin Thomas. “With 1,166 incidents reported in total, we currently have more than 2,200 open requests and 836 of these were received between February and April due to ongoing storm events.” The Kaipara District Council, along with Whangārei and Far North councils, believe the estimated local road repair cost of the combined events for the past 12 months is approaching $100 million, with Northland Mayoral Forum chairman Vince Cocurullo saying that more funding needs to come from the central government. It’s estimated that a further $107.5 million is required to upgrade the Kaipara roads used as diversions around the Brynderwyn Hills — $49.5 million for Paparoa-Oakleigh Road and $58.5 million for Kaiwaka Mangawhai/Cove Road. Meanwhile, more than $36 million is needed to repair just 116 of 1,126 historic road slips across Northland and a further $25 million to fully restore roadside drainage across approximately 3,600km of unsealed network. He said a six-year-old slip on Pahi Road in Kaipara “is likely to be one of 1,126 historic, pre-2022, live slips across 1,110km along category four and five routes with $36 million at $12 million per annum for three years identified to progress the repairs of 116 of these. Former KDC election candidate and road campaigner Ian Miller says: “I have
Do you want your property
p Former council candidate on a roading platform, Ian Miller, at the six-year-old Pahi Road slip
been publicly concerned about the state of the Pahi Road and that slip. In six years without repair, what happens if there’s yet another major weather event in the meantime? While I understand the council has a limited budget for roading maintenance, as Pahi Road is a major tourist thoroughfare in the district, the condition of this road should be a priority.” NTA says that roading crews have worked tirelessly, which includes clearing of around 1,000 over slips to ensure roads are open to at least one lane. However, Mr Thomas cautions there is plenty more work to do. The alliance agrees there’s a risk that damaging weather events are likely to
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continue in the future, requiring a massive government financial intervention to just keep pace. “This is the risk and why we are focussed on improving network resilience,” Mr Thomas says. “It’s also important that locals don’t assume we are aware of all roading damage because while we have a substantial log of repairs needed, ongoing wet weather means new damage through under slips and potholes can occur quickly. We need people to phone their local councils and report new issues, particularly if a site appears to have changed or got worse. Roads have been given a priority rating for planning and timing of required works for the rest of June and over the coming years.” ¢
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