Ahuroa Rd – updates from AT.

The design phase is progressing well and is planned for completion by December 2019. This will be followed by the procurement phase and construction starting in early 2020.

  • With regard to landowners’ comments that no approaches have been made for property acquisitions, they are still completing preparatory works before contacting landowners. The design being progressed involves sealing the current road alignment, so any new land requirements will be minimised.
  • At this stage, the first section proposed for construction (referred to as Stage 2) is the section with chainage starting at 5,875m through to 10,075m as measured from West Coast Road.
  • The timing of construction of the Stage 1 section, chainage 850m to 5,875m,will be dependent on budget availability.
  • Communication with the local board and the local community will be undertaken as the project approaches the construction phase and once a contract has been awarded. Prior to works commencing there will be specific communications around the construction methodology, timing etc., all with the aim of minimising disruption.

Request from AKL Council member Beth Houlbrooke

I wonder if you can put out a message in the Grapevine for a community contact – one person only – who would like to be the liaison for the Ahuroa community with Auckland Transport to receive and communicate updates on the sealing of Ahuroa Road.

This person will require good communication skills, be active in the community, be analytical and level headed, with a desire to work positively with the local board representative and AT project manager.

Alternatively, the school or another community group can put forward a name.

They can apply to me at [email protected]

Thanks, Beth


Message from the GrapeVine admin (Chris):

Please apply to Beth directly. If you’re interested in being this person, or nominating an individual, then please send Beth a note. – Thanks.

Ahuroa – Road sealing budget update – Important news.

An update from Glen Ashton:

I was very confused over the recent Auckland Council (AC) and Rodney Local Board (RLB) announcements with regards sealing our metal roads and have spent the last month investigating and emailing the powers to be.

  1. Araparera Forestry Trust fund – For those new, this is an old northern Rodney target rate that was paid into a pine forest venture with the idea that profits would be spent on sealing the roads. After much investigation by Greg Sayers and Colin Smith they have found $2.8 million that is available and the RLB have selected some minor roads from the priority list to be sealed.
  2. Local Transport Target Rate – This is the $150.00 on your rates. When consulted with the public this included $13.5 million to be spent on road sealing over ten years. At the last minute the Local Board altered the funding statement and excluded road sealing and essentially only benefitting the urban town centres with bus services, footpaths and park n rides. The rural community were ignored. This was passed by vote 6 to 3. Our local members Beth Houlbrooke and Tessa Berger voted yes.
  3. Regional Fuel Tax – This is the extra 11.5 cents per litre for gas. The Mayor Phil Goff made the announcement that $121 million would be spent on road sealing over the next decade. That was made up of $36 million from General rates and $85 million from the RFT. However, it is Auckland Transport (AT) that budget the year on year allocation and have allocated only $3.1m + $1.6m = $4.7m for 2018/19 and only slightly more for 2019/20. The bulk of the amount is “promised” in the later 4 years. Apparently, there are “other” higher priority projects in the Super City.

Rural Rodney has been badly treated. Greg Sayers has been very active on our behalf as have Local Board members Colin Smith, Alison Roe and Brenda Steele. The rest of the Local Board are working against us.

As for Ahuroa Road sealing; it is 2nd on the priority list and is being designed for full length sealing. Unfortunately, there will not be enough funds for at least two years to begin the project. As for the other Ahuroa roads it will be more than a lifetime wait?

Since we have been in the Super City (9 years), AC / AT have only sealed 9 kilometres. Other Rodney rural communities are also upset, and I expect a collective reaction against AC / AT is eminent.

This is an abridged version of conversations and emails, contact me if you want to know more.

[email protected]

Auckland Transport – Ahuroa Road

Hello all

I received the followup email from Auckland Transport as a reply to my request early this month on our road repair.

Please also note that the website to lodge a repair request can be found at: https://at.govt.nz/about-us/contact-us/report-a-problem/

Thank you
Mike

——

Dear Mike,

Thank you for contacting Auckland Transport with your follow up email. Apologies for the delay in responding to your query, we are currently experiencing high volumes of queries.

We wish to advise that Ahuroa Road is in the end of February and March grading programme.

Please be advised any matters that are deemed to be of a health and safety issue should be reported by calling 09 355 3553 as this allows us to inform a contractor immediately.

Kind regards,

Tasha | Customer Feedback Co-ordinator
Customer Contact
Private Bag 92250, Auckland 1142

P 09 355 3553 | www.at.govt.nz

Morning!

There is quite a bad slip on the unsealed hill heading down towards Puhoi – about half way down, the road is half covered with earth blocking the west bound lane.

If heading west, it is dangerous.

People need to be extra cautious.

All flooding appears to have subsided now. If you know of any lasting issues let us know.

This slip has been reported to Akl Council.

Thanks to Jeff and Alison for telling us about this one.

Regards, Chris.