STATEMENT OF PROPOSAL
Wairoa District Council must close a section of Ormond Drive, the main road into Mahia Beach. Several options for a new main route have been presented for consideration. This statement of proposal details the main options that are being considered. Now is the chance for the public to have their say on what is the best option so that action can be undertaken.
Background
Ormond Drive was established back in the 1960s, but some sections are not located on legal road reserve. One such section is located across land that is part of the Ruawharawhara Urupa (cemetery), at the Opoutama end of the road.
In August 2007, Wairoa District Council came to an agreement with the Trustees of Ruawharawhara Urupa that allows the road to be used until August 2009. After that, the road must be removed.
Council acknowledges the absolute right of the Trustees to discharge their duties to their beneficiaries in the way they see fit.
What is the current situation?
Having come to an agreement with the Trustees, Council has investigated various options in preparation for the road closure. These options are shown on the map, which forms part of this document.
This notice is intended to inform everyone with an overview of the options and invite interested parties to learn more at one of the two public meetings scheduled for October.
Why do we need to consult?
We want to know what you think. Also, under the Resource Management Act and Long Term Council Community Plans (LTCCP), councils are required to consult on all major public works where a number of options exist and where public and private money is to be spent.
In the case of the proposed ‘Gateway to Mahia’ Road Options, Council has narrowed the choices down to three feasible options, all with varying degrees of local impact, and all of which could affect you and your families in years to come.
What’s the process?
Council has considered the feasible options in detail and arrived at a preferred option.
However, as part of the consultation process various options will be explained so that you can have your say on the preferred option, the other feasible options or any other ideas you may have.
To ensure that your opinion is heard by the right people, you can make a submission using the submission form below.
Once Council has read all the written submissions and heard the verbal submissions, they will decide how to proceed.
Want to know more?
You can learn more by attending a public meeting. If you can’t make either of the meetings, you can contact Council’s Engineering Manager Neil Cook on (06) 838 7309. Alternatively, you can submit a question online below.
Meetings
Mahia – Mokotahi Hall, Saturday, 25 October 2008 at 10am (Labour Weekend)
Wairoa – Wairoa Community Centre, Wednesday, 29 October 2008 at 6.30pm
OPTIONS
Please download the ‘Gateway to Mahia’ Road Options CONSULTATION PACK below for details of the options up for consideration. Council have marked Option 1 as their preferred choice due to the relatively low capital cost, but this does not mean a final decision has been made.
Documents
The following documents are available for download. You will need to install the Adobe Reader program on your computer in order to read it. If you do not already have the Adobe Reader installed you can download it free from the Adobe website.
‘Gateway to Mahia’ Road Options CONSULTATION PACK (including submission form)
Submission Form
HAVE YOUR SAY!
SUBMISSIONS RELATING TO THIS PROCESS CLOSED AT 5.00 PM, MONDAY, 17 NOVEMBER 2008.
Frequently Asked Questions
Displaying results 1 to 2 of 2
Q: Why is the cost so preposterously high for Option 1 and yet it is the preferred option because of the 'Relatively low capital cost?' Relative to what? State Highway 1 reconstruction?
A: Option 1 has the lowest 'Capital Cost' at around $100,000 to upgrade some intersections. This is the lowest of all the options so it is a low cost 'relative to' those other options we have presented. The very high cost of $1.63 Million per year is our assessment of the extra cost to motorists from travelling an extra 5km or so each way to and from Mahia. This is directly related to the estimated number of vehicles using the route. Refer also to answer to Q2 below - you may feel this estimated traffic volume is overstated and if so you can make your own judgment as to what effect the diversion would have on you. Typically fuel costs are in the order of 10c per km. Inland Revenue Department guidelines suggest overall vehicle running costs in the order of 28c per km. We believe the figures used in our calculations are conservative but you are of course free to disagree.
Q: Why is the traffic volume rate calculated on 1000 cars a day when everyone knows that would only be the case for three days a year maximum?
A: In the information presented in the consultation document the amount of vehicles is simply used to obtain an idea of the order of magnitude of extra travel costs. If you do not think the 1000 vehicles per day is accurate you can make your own interpretation of those additional travel costs - a simple proportional reduction would give you a good idea of where your estimate would sit. For example Council's estimates for travel cost for Option 1 are around $1.5 Million per year. If you disagree with Council's estimate of 1000 vehicles per day and think it should only be 500 vehicles per day then you might think the additional travel costs should only be stated as $750,000 per year.
