Ashburton’s new bridge a done deal, except for the dollars
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
It’s all good to go but who’s going to pay for it?
That still remains the big unknown for the second Ashburton/Hakatere River Bridge after the Government confirmed it would be part of its $32.9 billion plan for New Zealand’s transport network over the next three years.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has unveiled the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP), which focuses on more state highways, road maintenance, and greater public transport in the country's main cities with a 35% increase in funding compared to the last three years.
He said it includes plans to work with Ashburton District Council to progress the second Ashburton Bridge as a road of regional significance.
Ashburton mayor Neil Brown said having it included in the transport plan "cements that the project will go ahead”.
"We will be getting our second bridge.
"It’s a tremendous achievement for all that have been involved in it over the last 15 years.
"Hopefully we’ll have it (funding and timeline) sorted in the next few months.”
But the big question remains on how constructing the 360-metre-long bridge across the Ashburton/Hakatere River, and associated new road infrastructure to link it to the existing network, will be funded.
That in a cheeky way was put to Rangitata MP James Meager when he presented an update to the council on the Government’s work programme.
Mayor Brown welcomed him with a tongue-in-cheek quip that Meager is "a busy man no doubt, getting funding for bridges etc”.
The commitment to get the bridge started in this term of Government is unchanged, Meager said.
Whether it comes from tax, rates, or user pays, someone ends up paying for it, he said.
"It sits with the council and NZTA now to have those conversations and discussions about what the funding mix is.”
What being a road of regional significance means for the NZTA contribution also remains to be seen but Meager suggested it could result in "an uplift” of the Government’s contribution from the minimum 51%.
Council chief executive Hamish Riach confirmed that they had already applied to the Government’s regional infrastructure fund, while Mayor Brown said they have put in for a fast-track consent for the project.
The council included $7.5m for the second bridge in its long-term plan and was aware that figure may not be enough.
Being included in the plan guarantees at least the minimum 51% funding from NZTA as costing of $113m, based on the 2022 business case, but that estimate is now closer to $130m.
At the $113m price tag, NZTA’s 51% contribution ($56.6m) and the council’s $7.5m (6.7% of the total cost) leaves a shortfall of $48.9m.
How that funding gap is bridged has been a focus for some time and will need to be finalised soon.
"We have been working with NZTA for a while now around how that might work, and those discussions are well advanced,” Brown said.
***More than a bridge
The bridge was the big Mid Canterbury project in the Government’s transport plan but wasn’t the only one.
There is a planned asphalt upgrade for the SH1 Ashburton – SH77 junction to the Ashburton Bridge.
The section of the road will be dug out and re-asphalted to cater for heavy traffic use.
Safety improvements will be designed for the Selwyn River to Ashburton stretch of SH1.
There will also be a rockfall fence in the Rakaia Gorge along SH77 on the south side of the river to protect motorists and the highway, and to give reliable journey times.
Poll: How should Guy Fawkes be celebrated?
While it is a fun occasion, fireworks on Guy Fawkes Night has caused much conflict over the years, upsetting our pets and disrupting the sleep of neighbours.
How should we celebrate Guy Fawkes Night? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
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28% With a city-wide public fireworks display
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21.3% Small fireworks displays in each community
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7.5% Keep it as is
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31.5% We shouldn't celebrate it!
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11.2% Anything but fireworks
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0.5% Other - I'll share below
Ashburton council doubles down on resealing roads
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Almost double the amount of road resealing will now take place in Mid Canterbury this summer – although the council isn't sure if it's possible.
Councillors voted to spend $2.46 million of ratepayer money on additional road seals after failing to get the funding from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.
The council isn't sure if it’s possible to achieve more than 100km of road resealing - double the previous financial year. If it doesn't reach the target, the council may have to revisit the decision.
The difference between the council’s long-term plan budget and NZTA funding for 2024-27 is $15m.
That funding gap meant the council had $2.46m of ratepayer money unmatched by NZTA and needed to decide where to allocate that money.
Road manager Mark Chamberlain suggested a list of priority projects, spreading some money across areas that were underfunded by NZTA to the council last week.
Mayor Neil Brown thought differently.
He suggested putting the full $2.46m into reseals to “get back our reseals to where they should be”.
Complaints about the state of the road in recent years have been well documented.
Brown called it “preventative maintenance” to avoid the roads cracking and forming potholes.
The council resealed 49.5km of road in 2023-24 but Brown said the council used to reseal over 100km per year until budget restraints had drastically reduced that figure.
It could again this year after the councillors voted 6-4 to allocate the money to additional reseal work.
Deputy mayor Liz McMillan, councillors Leen Braam, Russell Ellis, and Carolyn Cameron voted against the motion.
The council is already underway with work on 60km of subsidised reseals this summer.
Infrastructure and open spaces group manager Neil McCann said the roading team was working out how to best fit the extra reseal funding into the work programme.
Any section of road to be resealed needs pre-seal work completed first he said.
“We are looking at what areas that need resealing need the least amount of pre-seal work to maximise the number of kilometres in the time we have got.”
The aim is to convert the money into 50km of resealed road, but they won’t know how much is possible until they complete the analysis, he said.
Once they have worked it out it will go back to the council for sign-off off, he said.
Any left over funding, or if timing issues arise to complete the work in the financial year, the council could then direct some funding to other roading projects.
The $2.45m equates to about 4.6% of the district’s total rates bill ($52.5m).
The council will face the same dilemma in the next two years but could amend the annual plan to remove the unmatched funding.
The road programme also includes $500,000 of unsubsidised funding towards unsealed road metalling
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