$12 million fix for dangerous road struggles for support
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Fixing 900m of dangerous roadway just north of Greymouth would cost upwards of $12 million, according to evidence presented for the 2024 West Coast Regional Transport Plan.
And despite the recognised danger to cyclists along the section of State Highway 6 north of Greymouth, it is a sum unlikely to be paid.
At the hearing into the draft plan on July 5, resident Suzanne Hills said the Coast Road was "just manageable" for cyclists but only for those who were confident and had quick reactions.
She singled out the 900m section of road just north of Greymouth's Cobden Bridge as "extremely dangerous".
Those riding in both directions contend with steep cliffs, bluffs, no road shoulders, blind corners and the narrow overbridges at Coal Creek and Camp, Hills said.
"Combined with Greymouth 'rush hour' traffic, it can be very frightening," she said.
"Something can and must be done about this dangerous 900m section of road to avoid lives being destroyed."
In a formal recommendation to the committee, council planning staff agreed the section of State highway 6 from the Cobden Bridge to Taylorville Road "is narrow and difficult for cyclists".
But they also suggested a $12m improvement project to fix those issues would not be prioritised under the draft Government Transport Policy Statement (GPS).
Investigation of options to improve the corridor for cyclists had been undertaken by the NZ Transport Agency in 2023.
"The cost of the identified solution is high, at $12m-plus. A project of this scale is not supported by the draft GPS," the staff recommendation said.
Punakaiki resident Marie Elder said the draft plan's positive endorsement of active transport recognised State Highway 6 is used by cyclists as a principal means of transport.
In contrast, the advancement of the Barrytown Flats mining proposal by TiGa with up to 50 extra heavy truck movements a day along the route, compromised that.
Elder said she personally knew of five cyclists in the regular use category.
She often saw others on her (45km) journeys from Punakaiki to Greymouth, and return.
Greymouth mayor Tania Gibson said she could not ignore the wider economic benefit of proposals like TiGa's.
She said Elder seemed to single out the impact of that on State Highway 6 without acknowledging it was already a heavy transport route, including for the region's dairy industry.
In response, Elder said Westland Milk tankers only travelled in one direction at a time, were much quieter, and locals could anticipate their movements.
However, Gibson said they were talking about a state highway that available to multiple users at any time.
"I still do not believe it is a reason not to have trucks on the road," she said.
Haddock, a Punakaiki bach owner, asked Elder how many cyclists she regularly encountered, particularly on the 30km stretch of the Coast Road from Rapahoe north.
"I don't see a lot in my regular travels," Haddock said.
Elder said there were four regular cyclists she knew of.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
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Calling All Puzzle Masters! Can You Solve This?
When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height.
Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was.
If the tree grew by five centimetres each year, how much higher would the nail be?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
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What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.