Rodeo driven out of town

The Warkworth Rodeo is the latest casualty of Warkworth’s never-ending traffic woes.

The Rodeo Club has cancelled the annual event, normally held on January 1, citing traffic congestion as the reason.

Secretary Paul Manton says the difficult decision was made in light of the announcement by the Ara Tūhono Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway project that the new road will not be open in time for the 2023 Warkworth Rodeo.

“This, in conjunction with the Matakana link road and Dome Valley work, means all this traffic congestion will be terminating at the gates of the Warkworth Showgrounds, ending in gridlock,” Manton says.

“Plus, the 50kph speed limit at the Johnstones Hill tunnels through to Puhoi and, of course, Hill Street intersection will add to the holiday crawl. Any one of these restrictions would impose delays, but all combined was too much.”

Manton said the long-running anti-rodeo protests were not a factor in the decision.

“Our thoughts were about being able to put on a well-attended, entertaining, cost-effective event where our animals, contestants, and the public could arrive and leave safely.

“It has been a very hard decision for the club to make, but ultimately, we feel it is in the best interests of the community to take a hiatus this year and we look forward to putting on a rodeo in 2024.”