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The projected expansion of Warkworth will require future additions and upgrading to transport corridors around the town. Auckland Council is considering Notices of Requirement (NoRs) lodged by Supporting Growth, a collaboration of Auckland Transport and Waka Kotahi, aimed at protecting the land needed for eight transport projects. The proposals affect an estimated 19 full properties and parts of a further 217. Submissions were invited earlier this year, and hearings are scheduled to begin in Warkworth next Monday (Nov 13).
In this edition, Mahurangi Matters takes a closer look at NoR4 – the upgrading of Matakana Road, from the Hill Street intersection to the rural-urban boundary, a short way past the new roundabout near Clayden Road.
The envisaged project retains a two-lane road – one lane in each direction – but adds separated walkways and cycleways on both sides of the road. It entails a significant widening of the road corridor to accommodate, in turn, a footpath, cyclepath, verge, road surface, verge, cyclepath and footpath.
Supporting Growth says the walk and cycleways will improve access between the new residential zoning to the town centre helping to reduce the need for private vehicle trips for short distances.
NoR4 impacts 36 properties, mostly along Matakana Road but also several addresses on Northwood Close, Clayden Road and Melwood Drive.
It has a lapse period of 15 years, meaning that if approved it will expire only if it is not effected within 15 years of the date on which it’s included in the Auckland Unitary Plan.
Once a designation is approved, owners of affected properties may sell them, but must disclose the designation to prospective buyers.
They may also continue to use them as before, for example for grazing. But any change of land use or plan to build on it must be discussed with Auckland Transport, to ensure the plans will not hinder the future construction of the envisaged project.
Among the 23 submissions relating to NoR4 there were several from property owners unhappy about its impact on their residences or businesses, including the “blight” on their land, potentially for 15 years.
The designation boundary slices through a strip about 10 metres wide along the front of Richard and Robyn Fisher’s property, on Matakana Road.
Richard Fisher says that it initially covered an ever bigger portion of the property, including a large outbuilding for his earthworks contracting business and adjacent water tanks.
After discussions about alternatives, Supporting Growth proposed reducing the area, and adding a retaining wall to avoid works impacting the tanks. However, the boundary will still impact dozens of native trees he planted along the roadside boundary of the property bought more than two decades ago.
Fisher describes as “completely excessive” plans for footpaths and bike lanes on both sides of the road. For casual cyclists, he says, a cycleway along one side of the road will be more than adequate – and serious cyclists will almost certainly use the road, not the cycleways.
“There’s this idea that everybody’s going to be cycling, but are they really?” he asks. “And why not have a shared cycle-walking path, as they do elsewhere?”
Fisher also worries that, given there will be “tens of thousands of cubic metres of dirt to be moved” during the works, full road closure will be inevitable, causing access difficulties.
And the fact the affected properties will have the designations on their land for up to 15 years “is going to scare so many buyers away”.
Northwood Developments Ltd was granted subdivision and earthworks consents in 2018 for 25 residential lots between Matakana Road and Melwood Drive. Even though works have been underway since then, seven of the 25 lots now fall within the footprint of NoR4.
In its submission, the company says restrictions on designated land mean that the project would need to be redesigned, with much less land available for the development.
Northwood argues that with the opening of the Te Honohono ki Tai Road, dramatically decreasing traffic along the stretch of Matakana Road in question, a widened road corridor will not be needed, and that the extension of the existing footpath and addition of one new cycleway can be done within the existing corridor.
The owners of Laroc farm, which stretches from north of the ECM Signs and Motorcycles to where Matakana and Sandspit Roads meet, oppose the extent of works affecting the site as well as the 15-year lapse date.
“The project, as proposed, will blight the land and render the existing buildings unusable, and will prevent the existing businesses from operating,” they write, echoing similar wording in separate submission from ECM Signs and ECM Laser.
Retirement living provider Arvida owns Paddison Farm, and is preparing a private plan change application for the site (and a large expanse of adjoining land) ahead of the planned building of a retirement community.
Its submission says that while it supports the urbanisation of Matakana Road it opposes NoR4 as currently proposed because it will adversely affect the development of its property, and the 15-year lapse date “will unnecessarily blight the subject site for a substantial amount of time”.
A joint submission from the Warkworth Area Liaison Group and One Mahurangi Business Association says there are “multiple access problems” on the east side of the road. It would be more appropriate to have a combined walkway-cycleway on the west side only.
It also says the walkway-cycleway should be built on piles, to avoid long fill slopes or retaining walls, and that a timber decking option should not be ruled out.
The Equal Justice Project supports NoR4, saying in its submission it will “reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport”.
“The NoRs respond to the effects of climate change and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by providing improved reliability for public transport and high quality walking and cycling facilities,” it says.
