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While attention is focused on where Watercare will lay its planned new sewer through the Warkworth CBD, it has emerged that the wider project could see it commandeering part of four reserves and parks for construction sites.
The pipeline is needed to take wastewater from major new developments on the north-west side of town to a new pump station in Lucy Moore Park, construction of which could take anywhere from 14 to 22 months.
Project manager Michael Zhou told a Rodney Local Board workshop last month that Watercare had earmarked four potential temporary sites for heavy machinery to be used and stored throughout – part of Warkworth Showgrounds, Kowhai Reserve (where the ‘Welcome to Warkworth’ duck sign is), Kowhai Park and Shoesmith Reserve.
“Stage one, the northern branch sewer from the showgrounds to Hill Street, is in the design stage and work is in progress to obtain resource consent for construction,” he said. “We need to construct hardstanding areas for trucks, diggers and heavy machinery.”
The proposal to use part of the bottom section of Shoesmith Reserve as the main construction compound and site office for both the northern and southern sections rang alarm bells with members.
“All the children walk along from school there, it’s a super-dangerous road and busy in the mornings, you cannot find a car park there,” Ivan Wagstaff said.
“Also you’re going to have all these trucks going through Hill Street – would it not be better to do it somewhere else on the same side of the road as the works? Is there any other option, like up at the showgrounds?”
Members suggested that another part of the showgrounds, such as the rodeo area, or as yet undeveloped land to the north, might be better options.
Zhou and elected member relationship manager Ben Halliwell said such feedback was the reason for them coming to the workshop.
“This is genuinely useful for us, you guys need these areas and you know how these parks are used and we don’t,” Halliwell said. “Your suggestions are valuable. Coming to you this early in the process means that we can actually do something about that feedback.”
Zhou added that they couldn’t say when work might start until the southern sewer pipe route through Warkworth had been decided.
“That’s the big question. We can start when we can confirm the southern stage, because once we start, we want to go all the way through – we don’t want to stop, go away and come back, we want to do it all as fast as possible.”
