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The process of protecting a future transport network for Auckland, which Waka Kotahi and Auckland Transport (AT) put out for public consultation last year, is about to get real for some landowners, who may be affected in Silverdale and Dairy Flat.
Some of the routes that may be protected for the future network will affect private landowners, which Waka Kotahi Regional System Design manager Randhir Karma acknowledges can be distressing for them.
“We support all impacted landowners through the process, and know that the earlier a designation is chosen, the fewer people are impacted,” he says.
Waka Kotahi and AT will be writing to impacted landowners this month – this will include a map showing the draft designation boundary and the extent of potential impact.
One-on-one meetings will be offered and Waka Kotahi says the outcomes of the investigations and engagement may affect the extent of the impact on private property.
Karma says that since the community was consulted last year, there have been some changes. These include changes to the Wilks Road interchange to reduce effects on property.
A social impact survey is also underway to understand how the projects may positively or negatively impact communities and any required mitigation. This involves an online survey and interviews with selected property owners.
Once this work is completed, the project routes will be finalised and a notice of requirement will be lodged, expected to be later this year. This process is similar to a resource consent application.
Karma says the need to future proof transport corridors across Auckland is especially important in light of recent severe weather events.
Waka Kotahi and Auckland Transport are planning transport corridors to allow for growth in the next 30 years. Thirty percent of that growth will happen in greenfield areas, which include Warkworth, Silverdale, Dairy Flat, Kumeū, Huapai, Whenuapai and Riverhead – and many of these areas are on, or adjacent to, flood plains.
Karma says while the lack of detail in a road designation is often difficult for people living under it, they can be reassured that issues such as flooding vulnerability will be designed for when the road network is constructed.
“Primarily it was our legacy roads that became overwhelmed and suffered damage [in recent floods],” Karma says. “Obviously it’s best when the road doesn’t flood in the first place and we saw examples of how well modern infrastructure coped with unprecedented rainfall.”
Once the notice of requirement is lodged, Auckland Council will formally notify property owners, who can make submissions and be heard at a hearing if they choose, as part of the decision-making process.
If confirmed, an official designation is placed over the properties that fall on the route. Protecting the route does not guarantee funding for construction or identify what the roading corridor may look like – designations last 10-30 years, after which they lapse if the land is not acquired.
