My Account
The Environment Court has scheduled mediation meetings this month to try to resolve appeals against the granting of consents for the construction of the Matakana link road and associated widening of State Highway 1.
Affected landowners appealing the consents granted to Auckland Transport and the NZ Transport Agency include Stellan Trust, Warkworth Properties (2010) Limited, Goatley Holdings Limited, The National Trading Company of New Zealand Limited and the White Light Family Trust.
Appellants variously complain that current construction plans will adversely affect the future use and development of their land, generate adverse effects on the environment and have given insufficient consideration to alternative routes.
An Environment Court spokesperson failed to respond when asked how long the mediation is likely to take. The mediation meetings are not open to the media.
NZ Transport Agency senior manager for project delivery Andrew Thackwray says appeals will need to be resolved before construction can start.
One Warkworth Business Association fears delays in the construction of the Matakana link road will mean that it will not be open in time for the opening of the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway, due for completion in October 2021. It believes this will cause traffic mayhem in Warkworth and potentially block SH1.
One Warkworth chair Chris Murphy says this is entirely due to AT’s failure to advance the link road in a timely manner and says it should have secured consents for the project at least a year earlier, thereby allowing plenty of time to deal with appeals.
But he said following pressure from One Warkworth, AT had at least advanced the tender process to secure contractors for the construction. This meant that if the appeals could be resolved quickly it was still possible that earthworks could commence during the current earthwork season and expedite construction.
Meanwhile, Mr Thackwray poured cold water on a suggestion that the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway opening should be delayed in order for the Matakana link road to be completed first.
“The Puhoi to Warkworth motorway is planned to open once its construction is complete. The Matakana link road project and the NZ Transport Agency’s widening of SH1 are not prerequisites for opening the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway,” he says.
The new 1.35km road will connect SH1 around the Warkworth Showgrounds to Matakana Road, just before Clayden Road.
