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Auckland Transport (AT) has announced a new approach for dealing with unsealed roads, but the move has provoked a sceptical response from Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers.
The new approach would see AT working with local boards, including the Rodney Local Board, to prioritise work on the roads. Around 640km or 80 per cent of Auckland’s gravel roads are in Rodney.
Mayor Phil Goff says working with local boards will enable AT to target upgrades to the specific condition of roads needing improvements.
“It will help us get better value for money from our roading upgrades and improve more roads across the region,” he says.
AT chief engineer Murray Burt adds that AT previously used a narrow set of criteria for prioritising road maintenance and upgrades.
The new scheme allows for a broader range of treatment options, rather than always defaulting to a full seal.
“There is a limited pool of money for sealing roads and we are looking at ways of getting better value,” he says.
The treatment options, in addition to full sealing, include pavement strengthening, road widening, safety improvements, repair of potholes, drainage improvements and dust mitigation.
Rodney Local Board deputy chair Beth Houlbrooke welcomes the change saying unsealed roads are a constant issue in the rural community with dust, mud, run-off and potholes.
“We strongly support AT finding a better way to look at these problems so that we can deliver more fixes to more roads,” she says. But Cr Greg Sayers remains unimpressed.
“The reality of the matter is the budget for improving unsealed roads was slashed from $121 million for the next 10 years to just $40 million. This will have a huge negative impact on the condition of the unsealed roading network,” he says.
Cr Sayers says the budget was taken away in preference for building more public transport and cycling projects in the city.
“Rural communities continue to be marginalised under the Supercity’s preferred transport priorities,” he says.
