Group ramps up bid to tarseal roads

ON THE MARCH: Residents plagued by dusty roads around Pipiwai marching from Kensington Park to Forum North in time to hear their submission to the Whangarei District Council's Annual Plan.PHOTOS/JOHN STONE

A group lobbying for rural roads heavily used by forestry vehicles to be tarsealed hasn't ruled out legal action if Whangarei District Council failed to act.

The Pipiwai Titoki Road Action Group, with protesters in tow, piled more pressure on the council through a submission at its 2014-2015 Draft Annual Plan hearing yesterday.

In March, the group staged a five-hour protest on the boundary of Whangarei and Far North districts, after a year-long stalemate over the problem of excess dust raised by logging traffic on unsealed roads in the area.

The roads it wants tarsealed are McCardle Rd, Wright Rd, Pipiwai Rd and Omauri Rd.

In her submission at the council chambers yesterday, group spokeswoman Alex Wright urged Mayor Sheryl Mai and her councillors to lobby the Government in an election year for about $9 million needed to tarseal the roads.

"Until our road is tarsealed, we'll say no to the estimated $13 million funding for Hundertwasser," she said to loud applause from her supporters, some of whom spilled outside the meeting room.

Ms Wright asked the mayor and her councillors whether they'd put up with the dust and said last week a resident in Pipiwai counted 80 trucks travelling through the roads in a day.

The group played a television news clip from February last year that showed residents voicing concern about the level of dust and Ms Wright said they were still eating and breathing dust.

She expressed disappointment at the attitude of council staff towards the problem and said in future, group members would deal directly with the mayor and the councillors.

School bus driver Rebecca Nathan, who carts students to and from Mangakahia Area School, also spoke and said her concern was the health and safety of children during the 37km trip each way.

She said she had to virtually stop the bus while approaching corners because of the amount of dust from logging trucks.

"It is not on," she added.

Deputy Mayor Sharon Morgan said it was not just a problem for the Government and suggested a long-term solution in collaboration with territorial authorities and the Northland Regional Council.

A protester said if the council had sealed 500m strips over a decade, the entire road would have been tarsealed by now.

The mayor asked Ms Wright whether the group was prepared to look at a targeted rate to fund the tarsealing and the latter replied she needed to discuss it with her members.