Public say on heavy traffic routes

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Gisborne has been discussing heavy traffic freight routes “for years” and the process must be kept moving to develop east-west routes to the port.

That is the view of Gisborne district councillor Pat Seymour who recommended to fellow councillors — sitting as the Sustainable Tairawhiti committee (all councillors and the Mayor) — that favoured options for heavy traffic freight routes be officially recommended and go out for public consultation.

The paper before councillors should not be a noting report only, she said. It was important to keep the process moving.

Conversations about heavy transport routes had “been going on for years”, particularly concerning the Hirini Road bypass where some wanted a roundabout, which never happened, said Cr Seymour.

Councillors agreed with her in recommending options favoured by theRegional Transport committee and seeking public consultation.

Cr Seymour, who is chairwoman of the Regional Transport committee, said it would be unfair not to bring the matter before the council.

Favoured options comprise a connecting option from Waimata Valley Road along Harper Road to State Highway 2 and a port access connecting option via Hirini Street.

There are currently two high-level route options for east-west freight —

■ The highway route using State Highway 35, Awapuni Road and Customhouse Street.

■ The dual route using Back Ormond Road, Ormond Road and The Esplanade in addition to the highway route.

Cr Bill Burdett said the heavy traffic route paper was timely and he supported it going out for public consultation.

He had recently attended a day-long New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) meeting and left “better informed on that day than we have been for most of the last three years with regional transport meetings”.

Councillors needed “a full understanding” of the NZTA meeting, he said.

The meeting covered the criteria for seeking Provincial Growth Fund funding.

“You can understand why when we go to Wellington we get turned down all the time.”

Cr Sandra Faulkner said there were heavy traffic conficts with many aspirations included in the council's Spatial Plan, which the council committee had earlier discussed.

Examples included the large cropping network in Harper Road, drain and water issues and the presence of farm machinery and schools.

Cr Shannon Dowsing said forcing traffic along Awapuni Road would not necessarily cause any additional adverse impact on residents.

“Considering the volume of vehicles which currently come past Wainui, it's not necessarily distractive from development in that area. It's just a fact of life.”

The Awapuni route was vital and not in opposition to development in that area.

Councillors Josh Wharehinga and Larry Foster supported Cr Seymour's recommendation.

Residents wanted to see action, Mr Foster said.