Roading resilience business case adopted by Gisborne District Council

Police accept the state of the Bloomfield Road and Bushmere Rd intersection may have contributed to a two-car collision that saw four people taken to Gisborne Hospital. Photo / Paul Rickard

Gisborne District Council has endorsed a long-term strategy to tackle the critical condition of the region’s 1899km local roading network.

The Strategic Roading Network Resilience Programme Business Case, adopted at a council meeting last Thursday, lays a path to a more resilient and reliable Tairāwhiti transport network for the level of investment it receives from rates and Waka Kotahi NZTA.

The business case outlines an evidence-based approach to where and how roads are maintained, and smarter use of funding to improve the resilience of critical transport routes over the next 30 years.

Council director lifelines Tim Barry said the plan set a realistic and forward-thinking framework for future decision-making.

“This isn’t a funding bid. It’s a roadmap for hard but necessary choices,” Barry said.

“Our roads are wearing out faster than we can fix them and frequent storm damage is costing more than we can afford. We need to prioritise resilience where it matters most.”

The plan’s preferred option – “Balanced Reach” – targets investment on the roads that serve the greatest social and economic need, particularly in central areas of the region where most people live.

Less-used or lower-priority routes may receive reduced levels of service and some could revert to unsealed roads or be retired entirely.

The council will work closely with iwi, hapū, industry and communities to determine appropriate levels of service for specific roads, recognising the cultural, social and economic value many routes hold, the release said.

Future engagement will be part of the council’s Long Term Plan process.

Mayor Rehette Stoltz said the business case was “a clear-eyed response” to the pressures the region was facing.

“We’ve spent more on emergency road repairs than ever before – $65 million last year alone – but many roads are still deteriorating,“ she said.

“This plan helps us shift from reactive patching to proactive investment. It’s not about doing less; it’s about doing what’s most important.”

The Programme Business Case will be peer reviewed by NZ Transport Agency, with a final version expected to return to the council in August for adoption.