Tararua mayor pleased NZTA moving quickly on Saddle Road

Tararua District mayor Tracey Collis is pleased the New Zealand Transport Agency is reacting "with speed" to find a solution for the closed State Highway 3 through the Manawatu Gorge.

"It's about finding the right solution, it's never been about the money," she said.

When asked if people felt the Government has been taking too long to come up with a solution, Mrs Collis said there has been a feeling more could have been done.

Asphalt repairs under way on the Saddle Rd on Wednesday.

"But, the challenges need to be understood," she said. "I can't remember there being four slips in the gorge at one time. I'm very concerned to hear the latest slip has damaged the bridge and the movement in the gorge is still accelerating.

"NZTA are working at absolute speed (on an alternate route) and, while none of us ever get everything right, I haven't seen anything work at this speed before. They're pulling out all the stops. NZTA have received a very clear message, but it's a challenging situation."

On Wednesday afternoon Mrs Collis spent time in Woodville and said people are very positive about the realignment of Woodlands Rd off the Saddle Rd.

"I'm receiving nothing but compliments about the work NZTA have carried out on the Saddle and I've talked to them about monitoring the situation so we don't let it fall back again," she said.

With tourism at the heart of our region and 45,000 people traversing Te Apiti Manawatu Gorge walk, Mrs Collis said the impact of the closure is wider than Woodville. And there was some nervousness on the streets of Woodville regarding the tourism effects of the closure.

"We will continue with our plans for Ferry Reserve (at Ballance) and really the Saddle Rd is a very scenic route, with stunning views," she said. "With the road surface on the Saddle smoother, there is less impact on fuel and vehicle maintenance, but things are happening fast on an alternate route, so it's something to be positive about."

Mrs Collis said she was pleased Transport Minister Simon Bridges wasn't ruling out a reduced petrol tax for the region, one of the options suggested to ease the pain for motorists. As Mr Bridges visited Fish Spot, Fruitful and the Bridge Cafe on Wednesday, Mrs Collis said it was really humbling for her to see the business owners open themselves up to the minister.

But rather than compensation the first, best option is to get traffic back into Woodville, Mr Bridges said.

"Previously compensation has been paid when a state of emergency has occurred because of a disaster and business stops, with wholesale closures," he said.

"During the 2011-12 14-month gorge closure the GST take came down somewhat, but not significantly, but I do want to try to have an open mind."