Northland residents call for ‘meaningful’ consultation on alternative Brynderwyns routes

Waipu residents want reassurance their voices will be heard during future consultation on alternative Brynderwyns routes.

A group of Northland residents are calling on the Government’s transport agency to “meaningfully engage” on alternative routes when considering options to bypass the troublesome Brynderwyn Hills.

As pressure mounts on the Government to provide a resilient SH1 route, Waipu residents want reassurance their voices will be heard in the next round of public consultation.

Brooks Area Community Group (BACG) has written to several officials, including Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Northland MP Grant McCallum, along with New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) chairman Simon Bridges and the Whangārei, Far North and Kaipara mayors.

BACG chairman Paul Cogswell said the last time NZTA consulted on alternative routes with residents in 2017, it didn’t go so well.

“We were halfway through building our house when NZTA flew in with two options, both of which went through our house.

“There are 130 rateable properties in our area now, and they want to smash a highway through it.

“I don’t want it coming through my backyard or the other 130 rateable properties ... there are better, cheaper, faster routes.”

The Government announced on July 23 it was accelerating a four-lane highway between Auckland and Whangārei, including over the notoriously fragile Brynderwyn Hills, which are often closed due to bad weather.

Though there are no details on where exactly the new route will go, an NZTA map suggests it will be to the west of the current road.

In 2017, before the project was put on hold, NZTA sought public feedback on two alternative route options, both which took a berth around the western side of the hills.

Brooks Area Community Group chairman Paul Cogswell said he doesn’t want a Brynderwyns bypass going through his backyard.

BACG said the proposed options went through sensitive Department of Conservation land, productive organic and other farmland, and bisected the rapidly developing local communities of Durham Rd, Brooks Rd, Finlayson Brooks Rd and others.

The group developed its own alternative route (called Option F) which follows the Brynderwyns and uses viaducting to get over more difficult parts of the terrain.

The Regional Transport Committee (RTC) also developed an alternative route (called Option 4) that accesses the eastern side of the Brynderwyns.

Cogswell said the latter two options achieve route resilience, speed, and cost benefits without damaging communities.

“These two routes equal or better any independent consideration of the relevant criteria by reference to NZTA’s announced options,” Cogswell said.

“It is our view that they are preferable to NZTA’s options and must be considered ... when possible routes are being developed.”

Cogswell said the group was also concerned about a lack of consultation.

He was disappointed in the recent announcement, which included a map of the Northland Expressway project featuring an alternative Brynderwyns route.

“They’ve consistently over the last four years on multiple occasions said they would consider all routes.

“Then they upload a map on the Beehive website.

“It’s a breach of good faith.”

NZTA did not respond to questions about what options were being considered or when a decision would be made.

RTC chairman Joe Carr said decision making on alternative Brynderwyns routes needs to be transparent and efficient.

However, the Northern Advocate understands NZTA will take into account work already done in the corridor over previous years.

It will also take into account a range of factors including the views of impacted parties, geotechnical investigations which provide information about ground conditions and constructability, cost, and other factors like how the route will link up with the rest of the corridor.

RTC chairman Joe Carr said Option 4 was still a good alternative.

NZTA routes were 7km longer than the others, he said.

“No one’s actually walked over the routes they’re proposing and [seen] if they’re practical to construct.

“I think we’ve reached a stage where we need an infrastructure board where we make some decisions locally and we get construction projects administered at a local level.

“We’d get things to go faster.”

Carr said any decision-making needed to be transparent and efficient.

“I just want to see the evaluations done openly so you can work out the benefit-cost ratio of the projects.

“You want a preliminary geotech report, i.e. a walkover over the potential routes they’ve identified, and tell us if any have got construction flaws.

“If they’re not viable, put a line through them so the community doesn’t remain on tenterhooks.

“It affects their properties and how they work and develop their land. We need that information.”

Jenny Ling is a news reporter and features writer for the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.