Six Far North roads to be sealed to combat dust hazard

Dust is a bone of contention on unsealed Northland roads such as here at Peria, east of Kaitaia. Photo / Supplied

Sections of six rural roads in the Far North will be sealed this financial year at a cost of just over $4 million.

Far North District Council infrastructure manager Andy Finch said $11m would be spent over 10 years to seal ''critical risk'' roads and combat dust.

"These are roads that cause community concern about dust generation and were selected using a newly-developed prioritisation matrix. This ranks individual roads based on criteria such as traffic volumes, the number of residents on each road, the presence of schools, marae and other community facilities, and whether the road is a significant detour route.''

Finch said the new matrix made sure decisions about which roads to seal were based on transparent criteria that were applied fairly and consistently across the district.

Seal extensions on three of the roads will be funded entirely from the council's $3m unsubsidised priority seal extension programme. It is intended the remaining roads will be co-funded with the NZ Transport Agency.

After the NZTA signs-off on the projects it will pay 66 per cent of the cost through its subsidised dust sealing budget.

Contracts for the work, which will total $4.14m for 10.06km of road, were approved by councillors at their August 29 meeting and will be awarded to Broadspectrum and Fulton Hogan.

Work on Kumi Rd, Awanui (3.9km), Porotu Rd, Oromahoe (1.3km) and Puketi Rd, Okaihau (1km) will be fully funded entirely by the council and is expected to start in early 2020. Roads and distances to be sealed with the NZTA subsidy are Otangaroa Rd, Kaeo (0.2km), Church Rd, Kaitaia (1.7km) and Koropewa Rd, Waipapa (1.8km).

The NZTA will make a final decision on funding when it receives a business case from the Northland Transportation Alliance.