Kerikeri
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A Far North District Council spokesman said Ms Brown had highlighted an issue at the intersection of Kerikeri and Access roads that the council was aware of and was working to address. He agreed that the new berm had become infested with weeds and was now very unsightly.
The original plan was to have had the area grassed, but mowing the berm next to such a busy section of road, with an 80km/h speed limit, would place contractors at unacceptable risk. The likelihood was that one lane would have had to be closed to traffic every time the berm needed maintenance. That would not be acceptable to drivers or the council.
A post-construction safety audit of the Access Road intersection, conducted in December, had provided possible remedies, however. A final decision had not yet been made, but it was likely that the berm would be covered with permeable concrete, making it maintenance-free and safer for all. That work would be scheduled during the next budget round.
Meanwhile the roundabout at the top of Kerikeri Rd was state highway, and it was the NZ Transport Agency's responsibility to monitor and control areas bordering it.