Highway threatens rural homes

Adri Noom has been told the proposed highway route runs right through his house near Warkworth. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Adri and Marie-Louisa Noom moved to the tranquillity of rural Warkworth to be closer to family.

But the couple have been told their retirement home is one of 29 properties that could be bulldozed to make way for a proposed $1.65 billion Puhoi-to-Wellsford highway.

The preferred route for the 18km stage to Warkworth was announced yesterday. A total of 55 properties could be affected.

Although the Transport Agency says it will keep an open mind during consultations running until late January, Mr Noom is pessimistic about the chances of saving his home.

"Much as we would like it to disappear somewhere else I can't see them changing their minds," he said. "We are devastated." The Nooms moved to Warkworth from Kerikeri six years ago to be nearer family in Auckland. They chose the far end of Perry Rd because it was "so peaceful and out of the way".

Their large house could make way for construction to start in 2014 for one of seven Government-designated new roads of national significance.

Farmland, plantation forestry and native bush, including a stand of mature kauri trees, are also under threat.

However, the Transport Agency says it has taken care to avoid running the road through the Pohuehue Scenic Reserve.

The agency has not proposed any interchanges between Warkworth and Orewa and has deferred a decision on whether to provide access to the new highway from Puhoi and Mahurangi West.

Transport Agency regional director Stephen Town said that despite "strong feedback" from those communities supporting an access point, the agency had decided to take its lead from the Auckland Council and that new body's plans for growth in the northern part of the region.

Without an access point, the highway would be built as a continuous extension of the Northern Gateway toll road, meaning Puhoi and Mahurangi West residents would have to revert to using the old coastal Hibiscus Highway to reach Orewa or Silverdale.

Mr Town said the fact that much of the new route would be some distance from the existing SH1 had limited the number of "lifestyle" blocks which could otherwise have been affected.

More or less land may be needed following consultation and more studies.

The Puhoi-Warkworth stage is expected to cost about $980 million, leaving $670 million for the 20km Wellsford leg, for which construction is due to start in 2016.

Principal project director Brett Gliddon said the new route would replace the sharp bends of the existing road, and shave five to seven minutes off trips between Warkworth and Auckland.

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Public information meetings will be held at Warkworth Primary School on Saturday and on November 28, and at the Old Masonic Hall in the town on Tuesday. A meeting will also be held on Thursday at Puhoi Sports Club.