NZTA confirms roadworks will continue without pause

A large crane brought into Gisborne for the Hikuwai Bridges rebuild was dismantled and trucked back out of the district a month ago when the TREC project was "reset" for later this year. Photo / Liam Clayton

NZTA/Waka Kotahi has confirmed the Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) alliance will continue with maintenance work throughout the winter months at multiple sites across Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti, alongside local contractors.

There were concerns this week that TREC maintenance and operations work would halt for the month of June due to funding issues.

That instruction from TREC to 16 local contractors, that they needed to stop work, was found to be completely unfounded. It was described by East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick as “poorly constructed communication”, that caused “undue stress”.

“TREC, together with local contractors, has already completed a significant maintenance programme of work across the East Coast this year, and this work is ongoing,” an NZTA spokesman said yesterday.

“We are continuing to work alongside East Coast contractors to deliver this important work.”

This week TREC provided an update to contractors advising no new maintenance works would commence until July 1 when the new 2024/27 National Land Transport Programme begins.

“However, NZTA can confirm that existing work will continue to be delivered through the remainder of 2023/24 and into 2024/25 as programmed,” the NZTA spokesman said.

“So we will see no disruption of maintenance work.”

GDC Community Lifelines director Tim Barry also said the operation and maintenance work being carried out on council roads was not affected.

Kirkpatrick and Napier MP Katie Nimon were to hold an online meeting yesterday to discuss TREC issues with the mayors of Gisborne, Wairoa and Napier, and the chair of Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, at the request of Gisborne mayor Rehette Stoltz.

Earlier this month it was revealed that the major State Highway 35 Hikuwai bridges replacement project, led by the TREC alliance, had been “reset” until later in the year.

Construction was due to begin this month, after severe damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle, but NZ Transport Agency - Waka Kotahi announced the project remained in the “pre-construction phase” and the start date for the work had been reset by five to six months.

A large crane that contractor Brian Perry Civil had on the site of TREC’s base alongside the Gisborne railway yards for the Hikuwai bridges project was removed out of the district.

An NZTA spokesman said when that news broke that TREC would use this extended pre-construction period to focus further on the design solution, local procurement options and detailed environmental assessments.

“It will also focus on the ongoing development of key partnerships, to ensure a successful construction start.”

Yesterday, Kirkpatrick said TREC immediately needed to clarify the position with contractors it had told to cease work.

“They should also examine their attitude towards local contractors which, from what I have seen over the past few months, has been cavalier at best and in some cases disrespectful,” she said.