Streets smoother if residents pay extra

By WAYNE THOMPSON

North Shore City residents can now choose to pay extra for their street to be resealed with a smooth asphalt rather than rough stone chips.

Councils all over Auckland are using stone chips because the method is about four times cheaper than asphaltic concrete or hotmix.

But residents complain the chip seal increases traffic noise. Loose chips damage cars and mark floors and carpets when tracked inside.

Last week, the North Shore council decided residents could choose the type of seal - but pay the difference between hotmix and chip seal.

This could cost each household $500 to $1000 on top of normal rates, said works committee chairman Bruce Lilly.

The amount would depend on the number of houses, residents who wanted to contribute, and the size of the area to be resealed.

Residents would have to work out how the resealing was to be paid before it started, and contributions would be voluntary.

Mr Lilly said the council annually resealed 60km of roads. Using hotmix would cost an extra $2 million, or 2 per cent more in rates.

A trial in Bournemouth Tce, Murrays Bay, which has 80 residents, resulted in two-thirds of residents chipping in $14,840 towards the hotmix. The council contributed $6100, the cost of chipseal.

Residents' spokesman James Walker said infill housing meant more traffic and homes nearer the road, but residents said the smooth surface had kept down road noise.

"The road is better looking, added value to properties and is a credit to the area."

Mr Walker said it was difficult to persuade the council to allow a policy where residents could pay for hotmix.

"Some councillors suggested it would create a precedent and lead to only affluent areas having hotmix. That's like saying we all should drive Minis."

Mr Walker believed the council was now saying that no streets would get hotmix unless they paid for it.

He called for a proper inquiry into chip reseals to prove whether it was better value for money than hotmix.