Looking north from the corner of Awanui Drive into the Waikanae North subdivision; the Ryman village is just visible in the centre-background

No grand opening by the Mayor or the Governor General; the barriers that had been blocking cars until a few days ago were simply removed. When we first moved to Awanui Drive in 2006 this area was paddocks with horses; within a few months we learned of the Waikanae North company plans.  When these became more definite about the middle of 2007, unhappy people in Awanui Drive and the streets running off it organised a meeting to let the KCDC know what they thought. At the moment, the area that was paddocks is just vacant lots awaiting buyers — with the exception of the Ryman retirement village.

From the company’s map it seems that only 12 lots have a street frontage on David Street extension; the rest have a frontage on what is to be called Waipunahau Road, or the extension of Parata Street. Both the extension of David Street and the Waipunahau Road are quite narrow, clearly the intention is for cars to go slowly along them. However, some bureaucrat traffic engineer in the KCDC got it into his head to put a Give Way sign at the east end of Awanui Drive, which adds insult to the injury felt by people in Awanui Drive of having this intended big development built next to them. At the moment, and probably for the next couple of years at least, it makes no sense to have a Give Way sign for almost non-existent traffic going along the David Street extension; if the need for a Give Way sign is felt at all, then it should apply to those going along the extension: a normal GW sign and road marking for those going south and a “Straight Ahead Traffic Give Way” sign for those heading north.  On the map above we have indicated with red lines where these road lines should be put. Looking south from the David Street extension into David Street with Awanui Drive to the right.  Right here is where a Give Way sign should have been placed.

Update

Our submission to the WCB in June was ignored, and the traffic engineer had his way — do bureaucrats ever listen?  They do sometimes, but often they don’t.  The practical significance is that when turning into David Street here and into Awanui Drive from David Street here from now on you should indicate if you see another car.  If will only be when there’s an accident that the traffic engineer will rethink, but we don’t want any accident.