Abridged from a group e-mail to KCDC candidates
I am writing on behalf of the “Finish Our Road” (www.for.org.nz) group that is seeking to have south on and off slip lanes added to facilitate further local connectivity to the Expressway.
There is substantial community support, including the Chamber of Commerce, we note in a recent request of the Chamber for candidates to express their view on this.
An analysis of 1,300 who have signed our Petition is as below:
Paekakariki to Waikanae River 12%
Waikanae 33%
Peka Peka 9%
Te Hapua to Otaki River 32%
Otaki 4%
Other areas 10%
A major issue is that there are a significant number of inadequacies with the NZTA Business Case used to make the decision not to proceed. A number of these are documented on our website; there are, however, two fundamental ones:
- The investment objectives on which the decision was based are limited to satisfaction and access for Peka Peka and Te Horo communities. However perhaps the most significant impact will be 2,300 trips per day [Information from the NZTA Business Case documentation] traversing the residential streets of Waikanae, rather than using a purpose built safer expressway; and
- The cost NZTA placed against the two Slip Lanes required, is around 1/20th of the total cost of the PP2O Expressway, which includes the Otaki River bridge and multiple other bridges.
The cost set against these two Slip Lanes simply isn’t believable.
NZTA own almost all the land required, [NZTA determination] and we understand that existing use Consents can be implemented.
–Ian Jensen, 182 Te Hapua Road, 0274 436517 ; 06 3643263