Council's submission on proposed expressway approved

Published on July 07, 2017

Horowhenua District Council (HDC) has approved its submission to the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) proposal to create an expressway from Ōtaki to North of Levin as part of the Roads of National Significance.

NZTA’s latest round of consultation closes today and earlier this week the HDC Strategy Committee adopted its submission on the project.

Council's Growth Response Project Manager Daniel Haigh says that given few details of the project are known at this time, Council has taken a principled approach to this consultation round.

“We need NZTA to understand the multitude of issues that are important across the District so it can plan for and aim to mitigate effects of the expressway on what is important to our district."

The principles cover: collaboration and support; culture and heritage; access; scope; staging; effects on urban form; project programme; project design, interchanges; walking and cycling; roadways; access ways; amenities; environment and ecology; and, economic impacts.

Mr Haigh says the submission is not intended to be a complete record of all the views, issues and requirements that Council considers relevant to the project.

Instead, he says it is reflective of the knowledge and level of information currently available.

“The principles are reasonably broad to ensure they remain applicable and can respond to changes or unexpected issues that may occur throughout the process.”

Mr Haigh says that later this year NZTA will carry out a second round of consultation on the proposed expressway and it is during this stage that Council and the community will gain a better understanding of the potential routes the expressway could take and the locations of interchanges.

Council will carry out more detailed investigations and identification of issues during the second round of consultation.

Mr Haigh says alongside the submission, Council will encourage NZTA to increase community involvement in its Project Reference Group.

“I want to assure residents that even though NZTA’s first round of consultation is over, both Council officers and Elected Members are still keen to hear from the public about their thoughts and concerns regarding the proposed expressway. This is one of the most significant projects ever undertaken in Horowhenua, so it is important the channels of communication remain open."