Editorial: Communication over Manawatu Gorge closure vital

Andrew Austin, editor of Hawke's Bay Today.

One can understand the anger and disappointment of Woodville residents at the lack of communication over the closure of the Manawatu Gorge.

After 10 weeks of this vital link to Palmerston North and Wellington being closed, patience is beginning to run out. A Tararua District councillor, Peter Johns, who is based in Woodville, has taken the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) to task for its lack of communication.

It seems that just when everyone gets their hopes up that the gorge will reopen, there are more slips and delays.

In the meantime it is starting to have a negative effect on Woodville, with traders there reporting a drop in business of anything between 15 and 50 per cent. Passing traffic would be a good portion of these shops' business and not to have all those vehicles going through would be a big hit.

It is also probably having a dramatic effect on the 130 people who live in Woodville and commute to Palmerston North for work each day.

I am sure the NZTA is working hard to get the road reopened and it must be frustrating for all the contractors who have to deal with new slips just when they think they are getting somewhere.

However, they need to listen to the people who are saying there is a lack of communication. This is an opportunity to get the public on board. They just need to be kept in the loop.

It is good to see Tararua mayor Tracey Collis and her council getting involved. It is their job to support the Woodville community and to ask questions of the NZTA, which is what they seem to be doing.

This is all we ask of our elected representatives.

Let's hope there is a speedy solution to this problem.