During the initial stages of planning construction on the highway, which replaces the now-closed Manawatū Gorge road, TDC negotiated with NZTA so the agency would take over maintenance of the two roads, given the volume of traffic expected to be using them while the highway was built.
Collis has been adamant that if there is a toll on the highway, TDC “would not be taking those roads back”.
“They have pointed out to me that legally it was TDC land.
“I’ve got to take as strong a stance as I can for those roads.”
A NZTA spokesman said they took over the management of the two local roads while the highway was being constructed, to undertake regular maintenance and renewal works.
“As part of the process to hand back the maintenance and operations of the Saddle Road and Pahīatua Track to the respective local authorities, NZTA will work with those authorities. This will include looking at required maintenance.”
However, Collis has told staff not to enter into any conversations with NZTA on the revocation of those roads should the toll go ahead, saying the maintenance costs would be unaffordable.
The proposal to toll the highway was one of three. Takitimu North Link and Ōtaki to north of Levin (Ō2NL) were the other two.
Collis said the proposal did not sit well.
She said those who entered agreements with the agency for their land did it “because there was a common good”.
“They did it because the people needed it.”
She said the proposal had come very late in the piece and had never been discussed in the business case before construction.
Also at issue in the tolling assessment were the projected traffic figures, which stated that an estimated 10,902 vehicles would be travelling a day on the highway but TDC disagreed with NZTA’s projections.
Traffic counts were compared between the council and NZTA with between 5810 and 7418 vehicles a day on the Saddle recorded by NZTA in September 2022, August 2023 and September 2024.
However, the council’s traffic count recorded 6935 in September this year and 6132 in October.
On the Pahīatua Track between 4049 and 4483 vehicles a day were recorded by NZTA in those same months, while TDC’s highest count was in October at 3194.
A council spokesperson also pointed out those figures included construction traffic on the Saddle Road, which would not be there once the highway was open.
“Our analysis of the recent counts against historical volumes shows minimal growth since 2016. NZTA allowed for future growth of what appears to be 5% a year in the tolling assessment but our traffic data suggests stagnation in growth rates ranging from -0.5% to 0%.”
NZTA stated the starting point for the traffic volume modelling was based on 2016 traffic counts of the Manawatū Gorge road, the Saddle Road and the Pahīatua Track before the gorge was closed a year later.
“Annual traffic growth of 3% is then added to this figure to provide a projected traffic count for Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway when it opens in 2025.
“These counts are done primarily for maintenance and operations planning and schedules for those roads, so it is in our interests to ensure the counts are as accurate as possible. These counters are placed and managed by a traffic counting contractor and are placed to capture all traffic.
Collis had also asked for a meeting with the NZTA board to plead the district’s case, but that request was declined.
When the Bush Telegraph asked for some general stats on the submissions to the proposal, NZTA stated the following:
“The NZTA Board has now considered tolling applications for Ōtaki to north of Levin, Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway, and Takitimu North Link, including community feedback, and has formed a recommendation to be made to the Minister of Transport.
“The Ministry of Transport is currently preparing a Cabinet paper for the Minister to take to Cabinet. An announcement will be made once Cabinet has made decisions on the paper.”
