Far North residents celebrate after their road is sealed - after 20-year wait

Faye Irwin Erceg cut a ribbon to unofficially declare the newly sealed Upper Okahu Rd open. Photo / Francis Malley

For the residents of Upper Okahu Rd, the near 20-year wait to have their road sealed was finally celebrated with a good old-fashioned street party last Friday night.

The Far North District Council, which had been under some pressure to complete the project for nearly two decades, finished the sealing of the road in early March.

For residents, this meant the end of driving over potholes and corrugations, and putting up with dust raised by passing vehicles blowing into their houses.

Given the honour of cutting the ribbon to unofficially declare the newly sealed road "open" was resident Faye Irwin Erceg, who had organised the party on behalf of the road's residents and ratepayers.

"We have closed the GAP – gravel and people – after 18 years of pleading, communicating and endless submissions to achieve our goal," she said to all-round applause, cheering and the raising of glasses.

Irwin Erceg joked she had collated a large file over the years on all the paperwork involved, which perhaps one day could go on display in the local museum.

She also noted the district had been through five mayors, all "sympathetic" to the
residents' plight over the past two decades, showing how the residents' concerns had not been taken seriously.

"It's been bloody hard work, at times I felt like Maggie Thatcher," Irwin Erceg joked before thanking her husband, Percy Erceg, for his support.

She also singled out Far North councillor Mate Radich for his efforts in helping get the green light for the project: "He's such a great communicator," she said.

Radich said the road sealing was something which should have happened "years before", adding the final straw came when the council decided to allocate more than $100,000 to have a road sealed in the Hokianga ward a year or so ago, while Upper Okahu Rd remained neglected.

Felicity Foy, another councillor who helped the sealing project get to realisation, explained the reason roads like Upper Okahu Rd had not been sealed in the last decade was because no budget had been allocated for this.

Foy said she moved that $1 million of unsubsidised funds in the Long Term Plan be allocated to road sealing each year, and it was passed. She added the council was continually reminded the sealing of local roads was major priority for most Far North residents.

The NZ Transport Agency also changed its policy in 2009, which meant local road sealing no longer met the threshold for a subsidy from Central Government. The $1m fund for sealed roads was funded entirely by ratepayers.

Among those celebrating the road sealing at last Friday's soiree was resident and host Keith Dawson.

He had built the family home in 2010 when the road was ready to go, only for the funding to end up being pulled after a new mayor was elected.

"We are really happy. [It took] nine years to see it to seal."

Neighbour Monty Knight said he had tried to get the project completed during his time on the council over a decade ago.

"I got this started in 2010, and they had an election and they just cried off. You tell me any other town in the Far North with an unsealed road within two-and-a-half kilometres of the town centre."