Relief for few but dust far from settled

Silver Maihi (left), Zeek Maihi (holding Peutere Ngakuru), Patrick Ngakuru, Transfield's John Culley and Willie Maihi celebrating the part-sealing of Picadilly Rd. Picture / Debbi Beadle

Residents on two dust-plagued roads are celebrating after the Far North District Council sealed outside their homes - but relief is still some way off for those on a third road which had been due for sealing.

Rural anger over the health risks posed by choking clouds of dust thrown up by logging trucks has been mounting since the Government changed the criteria for road sealing subsidies about six years ago, effectively putting an end to new tarsealing projects in rural Northland.

With not enough money to tackle the problem alone, the council resolved last year to at least ease the problem by sealing short strips of road outside homes on the worst roads. Fifteen roads were chosen based on the numbers of logging trucks and residents living within 50m of the road, with three to be part-sealed each year.

The most urgent roads were deemed to be Picadilly Rd, Pipiwai Rd and Diggers Valley Rd. Sections of Picadilly Rd and Pipiwai Rd have now been sealed.

Diggers Valley resident Wayne Morris said locals had been looking forward to having their road sealed too. They saw "a big rush" to put down and compact fresh metal but were left perplexed when workers were pulled off the job just before Christmas. That had made the dust even worse because the new metal had covered the suppressant a forestry firm had applied outside his house.

"It's been so bizarre. We've had enough," he said.

Adding to his frustration, nearby Takahue Rd, which is already sealed, was re-sealed about the same time. The money spent there could have solved the problems on Diggers Valley Rd, he said.

Jacqui Robson, the council's infrastructure and asset manager, said the change of plan had come about because the logging company no longer expected to use Diggers Valley Rd this year.

Trucks would resume in 2016 but in reduced numbers, meaning Diggers Valley Rd was no longer a top priority for part-sealing.

Instead, the council was planning to test a polymer dust suppressant over about 2km of the road. Staff were talking to the supplier about sponsoring the trial. Meanwhile, the NZ Transport Agency was also testing new dust suppressants on Mataraua Rd, she said.

The next three roads due for part-sealing have yet to be decided. Roads the council is considering include Ngapipito and Waimatenui-Mataraua.

The southern half of Pipiwai Rd was not included in last year's part-sealing because it is in the Whangarei District.

Pipiwai Rd's dust problems gained national exposure this month when it was revealed Whangarei MP Shane Reti had told residents to keep their concerns quiet until after the Northland byelection.

Part-seals in brief

- Picadilly Rd: 1240m of road sealed in three sections, 10 houses affected, completed late 2014.

- Pipiwai Rd: 1786m sealed, 10 houses, late 2014.

- Diggers Valley Rd: 2km of dust suppressant to be trialled in 2015.

- Forestry firms have contributed "considerable sums" to the Picadilly Rd and Pipiwai Rd projects but no money has been forthcoming for Diggers Valley.

- Roads to be part-sealed in 2015 have yet to be decided. Among those being considered are Ngapipito Rd and Waimatenui-Mataraua Rd.