More road sealing on busy Northland logging route to counter dust

The partial sealing on Wright Rd is being extended. Photo/Michael Cunningham

A further six sections of road which run past houses on a notoriously dusty logging route west of Whangarei are being sealed.

The six sections, which total 2.5km are along Wright and McCardle Rds in Pipiwai. In 2015, 10 strips were sealed along the two roads.

Contractors Broadspectrum started work late last year, and will continue through until April.

The work will include minor earthworks and clearing, drainage works where required, placing aggregate, cement stabilisation, preparing the surface for seal, sealing and line marking.

All work will be carried out under traffic management plans, and traffic access is guaranteed during the works.

Council chief executive Rob Forlong said the work is able to go ahead because the council was quick to take advantage of new funding criteria released by the Government.

"Prior to September 2016 dust was not a criteria considered by the New Zealand Transport Agency when it assessed applications for funding."

He said the agency undertook a study and changed its criteria in September 2016, and Whangarei was the first council to apply for this type of work.

Mr Furlong said the council was committed to a solid monitoring programme to assess the dust levels.

"The Northland Regional Council undertakes monitoring across the region. WDC and Far North District Council are both required to monitor the effects of the dust suppression work we do. Added together that should provide a comprehensive picture over the long term."

Spokeswoman for the Pipiwai Titoki Advocacy for Community Health and Safety Group Alex Wright said contractors had made a start.

She said about 700m of the planned 2.5km had already been sealed. It had been added on to the 270m strip outside her house - with 400m on one end and 300m on the other.

She said the sealing of 2.5km was "better than nothing" but said it was not enough and she would keep fighting until the whole road was sealed.

Mrs Wright said the logging trucks still drag the dust from the unsealed sections through the sealed section.

"These bits don't stop all the dust."

She said when the 2.5km sealing is finished, there will be only 4km of unsealed road remaining.

A letter sent to Mrs Wright from Whangarei Mayor Sheryl Mai said funding had been provisionally approved in the draft long-term plan for the final 1.5km and 2.5km sections to be completed over the next two years.

It also said a funding request to NZTA for subsidy for these two projects had been included in council's draft regional land transport programme.

But Mrs Wright felt the council was dragging it on.

"The council, I believe, need to step up and bite the bullet and find the necessary funding."