The council has approved the Waikato Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-54 (RLTP), which makes the case for $11.8 billion in funding for transport projects across the region over the next three to six years.
However, the council will not provide the funding, nor does it have the power to allocate it.
Money for the highlighted projects comes from central government, with the Waikato Regional Council’s report stating where it feels funding should be spent.
The transport plan details why significant works are needed at Te Pōporo/Bulli Point as part of a route that is “of utmost importance to the country”.
“The case for investment in upgrading this section of SH1 is clear, with continued truck safety issues threatening the safety and efficiency of this corridor and posing a serious environmental threat to Lake Taupō.
“Investing in this activity will address a resilience pinch-point on the North Island’s main inter-regional transport corridor and will bring wider local community, regional and national economic benefits.”
The funding would be used in part for a “project to address the threat of SH1 slipping into lakefront, causing traffic disruption”, as well as developing a business case as a first step towards “a longer-term solution to securing the resilience of the SH1 Taupō to Desert Road corridor”.
SH1 at Bulli Point has become a notorious blackspot, with multiple accidents in recent years seeing trucks roll into Lake Taupō, risking drivers’ safety as well as the lake’s ecosystem.
Krill oil and milk powder escaped into Lake Taupō after a truck crash off SH1 at Te Pōporo/Bulli Point in 2022. Photo / Waikato Regional Council
One of the most significant incidents in recent years involved a truck rolling into the lake, spilling its contents of milk powder, krill oil and packaged meat into the water.
In the aftermath, the water at the site was dyed orange and divers were drafted in to retrieve the meat from the lakebed.
Last year, the Taupō and Tūrangi Herald spoke to a truck driver who drives the route multiple times a week.
Greg Walker described how drivers were forced to radio one another to co-ordinate movements as, at certain points along the road, two trucks cannot safely pass each other.
Walker described the stretch of road as a particularly stressful part of the journey.
“You’re completely on guard. Anything can happen around that stretch of road. It’s not fit for today’s traffic.”
Recent incidents along the Taupō-Tūrangi stretch of the highway include a ute driver needing to be pulled from the lake after crashing in June, and a rolled logging truck forcing a road closure for several hours in April.
Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas said it was crucial there were no repeats of these incidents.
“All of those on the Regional Transport Committee for the Waikato region spent considerable time debating projects of significance across the Waikato.
“Bulli Point is arguably the singular most significant pinch point between Taupō and Waiouru. While a long-term fix, i.e. redirecting the road, is some time away, there is still the need to reduce the risk posed by vehicles travelling that close to our wonderful taonga Lake Taupō.
“We argue it’s not just a transportation and safety risk, it’s also an environmental risk. Nobody wants a truck full of hazardous product landing in the lake.”
Milly Fullick is a journalist based in Taupō. She joined the Taupō & Tūrangi Herald team in 2022.
