“From our end, it’s a matter of us being able to pivot and deliver the same works but in a different method,” he said.
“Previously, we would have a singular funded project through LCLR, for example, a new footpath.”
Allingham said smaller projects would now be delivered by “packaging them up” with larger ones and the Alliance would take on more risk in some works.
“Areas where the (pavement) seal is cracked but there is no water coming through it, normally we would stabilise that as part of our pre-seal works.
“Now, we are putting a layer of bitumen down, adding a layer of fabric over the top, then sealing or paving over the top of that.”
That allowed for a far greater volume of work but more failures were expected, Allingham said.
“It still works out more financially prudent to do that over the long term.”
He said where possible, the Alliance would only reseal the main carriageway -“the trafficked area” of urban roads.
“Our parking bays and parking areas obviously don’t get the speed, the volume or the heavy trucks.
“It may not look the prettiest - you’ll end up with a sealed section and a slightly not sealed section off the side - but for prudent asset management, it’s the best way forward.”
Allingham’s report said the council has an annual road and footpath cost budget of $20.3m, comprised of $9.4m in operating expenditure and $10.88m in capital expenditure.
Other projects impacted by the lack of LCLR funding included the final leg of the Mountains to Sea cycle trail (Wharf Street to the North Mole), street lighting upgrades, traffic signal upgrades on Guyton/Wilson Streets and Ingestre/Wilson Street and renewing the Wakefield Street Bridge, it said.
He said his main concern was the ability to complete smaller jobs that helped people “have a slightly better day”.
“We’ve always been pretty flexible around how we can put in a little asphalt bund and make things work for our customers.
“When we are on a bread and butter budget, those things will become far more difficult.”
Councillor Ross Fallen said the roading team did its best to assist people with issues that were “smaller to us but important to them”.
“We do our best but we are in extremely difficult times,” he said.
“This council has put millions more into its roading each year and will continue to do so over the next 10 years.
“We still can’t do all things for all people.”
Outside of LCLR funding, the council received just over $49m from NZTA for 2024-27 for road maintenance, operations and renewals - 94% of what was requested ($52.4m).
Allingham said council had received $250,000 from the Crown Resilience Programme to help with drainage resilience on the district’s unsealed road network and “sumps and problem areas around town”.
There was also a $100m national fund for LCLR improvements - projects under $2m - that was yet to be announced and distributed, he said.
Councillor Josh Chandulal-Mackay said NZTA funding cuts slowed the delivery of projects.
“I think it’s of concern and we need to be highlighting these issues,” he said.
“They are having a frontline impact on our services.”
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
