"I'm not going to stand out on the street and protest, but I'll be the first to complain if a kid gets bowled," he said.
"It would just become a big racetrack out to Castlecliff," Mrs Rea said.
Both residents said they had known about the proposed extension when they moved to the area so it came as no surprise.
When he built his house, Mr Candish was not worried about the extension but after living there for 20 years he liked his peaceful neighbourhood.
"When you've had it as quiet as we have, I couldn't see it as becoming a main right-of-way."
Mrs Rea said she liked living in a quiet area that combined proximity to town with the quirks of rural life; in winter, her kids kayaked in the swampy paddock.
"We've done pretty well living here for 18 years and it (the roadway) hasn't gone through."
Wanganui High School on Purnell St has about 1800 pupils, and heavy run-on traffic from Fitzherbert Ave could make it one of the worst affected schools in the area.
Elizabeth Spooner, WHS acting principal, said she did not know anything about the project and therefore could not comment.
However, Chris Dibben, principal at nearby Tawhero School, said the extension would benefit his school by steering traffic away from Totara St which intersects with Fitzherbert Ave.
"We've had a few near misses here with cars. I think it will reduce traffic coming past the school so it's an advantage."
Tom Cloke, Road Transport Association West Coast area chief executive, said he was in favour of the proposed extension.
"It would make Wanganui a more useable place not only for commercial reasons but it would clear it up for residents in the Mosston area," Mr Cloke said.
However, he said the extension was not an option for northbound and southbound traffic, including large trucks, because the Great North Rd and Montgomery Rd intersection was unsafe and the route was not efficient.
The Wanganui District Council Springvale Structure Plan said it was important the road remains "residential in character".
The council did not respond to the Chronicle's request to explain how it will maintain the residential character of the road.
In 2008, a referendum found the public placed the extension behind the events centre/velodrome and Kowhai Park in terms of desirable council projects.
The total capital cost of the extension is $11.2 million, and the total cost to the council is $2.1 million. In total, the extension would cost ratepayers an extra $10.92 per year.
Jonathan Barrett, council's principal planner, said after the public consultation, a formal submissions process would take place under the Resource Management Act.
"This is about trying to raise awareness. The more people say, the more their concerns can be addressed. It will be years before the extension itself will become a reality," Mr Barrett said.
Timeline of the road
July 30: The proposal goes to the council as part of the Shaping Wanganui District Plan. If council gives approval, the plan will be sent out for public consultation.
August: The public can give feedback on the plan.
September: Public submissions can be incorporated into a proposed plan. The plan undergoes a formal process of submission and hearings from public under the Resource Management Act.
October/November: Formal notification of changes followed by an appeal period.
March/April 2013: Any appeals are sorted out, and the plan is finalised.
