Gisborne District Council has begun community consultation to seek feedback on recommendations to restrict heavy vehicles in the city to a single highway route. Source: Gisborne Herald
The council is supporting recommendations made in a report by engineering consultancy WSP, which considered the social, cultural, environmental and economic aspects of maintaining the current dual heavy vehicle routes through Ormond and Awapuni roads.
The report recommends a single highway route and considers Harper Road as the ideal connecting route from the Waimata Valley to the state highway and prefers Hirini Street as the single access route to the port.
The results of this community engagement will help inform whether draft provisions for heavy vehicle routes are included in the regional Traffic and Parking Bylaw up for review this year.
Acting council chief executive David Wilson said this was an excellent opportunity for the community to have its say on an issue that affects everyone.
“There’s no doubt that having two heavy freight routes through our city impacts our community significantly,” he said.
“We believe that by having a single highway route we can get our freight to port, while reducing this impact.
“This isn’t an easy discussion to have but with the projected increase of truck numbers on our city roads it’s important that everyone gives their views on the routes they should take.”
The community will be able to give feedback online at the council website from13 July until 7 August.
Community drop-in sessions, where council staff will be available to discuss and advise, will be held at the council’s Awarua administration building in Fitzherbert Street from27 July to 30 July from 5pm-7pm.
Council staff will have devices with a new program they have developed called Socialpinpoint to help the public make comments on the proposal.
Staff will have hard copies if the public would rather write their comments.
Maps will also be available.
To give feedback, learn more and to read the WSP report, go to www.gdc.govt.nz and click on the Have Your Say section.
