Minutes - Public meeting, BMRA & UHCC Roading Meeting

BMRA & UHCC Roading Meeting Minutes

Blue Mountains Community Centre, 27th September, 2017

Chair: Richard Barton, President BMRA

UHCC representative: Patrick Hanaray, Roading Manager

Apologies: Councillor Angela McCloud

UHCC Roading management team changes

Previous Asset manager and roading manager roles retired in last 12 months.
Patrick has been Roading manager for approximately 8 months, previously Roading Contracts Manager.
Director of Asset Management and Operations, Geoff Swainson, has been in the role since July 2017.

Maintenance

Fulton Hogan are the general maintenance contractor, this includes; completing an approximately weekly cycle of maintenance activities on local roads ensuring channels are kept clear; repairs of pot holes and road failures based on inspection findings; & slip clearance.
UHCC has spent $68k on clearing slips & pot holes over the last 3 years.
Resealing programme is based on prioritisation. Blue Mountains Rod was last resealed in the early 2000s, expected lifespan is 15-20 years.

Improvements

The Blue Mountains upgrade programme was initiated in the 1990s. So far 20 out of 35 corners have been improved.
$30k per year is put into a pot for Blue Mountains upgrade programme, plus any development levies.
UHCC requested an estimate for the required improvements to Cow Corner (corner where cattle truck wen t over). As the estimate was over $100k the procurement policy required them to go out to tender.
The planned improvements cover 3 corners, the lowest quote received was $162k plus Wellington Electricity require $30k to move the power lines while the work was completed. This is more than what is in the coffers.
As a whole UHCC plan somewhere between $328 to $650k to upgrade local roads each year.
The current priority is Akaroa Road. The Whitemans Valley Gorge was funded out of this.
NZTA believe Development contributions should be funding local road improvements. A subsidy maybe available for each of the small projects / individual corner improvements however the council still need to pay 49% of the cost.
UHCC Long Term Plan consultation starts around Feb 2018, this is the residents opportunity to have a say and influence how funds are allocated to roading.

Recent work to Whitemans Valley Rd

Attendees asked why WV road ‘improvements’ had been completed as they were. Patrick was not familiar with the specific details of the improvements.
Patrick believes the council try to fix, the easy /cheaper sections so there are places where cars can pass cyclists for example.
Attendee: The poles are now in the middle of the road which is very dangerous.
Patrick: It was hoped to move the poles before sealing but couldn’t get them moved in time so the road was sealed with the poles as they are.
This is in the process of being resolved, Chorus have requested money to move the poles.

Why is BM road a rural road but numbered city style?

Patrick: County Council did the numbering some time ago. The NZTA classification of rural v urban roads is based on how developed the roadside is. BM road has widely spread properties and not all blocks are residential and so rural.

Blue Mountains Rd – Repairs to Cow corner (where cattle truck went over)

Wellington Electricity are planning to move the power lines during the last week of October – early Nov.
The improvement programme changed only this week due to urgent remedial work being needed on Karapoti road which took priority, this is expected to take a month to complete.
Is it possible to chop the trees / lower the height of vegetation to provide more visibility?
Patrick: Increasing visibility results in increasing speed.
Attendee: We would prefer to have the visibility to avoid near misses.
Patrick: UHCC stats show there has only been 1 head on crash which caused a serious injury. If speeds are increased there is likely to be a higher collision rate.
Attendee: The council should not rely on serious injuries but instead use near misses to prevent serious injuries.
A show of hands in the room indicated all / most attendees had experience a near miss on BM road.
Confirmed that if a call is made to council this will be logged as a near miss.
Attendee: There is no safety margin on BM road. The sight barrier isn’t achieving anything and is currently a danger.
Patrick: There is only 1 contractor in the region who can construct the retaining wall and this contractor is currently working on Karapoti road for next 4-6 weeks then completing repairs to Akaroa Rd for approx. 2 weeks. The work on cow corner should be started in approx. 8 weeks, before the end of this year.

Patrick: get complaints that they are not as visible as Dews but also used to get complaints about Dews and the contractor before them.
Attendee: If the gutters and drains are blocked water & stone is washed onto the road making it very dangerous.
Patrick: The long wet winter has impacted on the volume of work and ability to get it done.
Feedback from attendees that FH seen reading newspaper in truck, not working efficiently.
Patrick to discuss with FH supervisor

Patrick: Not seen any data. Rural rd speed limit signs have to be put at a set frequency.
The legislation changed last week about moving speed signs. Patrick to look into new criteria.
Could look at putting up yellow diamond 50 sign – which warns drivers a 50 km/hour speed limit is coming up.
Although people drive the road not the signs.

Actions

Patrick to check on the WV Rd improvements, why has it been completed as it has (2 lanes down to narrow section & back to 2 lanes again) & what the future programme is for completing / further improvements.
Patrick to look at frequency of Fulton Hogan maintenance and advise how community can best provide feedback on maintenance work / issues.
Patrick to pass feedback onto Fulton Hogan about workers observed sitting in truck rather than completing maintenance work.
Patrick to find out new rules about moving speed signs.