The roundabout at the corner of Arawata, Sloane and Alexendra streets. Photo: Jeremy Smith
Waipā District Council staff are not ruling out major renewals or Central Business District street improvements in Te Awamutu – but they won’t get on the road this financial year, the Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Community Board has been told.
Council transportation manager Bryan Hudson says the work could be factored into the 2024-2027 Long Term Plan which is in its early stages.
“For the financial year to June 30 next year, there are basic maintenance budgets at the current levels of service,” he said.
“The Long-Term Plan development for 2024-2027 includes a possible increase in spending on footpath maintenance and street cleaning. There is also potential for improvements on Market and Mahoe streets to increase pedestrian connectivity.”
Hudson’s comments come as he has sought to address the board’s concerns about why some pedestrian crossings, median strips and roundabouts in town are covered in moss and weeds.
The board’s concerns – which also included the fact the Sloane St roundabout was “continually” having directional arrow signage knocked over and damaged – were first reported by The News in June when they were outlined in board chair Ange Holt’s chairperson’s report that month.
A particular area of concern was the Cambridge Rd roundabout – which at the time Holt labelled as one of the worst in town because of overgrown weeds.
Additionally, crossings throughout town – including on Bank, Arawata and Vaile streets – were all covered in moss, she said.
“Other cities manage to mitigate these risks and still maintain their road edges, roundabouts and median strips, so what – and when – can something be done about these issues?” Holt wrote in June.
Bryan Hudson
In his response, tabled at this week’s meeting of the Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Community Board, after The News went to print, Hudson said council staff
had listened to and actioned resolutions to the board’s queries.
And ahead of this week’s board meeting, chair Ange Holt told The News she was pleased with Hudson’s response.
“We do appreciate the fact that council staff have done something since we raised the issues, and the fact staff are listening and wanting to try and help is good,” she said.
Hudson’s response addressed four key areas where the board wants to see action – bicycle stands in the main street, a cleanup of Alexandra St, concerns about state highway signs on traffic islands and roundabouts and CBD street improvements.
He said council staff had spent three months installing bicycle stands in both Te Awamutu and Cambridge as part of council’s urban mobility and walking and cycling programme.
“Cycling groups and advocates nominated locations for cycle stands and gave advice on the best type of cycle stand to suit modern bikes and security,” he said.
Meanwhile any sign damage at roundabouts like the Sloane or Vaile street roundabouts had been fixed, and council staff would work with Waka Kotahi to prevent further damage occurring.
Hudson said spring weather had accelerated weed growth around kerbs and in gaps in cobbles, but moss and algae on footpaths has been sprayed and was subsequently dying off.
