logo
Gisborne truck route to quieten as council changes permits

Gisborne truck route to quieten as council changes permits

1News07-06-2025
A truck route 'in a constant state of deterioration' might become a lot quieter after a Gisborne District Council decision regarding heavy vehicle permits.
During council meetings last year, councillors and community members raised safety concerns around trucks travelling along Back Ormond and Ormond Rds.
A man who drove daily along Ormond Rd to and from work said he had seen too many 'near-misses' involving schoolchildren.
In July, the council added new maps to NZ Transport Agency's (NZTA) 'H' permit system, which exclude Back Ormond and Ormond Rds.
Trucks that carry over 44 tonnes require 'H' permits to be driven on roads.
ADVERTISEMENT
These permits were valid for up to 24 months, a council Regional Transport Committee report said.
Once these expired, it would be 'a decision of Council whether to continue or not'.
'Over the coming year or so, trucks should stop using this route,' the report said.
Eastland Wood Council chairman Julian Kohn said the concern was over traffic coming out of the Waimata Valley and Ormond area.
'In the next 10-15 years, there's going to be a very significant increase in the volumes of wood coming out of our forests from the Waimata-Hokoroa-Tauwhareparae area, not only from wood council members, but from other forest owners.'
According to the report, the Ormond Rd-Back Ormond Rd route is 'a local road which the council pays 32% towards maintaining and is in a constant state of deterioration because of heavy vehicle traffic'.
The report said traffic data captured at the port reflected the number of log trucks across the road network, which was 87% rural, most of which was built on 'unstable ground, not built for heavy vehicles and sustained significant damage from weather events'.
ADVERTISEMENT
It also said the number of heavy vehicles to support roading recovery after Cyclone Gabrielle had increased significantly since a 2017 freight report.
The move regarding 'H' permits on Ormond and Back Ormond Rds comes as the council looks to get safety work funding for 'a preferred route' for heavy goods vehicles along State Highway 2 and SH35 (including Awapuni Rd and Customhouse St).
The report said the council approved the route in 2020, provided NZTA made 'appropriate safety improvements ... at key locations along the way'.
During consultation in 2020, the 'preferred route' received 57% support. However, there were significant reasons given for supporting a dual route, such as limiting adverse effects on Kiwi Pools, Awapuni School and residents, beach and surf lifesaving clubs, sports facilities and the Oneroa walkway/cycleway, the report said.
To date, NZTA had not allocated any funding for the safety improvements, so the council was working to secure the funding by using transport modelling to demonstrate potential increases and identify 'priority safety improvements'.
No longer permitting heavy vehicle use of Ormond and Back Ormond Rds would allow the council to 'monitor enforcement and the impact and use the data for modelling purposes'.
Safety issues identified in the preferred heavy vehicle route, which Gisborne District Council consulted on in 2022 and said it received "majority support". (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)
ADVERTISEMENT
56% increase in logging truck movements
According to the report, since 2019, the number of logging trucks to the port have averaged 800 a day (400 each way).
In December last year, the port gained consent to build a twin berth and expects a 42% increase in freight movement.
'With the port's ability to take logs more consistently with a twin berth by 2030, the number of logging truck movements on the region's network is going to increase from 800 daily average to a peak of 1250, a 56% increase.'
The port said in its Traffic around Eastland Port 2022 resource consent application brief that it did not anticipate a large increase in peak truck volumes, rather, more consistent volumes closer to peak, according to the report.
No funding was set aside by NZTA in the 2024-27 National Land Transport Plan for Tāirawhiti state highways to improve road safety at the Hirini St T-intersection to access Eastland Port, or any other safety upgrades required to safely implement the preferred route, the report said.
Eastland Port supported NZTA and council upgrading the Hirini St.
'They stated busier days could become more common and the congested periods could become longer before the intersection is upgraded.'
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Marae opens doors to stranded drivers after crash blocked SH1 at Manakau
Marae opens doors to stranded drivers after crash blocked SH1 at Manakau

RNZ News

time3 days ago

  • RNZ News

Marae opens doors to stranded drivers after crash blocked SH1 at Manakau

NZ Transport Agency says State Highway 1 between Ōtaki and Levin has reopened after a serious crash but drivers can expect ongoing delays. Drivers who are waiting for the road to open have been offered a cuppa at Tukorehe Marae. Photo: Supplied / Tūkorehe Marae Earlier, a marae near the scene of crash opened its doors to stuck drivers. At about 2.30pm, NZTA said northbound queues were back to Ōtaki, and southbound queues were back to Kimberley Road. Emergency services were called to the two-vehicle crash near Manakau around 10.20am between Whakahoro and Kuku East Roads, and remain on site. Earlier police said Te Iwi o Ngāti Tukorehe Marae just north of Manakau opened its doors to drivers waiting for the road to open and was providing cups of tea. When the highway was still closed, a worker at a nearby business said traffic in the southbound lane was at a standstill. "It's very quiet and the traffic has just stopped. You can hear people's voices rather than the drone of the traffic. "There's a line of traffic - trucks, cars - nothing travelling north." They thought it was "fabulous" that the nearby marae had opened its doors to waiting drivers. Earlier this month, members of the Horowhenua-based iwi Ngāti Tukorehe said they would fly their flags even higher along State Highway 1 after what they said was a "racist" attack after several of the Tino Rangatira flags were ripped down. A social media post on Tuesday said marae members were "offering manaaki in the form of water and access to whare paku to those stuck in traffic". "Know us before you judge us. Caring for others is in our blood," it said. Police urged drivers travelling through the area to be patient and drive carefully. Flags outside Tukorehe Marae. Photo: Supplied / Tipi Wehipeihana Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

Contractor Being Sought For Work On Major Rolleston Project
Contractor Being Sought For Work On Major Rolleston Project

Scoop

time4 days ago

  • Scoop

Contractor Being Sought For Work On Major Rolleston Project

Press Release – NZ Transport Agency The project team has completed design, property acquisition and consenting to enable construction on Stage 1 to start in October this year, with planned completion in December next year. A major roading project at Rolleston, near Christchurch, has reached a fresh milestone with a call going out for a contractor to carry out physical work on Stage 1 of the project. The State Highway 1 Rolleston Access Improvements project – a Road of Regional Significance – will provide transport improvements through Rolleston that mean better connections for people and businesses. 'Rolleston is at the heart of the Selwyn District, which has been the fastest growing district in New Zealand, which makes these transport improvements all the more important,' says regional manager for New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), Sean Walsh. Stage 1 involves a new roundabout at the Dunns Crossing and Walkers Road intersection with State Highway 1 that will make it easier and safer to enter and exit Rolleston and the industrial area from the south. This will provide efficiencies for freight as they will have a less congested connection into the industrial area. The project team has completed design, property acquisition and consenting to enable construction on Stage 1 to start in October this year (once a contractor has been appointed), with planned completion in December next year. Stage 2 includes a flyover connecting Rolleston township with business/industrial areas, improved safety at high-risk highway intersections, the removal of the two signalised intersections on SH1 (Hoskyns Rd and Rolleston Drive North), the extension of the two southbound lanes on the motorway to just south of the proposed bridge at Rolleston, a southbound service lane to access businesses and Rolleston town centre, and major safety improvements and upgrades to the rail level crossing at Hoskyns Rd. Work continues on design, property acquisition and consenting for Stage 2, with an anticipated construction start date of October 2026. Last week NZTA issued a Request for Tenders for the Stage 1 physical works contract for the construction of a roundabout at the SH1/ Dunns Crossing Rd/Walkers Rd intersection, realignment and widening of the SH1, Dunns Crossing Rd, and Walkers Rd carriageways; efficiency improvements at the Weedons interchange and the construction of a new – and the removal of the existing – rail level crossing on Walkers Rd. 'The work will mean some disruption, but of course we will be doing everything we can to minimise that disruption for road users and the adjacent community,' Mr Walsh says. 'It's a positive sign to see progress on projects like this one, adding to a series of projects already underway or in planning on the state highway corridor between Timaru and Lyttelton ports. These include a second Ashburton bridge and the upgrade of SH76/Brougham Street which was formally launched last week.' The full Rolleston Access Improvements project is estimated for completion in late 2028, at a current estimated cost of between $180 to $200 million, including contingencies. Read more about the project here. Later this month, the project team will be out and about in Rolleston to chat with people about the project. These drop-in sessions will be a great chance to ask questions, view plans, and learn more about what's coming. The drop-in sessions are as follows:

Contractor Being Sought For Work On Major Rolleston Project
Contractor Being Sought For Work On Major Rolleston Project

Scoop

time4 days ago

  • Scoop

Contractor Being Sought For Work On Major Rolleston Project

A major roading project at Rolleston, near Christchurch, has reached a fresh milestone with a call going out for a contractor to carry out physical work on Stage 1 of the project. The State Highway 1 Rolleston Access Improvements project – a Road of Regional Significance – will provide transport improvements through Rolleston that mean better connections for people and businesses. 'Rolleston is at the heart of the Selwyn District, which has been the fastest growing district in New Zealand, which makes these transport improvements all the more important,' says regional manager for New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), Sean Walsh. Stage 1 involves a new roundabout at the Dunns Crossing and Walkers Road intersection with State Highway 1 that will make it easier and safer to enter and exit Rolleston and the industrial area from the south. This will provide efficiencies for freight as they will have a less congested connection into the industrial area. The project team has completed design, property acquisition and consenting to enable construction on Stage 1 to start in October this year (once a contractor has been appointed), with planned completion in December next year. Stage 2 includes a flyover connecting Rolleston township with business/industrial areas, improved safety at high-risk highway intersections, the removal of the two signalised intersections on SH1 (Hoskyns Rd and Rolleston Drive North), the extension of the two southbound lanes on the motorway to just south of the proposed bridge at Rolleston, a southbound service lane to access businesses and Rolleston town centre, and major safety improvements and upgrades to the rail level crossing at Hoskyns Rd. Work continues on design, property acquisition and consenting for Stage 2, with an anticipated construction start date of October 2026. Last week NZTA issued a Request for Tenders for the Stage 1 physical works contract for the construction of a roundabout at the SH1/ Dunns Crossing Rd/Walkers Rd intersection, realignment and widening of the SH1, Dunns Crossing Rd, and Walkers Rd carriageways; efficiency improvements at the Weedons interchange and the construction of a new – and the removal of the existing – rail level crossing on Walkers Rd.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store