Latest news with #TransmissionGully
RNZ News
03-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Conservationists concerned at hundreds more pests caught on Transmission Gully
Pest control work on Transmission Gully prior to it being finished. Photo: NZTA / Waka Kotahi Some conservationists are concerned about the potential impact of ferrets entering Wellington amid a significant rise in the number of pests being caught on Transmission Gully. Documents released under the Official Information Act show that between January 2024 to 14 April this year, 701 pests were trapped or killed on the road. That's up from RNZ's previous reports of 226 pests trapped between November 2022 and January 2024. The animals killed in the latest data set included stoats, weasels, deer, rabbits, rats, pigs and possums. Predator Free Wellington has been working for years to get rid of all pests in the capital. Project director Julian Wilcocks told RNZ there had been quite a lot more trapping done along Transmission Gully. But Wilcocks said it had also been a "bumper season" recently for mustelids which included animals such as stoats, ferrets and weasels. "That is a real massive concern because we don't have ferrets in Wellington City and so obviously, we want to really keep those from getting into the city." He said if ferrets got into the city it would be "dire straits" for their work. "Ferrets - they have a very high metabolism, so they need to eat a lot of protein which is often our native species." They also had huge roaming distances and were particularly damaging to kiwi, Wilcocks said. "It has taken us a number of years' effective methodologies for eliminating rats, stoats and weasels and so we wouldn't want to be adding ferrets to the mix." The furthest south a ferret has been found on the motorway was at Haywards in 2023. NZTA Waka Kotahi regional manager Mark Owen told RNZ $165,000 had been allocated for pest management on Transmission Gully for this financial year. Owen said the investment aligned with Greater Wellington Regional Council's pest management plan. "The plan dictates that NZTA/Waka Kotahi is responsible for controlling pests on road reserves that it occupies. "NZTA/Waka Kotahi also manages pest plants in accordance with this plan." He said that it followed best practice and focused on feral pigs, mustelids and deer. Predator Free Waikanae member Kevin Sheppard said his organisation had been trapping along the Kāpiti Expressway which linked up to Transmission Gully. Sheppard told RNZ the pests were quite lazy and would take the easiest route north and south. He said since they started trapping on the expressway 220 animals had been caught by the group. Sheppard said that while new roads such as Transmission Gully and the Kāpiti Expressway have been "an amazing addition" to the region, work needed to be done to continue trapping along the roads. "It obviously does simply create a pathway for animals such as stoats and ferrets to move along quickly." He said that there were likely gaps in the trapping network at least along Kāpiti Expressway. "We're trapping between Waikanae heading up to Peka Peka on one side, so there's nothing happening on the other side." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
29-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Public consultation opens for raising Transmission Gully speed limit to 110km/h
Transmission Gully. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver The Transport Minister has announced consultation begins on Friday on raising the speed limit for Transmission Gully to 110km per hour. The $1.25 billion motorway north of Wellington - opened to the public in March 2022 after years of delays. Last year two large motorways north of Wellington the Kāpiti Expressway and the Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway had their speed limits increased to 110km per hour. Transmission Gully was built to the same safety levels but did not receive the same treatment at the time due to parts of the road not being complete. Transport Minister Chris Bishop said now New Zealanders would get to have their say on the increased speed limit for the road. "Transmission Gully was designed and constructed to a high safety standard. This is reflected in the low crash numbers on the road since opening in 2022." Bishop said there had been 150 barrier strikes on the route but nobody had died on it. Transport Minister Chris Bishop. Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel There would also be consultation on a raised speed limit to 110km per hour on the Raumati Straights which connected Transmission Gully to the Kāpiti Expressway. If it came into force, that would mean the speed limit would be 110km per hour on State Highway One from north of Ōtaki to nearly all the way into Wellington City. Consultation will last six weeks. In February RNZ reported that NZTA Waka Kotahi estimated it spent more than $600,000 on external lawyers for a legal battle with the builders of Transmission Gully, which was later settled out of court. The road was built under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract between the Wellington Gateway Partnership and builders CPB Contractors Pty Ltd and HEB Construction Ltd. The dispute related to unfinished construction and quality checks. At the time the agency said the legal proceedings were filed in response to their expectations works were completed to the "project's contracted standards". In December the agency announced it had settled the dispute out of court. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- RNZ News
Crash causes delays on Transmission Gully
A crash blocked a southbound lane of SH1/Transmission Gully on Tuesday morning. Photo: NZTA / Waka Kotahi Traffic is backing up on Transmission Gully north of Wellington after a crash blocked a lane. The crash on Tuesday morning happened at the Wainui Saddle, after the Paekakariki southbound offramp of SH1. One southbound lane was blocked NZTA / Waka Kotahi said tow trucks were on the way to remove the vehicles. It advised motorists to consider using SH59 or expect delays.
