In the largely positive report, provided to the Otago Daily Times last week, NZTA senior investment auditor Tony Lange gives good grades to the council in four areas: previous issues; network management; asset management; and asset planning and databases.
It was only in the "safety performance" section of the report that a medium level of risk was noted. Mr Lange advised the council to look at its roading network "not just as an operator who is familiar with the network", and said the increase in the size and number of vehicles on Waitaki roads presented a safety concern. This week Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said
it was important for visiting drivers there were ‘‘no surprises along the road’’.
The report noted that during a tour of the district it was found some signs "were in a poor condition and not well-located".
And side roads were largely unsealed and had become corrugated, which "reduced braking effectiveness".
Before his re-election in October last year Mr Kircher pledged to prioritise roading in the district and at the first meeting of the new council last year, councillors agreed to funding of $500,000 for the district’s rural roads.
While the need for $150,000 for "traction sealing" at Corriedale ward intersections had been identified during the 2016-17 annual plan process — if funding was available — another $350,000 was approved in a last-minute addition to the agenda.
In his response to the NZTA, council roading manager Michael Voss noted a council audit was under way and 20 intersections were identified for improvements — $21,000 had been spent on signage improvements and 13 of 20 identified intersections had been sealed.
Yesterday, he said the council had completed traction sealing work at 24 intersections.
Mr Kircher said the district’s rural roads were not designed for the "up to 50-tonne trucks" that now used them.
"That’s not a problem that is unique to us, but it’s one obviously that we have to solve for ourselves. That’s going to require potentially rebuilding roads in places. The cost of doing that all in a short timeframe — we just can’t; it’s so prohibitive. But we’ve got to get on to it; we need to start on it."
The report said the council’s roading network was in good condition and represented value for money compared with 19 other regions, including Southland, Queenstown Lakes and Ashburton. The district’s roads were last audited in 2007.
In March, both the council and NZTA declined to provide the ODT with the report.
