Queenstown Lakes ratepayers are being asked whether they should top up downgraded Government funding to make the district's roads safer this winter.
The New Zealand Transport Agency has cut back its funding for the Queenstown Lakes District Council's winter gritting programmes - a move which may compromise the safety of motorists travelling notorious accident-prone routes, such as the Cardrona Valley and Crown Range Rds.
District residents are being asked to submit on the council's 2011-12 annual plan, which poses several questions about options to address the shortfall for road-maintenance programmes, next winter.
Queenstown Lakes councillors ratified the draft plan recently, which highlights a potential need to raise rates to compensate for funding cuts from the NZTA so existing road-gritting and de-icing programmes remain.
"Insufficient NZTA funding means we are faced with some tough choices about winter gritting," the plan says.
Access to three skifields - Cardrona, Snow Park, and Snow Farm - could be compromised, with a proposal to halt early-morning road gritting on the Crown Range Rd.
Cardrona Alpine Resort operations manager Gary Husband said the funding cuts were a concern "if they are going to affect safety levels".
A meeting with QLDC transport manager Denis Mander is scheduled and Cardrona would make a submission on the winter gritting, Mr Husband said.
Mr Mander was unavailable for comment yesterday.
NZTA funding for the Crown Range is $160,000, significantly less than the QLDC's budget plan of $306,000.
The QLDC predicts to spend about $856,000 on winter gritting and ice removal in the 2011-12 draft plan, which would be focused on servicing the district's 19 main arterial routes.
"This will also mean most local roads will not be gritted at all," the plan says.
The QLDC has also put forward an option of overnight closures of the Crown Range for potential submitters to consider.
Submissions on the QLDC draft annual plan close on May 16 with hearings scheduled for Wanaka and Queenstown from June 1.
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