A light at the end of the tunnel may have appeared for the storied sagas of Omaui’s roads.
Omaui and Mokomoko Rds have been a contentious issue in recent years for residents, who have said the gradual increase in traffic through the scenic coastal village has caused increasing degradation, creating potholes and loose gravel, though Mokomoko Rd’s inclusion in the Invercargill City Council’s (ICC) draft long-term plan (LTP) indicates progress is being made to address this issue.
In 2021, Omaui residents provided a written submission to the long-term plan in 2021 and the inclusion of Omaui in the upcoming plan was the councillors’ response to that request.
Invercargill City Council manager strategic asset planning Russell Pearson said a draft approach to prioritising roads was identified at a recent workshop with councillors.
There were a number of roads, and sections of road that were considered high priority, including Staunton, Fowler, Avon and Mokomoko Rds, although these had not yet been confirmed with the council or the community, he said.
"There is no capital budget allocated for this work in the current year or 2023-24 year and no detailed design work can be commenced until funding is allocated. However, the ’24-’27 transport asset management plan will reconsider opportunities for seal extensions at a strategic level."
The council had not yet been in contact with the residents of Omaui, but looked forward to connecting with the community in due course, he said.
"Sometimes there’ll be 50, 60, 70 cars parked in the parking areas and on the beach, or more even on a nice summer’s day - and they’re all using it, obviously, coming in and out on the road."
There were a large number of unreported accidents on the road, and a few residents had assisted in pulling cars off the road, he said.
Accidents happened "often on the corner where Omaui Rd meets Mokomoko Rd, where it corrugates very, very badly. People that are not used to driving on loose gravel roads come to grief there."
The inclusion of the road in the LTP was progress, but work needed to be accelerated, he said.
Resident Amy Morrins uses the road daily for work and said she was always thinking about the oncoming drivers who were not prepared for the potholes or corrugations.
"I think it would be great to see the road sealed from a safety perspective. And the wear and tear — I just have a little vehicle that gets fairly knocked around."
In August last year the ICC installed 100km speed limit signs outside the village, reflecting the existing un-signed speed limits, which were taken down within days after residents said they encouraged drivers to travel at the speed through the residential area.
In October 2022, speed limit reductions were implemented in Omaui and Mokomoko Rds.
