Canterbury councils list roading ambitions - if they can find the money

While pleased to see the Woodend Bypass going ahead, Canterbury council leaders say they will keep lobbying for other roading projects.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has been pressing ahead with geotech testing with its contract partners, ahead of work starting on the Woodend Bypass next year.

The project is expected to cost close to $1 billion, around half of Canterbury’s $1.8 billion roading budget in the 2024/27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP).

It means other North Canterbury roading projects are having to wait.

Top of the list for the Waimakariri District Council is the proposed Rangiora eastern link road, Skew bridge at west Kaiapoi, and the Tuahiwi crossroads intersection on Rangiora-Woodend Road.

‘‘They are all in our budgets for the outer years (in the 2024/34 Long Term Plan), but if we need to bring them forward, we will be only too happy to,’’ Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon said.

The council has prepared a business case for the proposed $35m Rangiora eastern link road to present to NZTA.

The road will help reduce congestion through Southbrook by diverting traffic at the ‘S-bend’ on Lineside Road, passing to the west of the council’s waste treatment ponds and cutting through council-owned land and the Spark family farm, before connecting with Spark Lane.

From Spark Lane, the arterial route will continue up McPhail Road and Bellgrove Boulevard to Coldstream Road.

Should the council be successful in obtaining a 51 percent NZTA subsidy, ratepayers will stump up 25%, with the balance coming from development contributions.

The Hurunui District Council has estimated it needs about $3 million a year to maintain and upgrade its ageing network of 286 bridges.

But it has received funding for just one bridge replacement in the 2024/27 NLTP.

The council’s chief executive Hamish Dobbie said if the Canterbury region received its fair share of funding, it would reduce the delays for local roading projects.

The Canterbury region has around 13% of the population and accounted for around 15% of vehicle kilometres travelled, but received just five percent of national road funding, Mr Dobbie said.

‘‘If Canterbury got its fair share of land transport funding, then we would get a better deal out of it.’’

Mr Dobbie said one of challenges was NZTA funded bridges out of operational funding, when they were expected to last 80 years.

‘‘Funding it through operational funding is not sustainable. We should be looking at intergenerational (or loan) funding, where we spread the cost out over time.’’

Four bridge replacements were included in the 2024/34 Long Term Plan, but the council received just $600,000 towards bridge replacement in the 2024/27 NLTP.

It is planning to replace a bridge at River Road, Waiau, in this year’s annual plan at a cost of around $1m.

By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air