Transport officials accused of ignoring government policies when planning new highway

Friday, 29 March 2019

The lack of a cycling and walking path as part of a highway to replace the slip-stricken road through the Manawatū Gorge continues to have its critics, with Manawatū's main economic and tourism body the latest to join the queue.

Central Economic Development Agency chief executive Linda Stewart pulled no punches on Friday when talking to commissioners at the Manawatū-Hawke's Bay highway hearing in Palmerston North.

She said the New Zealand Transport Agency's plan was at odds with government and regional policies on transport, economic wellbeing and tourism, and contradicted the agency's own guidelines.

The hearings are being held as part of the process the transport agency has to go through to build a new highway between Manawatū and Hawke's Bay.

**READ MORE:

State Highway 3 through the Manawatū Gorge has been closed since April 2017 due to landslips.

* Iwi urges co-operation to avoid Manawatū Gorge replacement road mistakes

* Push for cycling path on Manawatū-Hawke's Bay highway grows louder

* Cycling lobby critical of transport agency's 'rush job' on Manawatū-Hawke's Bay highway**

The highway will replace State Highway 3 through the gorge, which has been closed since April 2017 due to landslips.

Central Economic Development Agency chief executive Linda Stewart says the lack of a cycleway for the Manawatū Gorge replacement highway does not line up economically.

The biggest issue by far for the commissioners has been the lack of a separated cycling and walking path in the plans for the new highway.

Current plans have a half-lane-wide strip on each side of the four-lane highway for cyclists, with nothing apart from road paint keeping them apart from traffic.

Stewart said the plan lacked long-term thinking and missed a massive opportunity for Manawatū.

Despite studies showing a lot of tourists bypassed the region, visitor numbers had grown faster in the past 10 years than the likes of Otago, Waitomo and Napier.

'Is NZTA committed to taking advantage of the whole opportunity presented… or are they simple here to move vehicles from one place to another?'

The transport agency's policy documents talked about working with communities, but no-one had properly sat down with the central agency to talk about the route, she said.

The Government's tourism and economic policies put an emphasis on regional economies, but the lack of cycleway contradicted that.

Using walking and cycling paths already in place would not work, Stewart said.

The Manawatū Gorge had been identified in studies as a key growth point for tourism, but the paths in the nearby reserve were already extremely busy.

And suggesting cyclists use the Saddle Rd or Pahīatua Track was not a real suggestion at all, she said.

'That is either laughable, or NZTA is an extremely fit organisation.'

Commissioner Rob van Voorthuysen asked if a cycling and walking path would have to be away from the highway, similar to the Taupō bypass and Kāpiti expressway ones, or be directly beside the road, with a physical barrier between users and traffic.

He has asked different pro-cycleway submitters the same question throughout the hearing.

Stewart said the former of those was the better option, although compromises would need to be made due to the landscape and culturally significant sites.

'We we have to start off with the ideal in mind.'

The hearings continue on Monday at Distinction Hotel from 10am.