High St Motueka gets nod for $6.8m upgrade

Wednesday, 19 August 2020

A $6.8m upgrade of High St Motueka has been approved in principle and is scheduled to start in May next year.

High St Motueka is earmarked for a Government-funded $6.8 million upgrade.

Minister for Rural Communities and West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O’Connor on Thursday announced the planned investment, saying it would come from $3 billion set aside for infrastructure projects in the Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund.

“Motueka is a destination that becomes more and more popular every year,” said O'Connor, who has an office along High St.

The main street of Motueka is a key section of State Highway 60, which runs between Nelson and the visitor hotspots of Kaiteriteri, Abel Tasman National Park and Golden Bay. It often has bumper-to-bumper traffic in summer.

High St in Motueka can be congested, particularly in summer.

* TDC approves draft option for High St Motueka upgrade, hopes funds appear

Minister for Rural Communities and West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O’Connor says Motueka is a destination that is growing in popularity.

* Revved up Tasman councillors drive home disappointment over NZTA programme

A long-awaited upgrade of High St was not included in NZTA's programme of work to be funded in the 2018-21 period. The omission of the project, which came after a change of Government transport priorities, surprised and disappointed residents of the area and Tasman District councillors, some of whom believed the project was about to be given the go-ahead.

In June 2019, Tasman District councillors approved a draft option for the project in the hope the money might materialise.

O’Connor said pressure had been building on High St for many years “and locals have been frustrated by the lack of action”.

Motueka ward councillor David Ogilvie says the High St upgrade announcement “made my year”.

“This is a good interim solution, which will relieve some pressure while the long-term discussions about a bypass and second bridge continue,” he said.

The work would include intersection improvements, cycle priority and pedestrian crossing signals.

“It's supported by most locals and will provide a more liveable town centre,” O’Connor said. “Work will get under way as soon as Motueka's busy summer period eases in May next year.”

Motueka ward councillor David Ogilvie described the announcement as “exciting and wonderful and magnificent news”.

“That’s made my year, put it that way,” said Ogilvie, a long-time proponent of the upgrade. “I’m sure the whole community will be with me in saying … that’s great news.”

Like many local residents, Ogilvie avoided turning right into High St. He previously said Motueka was becoming a “town of two halves” with many people living on the coastal side of High St while most schools and other community hubs such as the library, hall and Memorial Park were on the other side.

“Getting from one to the other is not easy,” Ogilvie said.

Surely you don't have to indicate for those tiny painted circles. Or do you?

The planned intersection improvements and addition of pedestrian crossing signals would make it safer and “ease up the situation considerably”.

Fellow Motueka ward councillor Trindi Walker said she also “absolutely” avoided turning right into High St as it was not safe. She was grateful it had not taken a fatality to “get this [upgrade] moving”.

The improvements had been a long time coming.

“Finally, Motueka gets something we’ve wanted for so, so long,” Walker said. “I want to acknowledge all the hard work and mahi that’s gone in to get us to this point.”

Recently re-elected Motueka ward councillor Barry Dowler, who said after the by-election that the upgrade was one of the projects he wanted to push, called O’Connor’s announcement exciting news.

Dowler said he could not take any credit for the development but had been “kicking the doors since I got elected”.

Tasman District mayor Tim King called the project go-ahead “bloody good news”.

“It’s been on the books for a long time,” he said.

An upgrade of High St was one of three highway projects King in February urged the Government to look at, expressing his disappointment at a lack of recent funding for roading infrastructure in the top of the south.

While improvements were still needed elsewhere around the district, including Richmond, it was good the Motueka project was to be completed.

A $50b Covid Response and Recovery Fund set out in Budget 2020 earmarked $3b for infrastructure projects. Ministers established the Infrastructure Reference Group to work with local councils and businesses to identify a pipeline of projects to support the economy during the Covid-19 rebuild.

All approvals are in principle and subject to contract negotiations. Investment values are also subject to change.