Council Responds To Proposed Ō2NL Design Changes
Horowhenua District Council acknowledges proposed design changes to the Ōtaki to North of Levin Expressway (Ō2NL) announced by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi over the weekend.
Council recognises that this project significantly affects many residents, landowners, and communities across Horowhenua.
'We understand that large infrastructure projects can evolve, but the proposed changes have left many in our community feeling blindsided,' says Horowhenua Mayor Bernie Wanden. 'This is not the design our community expected, particularly as it threatens to sever Manakau, a community that fought hard to prevent this very outcome.'
'While NZTA ultimately controls the design, Council is both disappointed and concerned. It is essential that community voices are heard and respected in decisions of this scale and impact.'
Among the proposed changes are the removal of the planned Manakau vehicle overbridge and a redesign of the Tararua Road interchange to a roundabout configuration.
'These changes raise fundamental safety and accessibility concerns,' says Mayor Wanden. 'Removing the Manakau overbridge would force residents to make right-hand turns across a high-speed state highway — a situation that was never contemplated in the original design or consent and would be heightened by the tolling decision.'
Mayor Wanden has written to the Minister of Transport, Hon Chris Bishop, and to NZTA Chair Simon Bridges, requesting an urgent review and additional funding to ensure the final expressway design delivers the safety, efficiency, and resilience that were promised.
'We've seen other Roads of National Significance receive additional investment to meet community needs. Ō2NL should be treated with the same level of commitment.'
Council's Role Under the Resource Management Act (RMA)
In addition to its leadership role, Horowhenua District Council is also a responsible planning authority and is bound by the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA).
Chief Executive Monique Davidson says Council takes this statutory role seriously and will ensure the process is followed appropriately and without bias. We are currently awaiting detailed information from NZTA about the nature and scale of the effects of the proposed design changes. Once received, we will assess those changes in accordance with the RMA.
'We want to be clear with our community — when acting as a regulator, Council must base its decisions solely on planning evidence and legal criteria under the RMA,' Davidson said.
Public Encouraged to Have Their Say
Mayor Wanden is also encouraging residents to engage directly with NZTA and central government decision-makers.
'The nature of some of these changes means that if they are not in the scope of the project when construction starts in spring, then they are very unlikely to come back into the project. If you have concerns, make your voice heard. Write to the Minister, contact NZTA, contact your local MP. This is a moment where community feedback matters'.
Council remains firmly committed to advocating for the best possible outcome for Horowhenua and ensuring the community's expectations are clearly represented.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsroom
33 minutes ago
- Newsroom
Gold standard: fast-track mining project must pass environmental audit
Comment: There's been a great deal of noise about the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024. Widely panned for lowering environmental standards, here's how it might roll for one big project. Though the scale of this gold mine is very large, the process will be very similar for all substantive applications under the act. The Clutha River runs south through the Tarras Valley into Lake Dunstan near Cromwell. It's a wine and fruit-growing area boarded to the east by Bendigo Station, part of the South Island high country, notable for its wild, undeveloped landscapes. In those hills lies the site of the proposed Santana Minerals Ltd Bendigo Ophir project, an open-cast gold mine. Santana is an Australian company. The mine's open pit would be very large and deep. Some underground extraction is also proposed. A tailings pond would store toxic processing waste on site behind a dam. For ever. Santana says it will be lodging its formal application this month for various consents under the fast-track process. These will include approvals under the Resource Management Act and under various conservation laws. The process is complicated and fast. Before even lodging its application, Santana must consult with entities listed in the act, including relevant local councils and iwi and hapū. That must be meaningful, which the Environmental Defence Society considers requires Santana to provide a full draft of its assessment of environmental effects. It can then apply to the Environmental Protection Authority, which must publish the application without delay on the fast-track website. At this point the authority undertakes a 'completeness' assessment. Inadequate consultation or incomplete technical assessments would render an application incomplete and therefore should be returned to the applicant. If complete, the authority passes the application to the Panel Convenors to set up an expert panel. The panel then takes over the process and acts independently from the Environmental Protection Authority. It has broad discretion over how the application is considered and who will be heard. The Environmental Defence Society considers itself an affected party with respect to Santana's application given that it represents a relevant aspect of the public interest and has independent technical evidence to bring to bear. Key local community groups may also be heard. Given the scale and complexity of Santana's project, and its highly sensitive ecological and landscape location, EDS expects that the panel would opt to hold a formal hearing with expert witnesses, cross-examination and expert conferencing. It should also commission its own independent peer reviews of key aspects of the proposal. Each procedural decision made by the authority, panel convenors and panels, including the completeness assessment, the membership of the panel and who the panel asks to provide feedback, can be judicially reviewed in the High Court if there are valid grounds. The key statutory test that the panel will undertake boils down to a proportionality assessment set out in section 85 of the act: are the adverse impacts of the mine sufficiently significant to be out of proportion to the project's regional or national benefits? It's novel wording, and the way it is interpreted by panels will undoubtedly be tested by the courts on appeal or review or both. The starting point therefore requires an economic cost-benefit analysis and an assessment of environmental effects. No fast-track application should pass the completeness test without both included. An economic analysis is quite different from an assessment of the financial returns of a project. And under the act, those benefits must be found in New Zealand, not overseas. The Environmental Defence Society engaged the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research to advise which questions should be addressed in Santana's economic analysis. Based on its advice, the list includes: What are the direct and indirect economics impacts of the project on the local, regional and national economy? What is the method used for the analysis? What are the GDP, consumer spending, and employment impacts? How will the workforce requirements of the project affect Central Otago, considering direct and indirect workers? Where will they be sourced? What are the expected impacts on businesses, wages, housing, infrastructure, healthcare, schools, and recreational amenities in Central Otago? What are the competitive advantages of the project that make it the 'lowest cost gold mine' in Australasia, in comparison with other gold mines or a 'typical' Australasian gold mine? What potential changes might Santana make to the project if projected profits fall to levels indicated in the sensitivity analysis, such as below $1 billion or below $500 million? What are the economic valuations of the various environmental impacts (terrestrial ecology, freshwater ecology, freshwater availability, landscape, etc)? How has the assessment accounted for the project's end-of-life costs? What activities will be entailed in finishing the project, restoration and leaving the area? If Santana were required to set aside a substantial contingency fund or long-term bond to fund long-term restoration of the site, what would be the effect on the economics of the project? Specifically, what would be the effect of a substantial bond on total profits, the benefit-cost ratio, and the net benefit? The second part of the assessment relates to environmental impacts. Santana's published material about the project lists some of its likely and potential impacts. The matters needing focused expert evidence include: Mine design: has the pond and tailings dam design been peer reviewed by an independent international expert (common practice offshore)? has the pond and tailings dam design been peer reviewed by an independent international expert (common practice offshore)? Terrestrial ecology: what indigenous plant and animal species inhabit the project site and are any threatened or at-risk; what habitats are located within the site and are any of significance; how will the RMA hierarchy (avoid, remedy, mitigate etc) be applied; are consents required to destroy protected wildlife; and what is the overall significance of the impacts on the ecological values in a regional and national context? what indigenous plant and animal species inhabit the project site and are any threatened or at-risk; what habitats are located within the site and are any of significance; how will the RMA hierarchy (avoid, remedy, mitigate etc) be applied; are consents required to destroy protected wildlife; and what is the overall significance of the impacts on the ecological values in a regional and national context? Freshwater ecology (including streams, wetlands and aquifers ): what is the baseline state for freshwater health on, around and downstream of the site; what impacts are there on freshwater ecology and how will they be addressed; how will leakage from the tailings dam (if any) be prevented; and what effects cannot be avoided? ): what is the baseline state for freshwater health on, around and downstream of the site; what impacts are there on freshwater ecology and how will they be addressed; how will leakage from the tailings dam (if any) be prevented; and what effects cannot be avoided? Environmental hydrology and geochemistry: what will be the impact on ecosystems and groundwater users from groundwater drawdown related to the open pit and mine dewatering? what will be the impact on ecosystems and groundwater users from groundwater drawdown related to the open pit and mine dewatering? Water use: what volumes of takes are required; where will the abstraction come from; what effects will that have on existing users and ecosystems; where will discharges be made; what are the chemical parameters of the discharges? what volumes of takes are required; where will the abstraction come from; what effects will that have on existing users and ecosystems; where will discharges be made; what are the chemical parameters of the discharges? Landscape: what are the landscape values of the site; what are the likely effects; are any effects unable to be avoided; will there be remote view impacts; what about light impacts offsite and night; and are simulations provided? what are the landscape values of the site; what are the likely effects; are any effects unable to be avoided; will there be remote view impacts; what about light impacts offsite and night; and are simulations provided? Cultural and heritage: what are the impacts and are they positive or negative? what are the impacts and are they positive or negative? Local effects: what are the traffic, noise, dust, recreational use, amenity and energy impacts? what are the traffic, noise, dust, recreational use, amenity and energy impacts? Performance bond: is there a long-term bond proposed to guarantee post-closure maintenance of the site that also covers any catastrophic failure of the tailings dam and if so is the quantum adequate? is there a long-term bond proposed to guarantee post-closure maintenance of the site that also covers any catastrophic failure of the tailings dam and if so is the quantum adequate? Conservation covenants: what are the implications on the existing conservation covenants present over the subject property? When the panel has completed its assessment, it must decide whether to decline or approve the application. If the latter, it would propose conditions, and there would be a chance for participants to comment on them. After the decision is made, there are limited opportunities for an appeal and wider ones for judicial review which must be filed within 20 working days. EDS is engaging substantively in fast-track projects but is putting significant effort into Santana's application given its imminence, and potential environmental effects. We are waiting to see the full application and evaluate its merits with our experts. Because input is time-limited, that means we must invest resources well in advance of the full application being available. Notably, Santana has indicated it will not share its assessment of environmental effects before filing (after earlier indicating it would do so). EDS believes this project needs rigorous testing through the limited opportunities available under the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024. This is a statutory process which must be conducted independently, fairly and reasonably and follow the legal pathway. Hyperbolic cheerleading by ministers about the alleged benefits of mining have no place here. Whether Santana passes the section 85 test remains to be seen. There are many fast-track applications pending and communities and councils will be watching with concern. Some projects will be positive, others not. This analysis will hopefully assist in better understanding the way the legislation is likely to operate. To further assist people to engage in other fast-track proposals, EDS has published a peer-reviewed, plain-language guide to the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024.
Scoop
14 hours ago
- Scoop
Consultation Underway On Proposed Model For Future Delivery Of Water Services
Press Release – Queenstown Lakes District Council QLDC Property & Infrastructure General Manager, Tony Avery said Council had carefully assessed a range of different models available, as part of central governments Local Water Done Well plan to address Aotearoa New Zealands water infrastructure … Consultation on Queenstown Lakes District Council's (QLDC) proposal to establish a Water Services Council Controlled Organisation (WSCCO) for the future delivery of water services in the district is now underway, as required by the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act 2024 (WSPA Act). The proposal is to establish a Council Controlled Organisation specifically created to manage and deliver drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services in the future. QLDC Property & Infrastructure General Manager, Tony Avery said Council had carefully assessed a range of different models available, as part of central government's Local Water Done Well plan to address Aotearoa New Zealand's water infrastructure challenges. 'As previously shared, we wanted to ensure the model put before the public considered financial implications for consumers amongst several other factors, given the QLDC Long Term Plan (LTP) 2024-2034 is already projecting costs to increase significantly,' said Mr Avery. 'We're now encouraging residents of the Queenstown Lakes District to get involved, carefully read through the consultation document and assessments we've undertaken on the matter, and give us feedback.' The proposed WSCCO would be fully owned by QLDC, but the organisation would be governed by its own independent specialist board and management. QLDC would be the only shareholder and would appoint board members based on the skills and experience needed for proper governance of the new organisation. Intended legislation by central government would prevent any WSCCO from being privatised which means that the proposed WSCCO would remain wholly owned by QLDC, and the organisation would not be able to pay a dividend. Council would set the organisation's strategic priorities and establish measures to ensure it performs to expectations, while the Commerce Commission would use various regulatory tools to ensure water charges are fair, cost-reflective, and transparent. The other shortlisted option evaluated was for QLDC to continue to deliver water services in-house, recognising that changes would need to be made to enable Council to respond to the new regulatory environment if such a model was progressed with. An in-house model would be similarly subject to the Commerce Commission regulatory requirements. In addition to cost to households, the WSCCO and the in-house model were assessed on their ability to attract and retain staff, adapt to changing requirements, maximise value and minimise waste, effectively and efficiently manage water services, and deliver to community priorities. Mr Avery said public feedback was imperative to informing Council's decision on the best option to deliver high quality, resilient, sustainable, and reliable water services in the future. 'Drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater services all cost the ratepayer a significant amount of money, and under all scenarios, including in Council's current Long-Term Plan, water charges are projected to increase substantially,' said Mr Avery. 'I would urge all residents to take the time to understand Council's proposal and the alternative, what this would mean for the future, and to have a say before feedback closes on Sunday 29 June 2025.' A detailed consultation document on QLDC's proposed future water services delivery model and a feedback form are available online at QLDC Councillors agreed to consultation on the proposal to establish a WSCCO at the Full Council meeting on Thursday 29 May 2025.
1News
17 hours ago
- 1News
Mt Messenger contractors making strides underground and overhead
Contractors have offered a sneak-peak at two of the main features of Te Ara o Te Ata — the Mt Messenger Bypass on State Highway 3 in Taranaki. A huge road-heading machine is excavating a 235m-long tunnel under the highest point of the maunga and construction of a 125m-long bridge toward the southern end of the project is underway. The six-kilometre $360 million bypass aims to deliver a safer more resilient route north out of Taranaki, avoiding an existing steep and windy stretch of highway which includes a narrow tunnel. Waka Kotahi project manager Caleb Perry said the tunnel, which was 65m below the summit, was a key component of the project. "The tunnel is 235m-long or will be once we've broken through and it's excavated in two headings. What we're standing in now is the top heading and the final road level will be about 3m below our feet here. ADVERTISEMENT Inside the tunnel. (Source: "So, we break through with this top heading out the other side probably in about October/November time this year. Then we bring all the team back to the start, drop down about 3m and carry on and remove what we call the bench." Perry said two-lane bridge would be 13m wide by 9m high, giving an over-dimensional traffic envelope of 10m wide and 6m high when an emergency exit passage was installed one side and the lighting and fire safety equipment installed the roof. By the numbers: Te Ara o Te Ata — the Mt Messenger Bypass Six kilometres long 235m tunnel 125m long bridge and another 50m 28m tall cableway transports equipment and contractors 290,000m3 of earth moved to date, 25% of the total projected volume Tunnel supervisor Steve Wiley. (Source: 'You run into some really good characters' ADVERTISEMENT A Tūrangi local, tunnel supervisor Steve Wiley, learned his trade in Australia. "A typical day underground is pretty much excavation, shotcrete, curing time and excavating again." He loved life underground. "It's just a challenge. You have challenging days, good days. And it's the people, you know, you run into some really good characters working underground." Roadheader operator Carlos Cooper. (Source: Carlos Cooper pilots the 110-tonne road-header given the name 'Hinetūparimaunga' — the atua of mountains and cliffs — by project partners Ngāti Tama. "She's one of the nicest machines you can drive in underground tunnelling. She's pretty good and particularly with this ground it's pretty soft, so she's easy cutting on this particular project." ADVERTISEMENT He also earned his stripes across the ditch. "In Australia is where I started. I had a few mates who got into the underground game and I haven't looked back since." The 110 tonne roadheader machine in the Mt Messenger tunnel. (Source: The Whanganui man outlined his day. "Arrive for a briefing at about 6.30am and come up here about 7am. Get into cutting mode and then it will take approximately two, two and a half hours to cut 1.2m and then we'll much the face out and shotcrete will come in and do their bit and we'll bolt after that and shotcrete again." Cooper was looking forward to emerging at the other end. "It's quite a relief one of those special days you can look back on and tell your grandkids yeah you were on that project and it was one to remember." ADVERTISEMENT He hoped to take a spin on the new highway once it was finished. "Absolutely, yeah, hopefully I'll be one of the first." Bridge building boss Nick Myers-Kay. (Source: Senior project engineer Nick Myers-Kay was in charge of constructing the project's longest bridge — which actually involved building two bridges. "Currently we're standing on the 110m of temporary staging that needs to be constructed ahead of building the permanent bridge which is going to be located out to the right of us here. "In the background here that's the first lot of permanent earthworks that the bridge is started on. That's pretty much where the abutment is going to start. The bridge had raking piers. That keeps the pier foundations out of the wetland." The view from a service road down to the tunnel head. (Source: ADVERTISEMENT He said the temporary bridge — on which a 28-tonne crane was operating — helped minimise damage to the wetland below. "The immediate challenge is the environment. I'm new to this area I've never worked in this region before, so I'm quite amazed at the ruggedness and steepness of the terrain around us. "It's obviously very beautiful country here too the bush is just spectacular, so that is obviously a major challenge for us to navigate our way around that." It was a point project manager Caleb Perry reinforced. "This is a really important part of the natural environment here at the headwaters of the Mimi Stream and you can see off to the side the kahikatea swamp forest which is one of the last inland wetlands that we are working as hard as we can to protect." A 28 tonne crane preparing to place a pile from the staging bridge at the construction site of the 125m steel girder bridge. (Source: That went as far as bending trees out of the way. ADVERTISEMENT "You can see around me there are few trees with tie-downs, ropes around them. We basically put a team of ecologists in a basket hang them from a crane and the try and bend some of those trees out of the way, so the temporary bridge can go through. "After we've built the main structure this temporary bridge won't be needed anymore, and the team will come back and let the trees bounce back into their natural position." A surveyor working at the tunnel face. (Source: The permanent bridge was due to be completed by September 2026. New Zealand Transport Agency was still embroiled in a Public Works Act wrangle for land required for the project at its northern end. If that was successful, it would take about four years to complete the bypass.
