Latest news with #RegionalLandTransportPlan
Scoop
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Mayor Goes Cap In Hand For New Bridge
Article – Diane McCarthy – Local Democracy Reporter Since he became mayor in 2022, Dr Luca has continued to push for a new bridge, speaking to the East Coasts MP at the time, Kiri Allen, and former Transport Minister Simeon Brown. Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca is seeking community support for his proposal for a second river crossing for the township. Dr Luca has been advocating for a second bridge for Whakatāne since he entered council in 2019. He is creating a petition to accompany a proposal he has written, to take to the Minister of Infrastructure Chris Bishop. The petition will be circulated around town. 'We're just going cap in hand to Government,' he said. Since he became mayor in 2022, Dr Luca has continued to push for a new bridge, speaking to the East Coast's MP at the time, Kiri Allen, and former Transport Minister Simeon Brown. In August 2023, his request that council staff put together a proposal for a second river crossing was agreed to at a council meeting. However, the proposal never eventuated. 'That didn't go anywhere, so I decided to write it myself,' Dr Luca said. 'I started in the second half of last year. 'We'll send that in to the minister with a petition, hopefully with a few thousand signatures on it.' Last year, he also managed to have an application for funding for a full business case included in the Regional Land Transport Plan. 'The bridge proposal was ranked 12th or 13th in the Bay of Plenty, and I was quite hopeful at one point. But unbeknownst to me [central government] didn't provide a lot of funding and it seems as if most of it has gone to Tauranga and the Western Bay. We didn't get even a look in. But if you don't rattle the cage or stir things up, then you're not going to get a bridge.' He emphasises the proposal is not a business case and although it identifies several potential locations that have been suggested by people over the years, it does not advocate for any particular location for a bridge. 'Every man and his dog are going to have a view on where it should go,' he said. 'It's all about advocating. The detail would come in a full-blown business case.' The proposal outlines the 'significant challenges' faced by the Eastern Bay due to its largest town's reliance on the Landing Road Bridge, constructed in 1962 'and now under increasing strain from growing population, seismic risks, and climate-related threats'. It points out the Whakatāne district's population has nearly tripled since the Landing Road bridge was built and is projected to reach 42,500 by 2033. The proposal asks for funding for a detailed business case, geo-spatial analysis, technical feasibility studies, and benefit-cost evaluations. It also asks the minister to initiate collaborative planning, such as partnering with regional councils, iwi, and stakeholders to align priorities and resources, to incorporate lessons from Cyclone Gabrielle and focus on long-term climate adaptation strategies. He said people needed to front up if the proposal was to get any attention from central government. 'If this town wants a second bridge, it needs to get out and sign up to a petition which could accompany a proposal, which will be sent to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Chris Bishop. 'It's still a fair way to go but if you don't do the advocacy and you don't have the nod from upstairs, you're probably not going to get anywhere. This is one step on the road. It's what I promised my community I was going to do, which is advocate for the bridge so that's what I'm doing.'
Scoop
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Mayor Goes Cap In Hand For New Bridge
Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca is seeking community support for his proposal for a second river crossing for the township. Dr Luca has been advocating for a second bridge for Whakatāne since he entered council in 2019. He is creating a petition to accompany a proposal he has written, to take to the Minister of Infrastructure Chris Bishop. The petition will be circulated around town. 'We're just going cap in hand to Government,' he said. Since he became mayor in 2022, Dr Luca has continued to push for a new bridge, speaking to the East Coast's MP at the time, Kiri Allen, and former Transport Minister Simeon Brown. In August 2023, his request that council staff put together a proposal for a second river crossing was agreed to at a council meeting. However, the proposal never eventuated. 'That didn't go anywhere, so I decided to write it myself,' Dr Luca said. 'I started in the second half of last year. 'We'll send that in to the minister with a petition, hopefully with a few thousand signatures on it.' Last year, he also managed to have an application for funding for a full business case included in the Regional Land Transport Plan. 'The bridge proposal was ranked 12th or 13th in the Bay of Plenty, and I was quite hopeful at one point. But unbeknownst to me [central government] didn't provide a lot of funding and it seems as if most of it has gone to Tauranga and the Western Bay. We didn't get even a look in. But if you don't rattle the cage or stir things up, then you're not going to get a bridge.' He emphasises the proposal is not a business case and although it identifies several potential locations that have been suggested by people over the years, it does not advocate for any particular location for a bridge. 'Every man and his dog are going to have a view on where it should go,' he said. 'It's all about advocating. The detail would come in a full-blown business case.' The proposal outlines the 'significant challenges' faced by the Eastern Bay due to its largest town's reliance on the Landing Road Bridge, constructed in 1962 'and now under increasing strain from growing population, seismic risks, and climate-related threats'. It points out the Whakatāne district's population has nearly tripled since the Landing Road bridge was built and is projected to reach 42,500 by 2033. The proposal asks for funding for a detailed business case, geo-spatial analysis, technical feasibility studies, and benefit-cost evaluations. It also asks the minister to initiate collaborative planning, such as partnering with regional councils, iwi, and stakeholders to align priorities and resources, to incorporate lessons from Cyclone Gabrielle and focus on long-term climate adaptation strategies. He said people needed to front up if the proposal was to get any attention from central government. 'If this town wants a second bridge, it needs to get out and sign up to a petition which could accompany a proposal, which will be sent to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Chris Bishop. 'It's still a fair way to go but if you don't do the advocacy and you don't have the nod from upstairs, you're probably not going to get anywhere. This is one step on the road. It's what I promised my community I was going to do, which is advocate for the bridge so that's what I'm doing.'
NZ Herald
19-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca pushes for second bridge with community petition
'We're just going cap in hand to Government,' he said. Since he became mayor in 2022, Luca has continued to push for a new bridge, speaking to the East Coast's MP at the time, Kiri Allen, and former Transport Minister Simeon Brown. In August 2023, his request that council staff put together a proposal for a second river crossing was agreed to at a council meeting. However, the proposal never eventuated. 'That didn't go anywhere, so I decided to write it myself,' Luca said. 'I started in the second half of last year. 'We'll send that in to the minister with a petition, hopefully with a few thousand signatures on it.' Last year, he also managed to have an application for funding for a full business case included in the Regional Land Transport Plan. 'The bridge proposal was ranked 12th or 13th in the Bay of Plenty, and I was quite hopeful at one point. 'But, unbeknownst to me, [central government] didn't provide a lot of funding and it seems as if most of it has gone to Tauranga and the Western Bay. 'We didn't get even a look in. But if you don't rattle the cage or stir things up, then you're not going to get a bridge.' He emphasised the proposal was not a business case, and although it identified several potential locations that have been suggested by people over the years, it did not advocate for any particular location for a bridge. 'Every man and his dog are going to have a view on where it should go,' he said. 'It's all about advocating. The detail would come in a full-blown business case.' The proposal outlines the 'significant challenges' faced by the Eastern Bay due to its largest town's reliance on the Landing Rd Bridge, constructed in 1962 and now under increasing strain from a growing population, seismic risks and climate-related threats. It points out the Whakatāne district's population has nearly tripled since the bridge on Landing Rd was built and is projected to reach 42,500 by 2033. The proposal asks for funding for a detailed business case, geo-spatial analysis, technical feasibility studies and benefit-cost evaluations. It also asks the minister to initiate collaborative planning, such as partnering with regional councils, iwi and stakeholders to align priorities and resources, to incorporate lessons from Cyclone Gabrielle and focus on long-term climate adaptation strategies. He said people needed to front up if the proposal was to get any attention from central government. 'If this town wants a second bridge, it needs to get out and sign up to a petition which could accompany a proposal, which will be sent to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Chris Bishop. 'It's still a fair way to go but if you don't do the advocacy and you don't have the nod from upstairs, you're probably not going to get anywhere. 'This is one step on the road. It's what I promised my community I was going to do, which is advocate for the bridge so that's what I'm doing.'
1News
09-05-2025
- 1News
Man's unit destroyed by car site of three previous crashes
A Whangārei home destroyed after a speeding car crashed through its roof had been hit three times before by vehicles flying off the same stretch of road, a relative of a former owner says. She fears it will happen again and is urging the council to build a crash barrier or realign the road, before luck runs out and someone is killed. Around 11pm on Tuesday a car police say was travelling at high speed left Mill Road, smashed through a fence, sailed over one unit on Millers Lane and landed on another. The car crashed through the roof into the living room, which was completely destroyed. Police said if the owner hadn't been away that night - his partner told RNZ he was in his 80s and in hospital at the time — he almost certainly would have died. A relative of the unit's previous owner, who did not want to be named, was distressed to learn of the latest crash. "I'm really upset to see it's happened again, but I'm not surprised either," she said. The woman said one of her relatives was a previous resident of the Millers Lane unit. She had enjoyed living there for many years, despite the unit being hit by cars three times. On two occasions damage was relatively minor but a 2018 crash demolished part of her bedroom and could have been fatal if she had been home at the time. After that crash the family lobbied the Whangārei District Council for a safety barrier on Mill Road, spoke to council engineers, and made direct contact with then mayor Sheryl Mai. "We kept going back and saying, 'What are you doing about it?'" The woman said council contractors resurfaced the road to improve grip, and engineers told her they were going to look at the corner because that seemed to be part of the problem. "I don't think houses should have been built there in the first place. They need to try to build a barrier or realign the corner," the woman said. Council transport strategy and planning lead Nick Marshall said staff investigated options for reducing crash risk in 2019. A crash barrier was considered, but building one that was effective would be difficult due to the complex geometry and steep slope between Millers Lane and Mill Road/Whareora Road. The road would need to be widened and a retaining wall built to allow the guard-rail to fit, and the footpath on Whareora Road would need to be relocated. "In short, there's not enough ground at the edge of the road to hold up any barrier without building significant foundations," he said. "We also have concerns about the effectiveness of a barrier here, given the angle at which cars seem to leave this part of the road." Marshall said guard-rails were designed to be effective when hit at angles of less than 30 degrees, but in the crashes to date the car would have hit at 90 degrees. At that angle, any vehicle travelling at high speed would likely punch through the barrier and still end up in the property. Despite those challenges the council sought funding from NZTA in the 2024-27 Regional Land Transport Plan, but was unsuccessful. The council would continue to seek funding for safety improvements at that location in future Long Term Plans, he said. After a 2012 crash, the unit's owner at that time told a reporter she hoped the council would install a barrier. She also had ideas for what should happen to the three young men who crashed into her property in the early hours of New Year's Day. "I think they need a good spanking, and made to clear up the mess because I have to get help to do that." In this week's crash, the driver fled the scene and could not be tracked by a police dog. Police said they were "following lines of enquiry".
Otago Daily Times
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Home destroyed by car had been hit three times before
A Whangārei home destroyed after a speeding car crashed through its roof had been hit three times before by vehicles flying off the same stretch of road, a relative of a former owner says. She fears it will happen again and is urging the council to build a crash barrier or realign the road, before luck runs out and someone is killed. Around 11pm on Tuesday a car police say was travelling at high speed left Mill Road, smashed through a fence, sailed over one unit on Millers Lane and landed on another. The car crashed through the roof into the living room, which was completely destroyed. Police said if the owner hadn't been away that night - his partner told RNZ he was in his 80s and in hospital at the time - he almost certainly would have died. A relative of the unit's previous owner, who did not want to be named, was distressed to learn of the latest crash. "I'm really upset to see it's happened again, but I'm not surprised either," she said. The woman said one of her relatives was a previous resident of the Millers Lane unit. She had enjoyed living there for many years, despite the unit being hit by cars three times. On two occasions damage was relatively minor but a 2018 crash demolished part of her bedroom and could have been fatal if she had been home at the time. After that crash the family lobbied the Whangārei District Council for a safety barrier on Mill Road, spoke to council engineers, and made direct contact with then mayor Sheryl Mai. "We kept going back and saying, 'What are you doing about it?'" The woman said council contractors resurfaced the road to improve grip, and engineers told her they were going to look at the corner because that seemed to be part of the problem. "I don't think houses should have been built there in the first place. They need to try to build a barrier or realign the corner," the woman said. Council transport strategy and planning lead Nick Marshall said staff investigated options for reducing crash risk in 2019. A crash barrier was considered, but building one that was effective would be difficult due to the complex geometry and steep slope between Millers Lane and Mill Road/Whareora Road. The road would need to be widened and a retaining wall built to allow the guard-rail to fit, and the footpath on Whareora Road would need to be relocated. "In short, there's not enough ground at the edge of the road to hold up any barrier without building significant foundations," he said. "We also have concerns about the effectiveness of a barrier here, given the angle at which cars seem to leave this part of the road." Marshall said guard-rails were designed to be effective when hit at angles of less than 30 degrees, but in the crashes to date the car would have hit at 90 degrees. At that angle, any vehicle travelling at high speed would likely punch through the barrier and still end up in the property. Despite those challenges the council sought funding from NZTA in the 2024-27 Regional Land Transport Plan, but was unsuccessful. The council would continue to seek funding for safety improvements at that location in future Long Term Plans, he said. After a 2012 crash, the unit's owner at that time told a reporter she hoped the council would install a barrier. She also had ideas for what should happen to the three young men who crashed into her property in the early hours of New Year's Day. "I think they need a good spanking, and made to clear up the mess because I have to get help to do that." In this week's crash, the driver fled the scene and could not be tracked by a police dog. Police said they were "following lines of enquiry"
