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New Round of Rural Valley Meetings On Road Network
MEDIA RELEASE
Ruapehu District
Council
Date: Friday 19 July
2013.
New Round of Rural Valley Meetings On Road Network
Ruapehu District Council’s (RDC) roading team has scheduled the next series of ‘River Valley meetings’ to provide rural residents the opportunity to discuss any issues concerning their local road network.
The first of the meetings is scheduled for the Owhango Hall on Wednesday 31 July followed by meetings at the Orautoha Community Hall in the Ruatiti Valley on Tuesday 6 August and the Ngakonui Hall on Thursday 8 August.
RDC Team Leader Land Transport, Warren Furner, said that the first River Valley road network meetings were held in 2009 and are now a well-established and integral part of council’s road management strategy.
“The meetings provide council and our road management partners GHD and Inframax the opportunity to meet with the communities we serve and gain first-hand knowledge of local road conditions and any ‘hot spots’ that require urgent remedial attention,” he said.
“The input from local residents enables council to make better decisions about where to spend our limited road improvement dollars and has been invaluable in improving the safety of local rural roads.”
“Without local knowledge we are dependent on Police accident reports and as many accidents without injury are never reported Police data does not provide a complete picture of where the roading ‘hot spots’ are.”
Mr Furner added that the meetings also allow council to bring rural communities up to date on current works, future plans, funding, regulation and other issues that affect local road management.
“Two significant issues new we know rural communities will be very interested in are council’s submission to the road Funding Assistant Rate (FAR) review being undertaken by the NZ Transport Authority and the introduction of larger 50 tonne truck and trailer units on NZ roads from the current 44 tonne limit.”
Mr Furner noted that local communities can use the River Valley meetings to raise and discuss any road related issue they liked with Council that may benefit the community as a whole.
“Details of the up-coming meeting dates will be published in the public notice section of the local papers or see council’s website www.ruapehudc.govt.nz.
“If people have any additional queries they can call Cook Te Wano via their local council office for further information.”
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