‘Overlooked For Too Long’: Resident’s Battle To Get Road Tar Sealed

Tuesday, 23 July 2024, 8:40 pm
Article: Matthew Rosenberg - Local Democracy Reporter

A longstanding battle to tar seal a section of a Southland town's main road is rolling on, as one woman continues her fight.

Riverton resident Leah Boniface wants Southland District Council to seal the 300m northern section of Palmerston St where she has lived for about 30 years.

The gravel road is technically part of the town's main street, but is home to just four houses, sheds, horse stables and land.

With her rates bill currently sitting at $3000 a year, Boniface wanted “a little bit more” for her investment.

She first contacted the council in 1992 with concerns related to the width of the road and asked them to seal it in subsequent years.

That included going public in 2021 with her frustration, where she said she'd had to push her late husband in a wheelchair over gravel due to a lack of footpaths.

This month, Boniface told the council in a submission for its long term plan consultation that she was once again asking for improvements to the carriageway.

“Even a footpath surfaced with dunite (stone surface) would be an improvement for those who walk. Grass verges are always wet and unpleasant for pedestrians.”

Requests for potholes repairs were generally addressed promptly, but reappeared quickly after rain, she said.

Ponding was also an issue on one side of the street where there was no kerb or channel.

Boniface told Local Democracy Reporting the street had been “overlooked for too long”, and questioned if it would ever be sealed.

The council has provided little to no light at the end of the tunnel for Boniface.

In response to questions, council strategic manager transport Hartley Hare said “nothing has changed since the previous report”, when Boniface went public three years ago.

At that time, then-mayor Gary Tong said the street only serviced two or three residents, and had been deemed not cost-effective to address.

The dollars weren’t there for doing such jobs, he said.

According to the council’s website, it manages nearly 5000km of roads throughout Southland.

The network comprises all roads, streets and bridges in the district except highways and national park roads.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

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