Stuart Smith
National MP
Kaikoura
Despite NZTA having a record 97 communications staff – 65 more than when National left office – no one bothered to communicate with Rai Valley residents about the impending seven-week road closure in Rai Valley next month.
Last week I attended a public meeting held to discuss the pending road closure of SH6 and, frankly, the residents are stunned how NZTA blindsided them, not notifying them earlier – and leaving them very little time to prepare for the closure. For many it will be a considerable upheaval: moving livestock to alternative grazing for some, moving to town for the duration for others.
NZTA Manager Andrew James was invited to the meeting to hear the affected residents’ concerns but didn’t front up, underlining in the residents’ minds NZTA’s lack of concern for them. He could easily have followed on to Rai Valley from meeting with residents of the Kokorua Valley earlier in the evening, but didn’t.
I must assume that NZTA have little choice but to close the road whilst repairs are carried out, but it would have been not only good manners but also good management practice to have met with these communities and explained the situation.
What is particularly surprising is that I learned in early September that the road closure was likely to happen, yet the Rai Valley residents only learned of the plans on 10 October.
NZTA claim that holding consultation with the residents would have added an extra two weeks to the process, meaning repairs would not be completed before Christmas, but I do not buy this explanation.
They have 97 communications staff who could and should have consulted with the community last month. After all, it is obvious by the state of the roads that they are not busy filling in potholes.
Retired roading engineer David Miller attended the meeting in Rai Valley and he has calculated the cost of the closure to the community at $13 million: He asked the question whether there had been a cost benefit analysis on the closure?
The diversion via SH 63 will add a further 2,040,000 kilometres for heavy commercial vehicles, which will add to the cost of goods and put more pressure on household budgets, let alone additional emissions.
As I said earlier, the road closure may well be the best solution to complete the repairs, but in my view NZTA should have shown the public the respect they deserve and consulted them. Residents are now scrambling around making alternative arrangements at a very busy time of the year. Some families have children who attend school in Nelson and, with exams coming up, they would have welcomed more time to make alternative arrangements. We also heard of a resident who has dialysis three times a week in Nelson for whom the extra distance will be more than an inconvenience.
Come on NZTA we deserve much better. Spend less time on questionable television advertisements and more time on road repairs and consulting with the taxpayers who pay for them.
