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More Dunedin roads are destined for sealing after a decision by Dunedin city councillors at yesterday's pre-draft budget meeting. Photo by Peter McIntosh. |
Funding for the Dunedin City Council's seal extension
programme has been partially reinstated to the council's
pre-draft budget, despite the move being labelled "suicidal".
Council staff had proposed dumping the council's seal
extension programme from the beginning of the 2012-13 year,
potentially saving $4.7 million, as part of $6.9 million in
savings found within the transportation budget over the next
decade.
That excluded $791,000 remaining in the council's budget to
complete the sealing of Scroggs Hill Rd, near Brighton, which
was being rolled over from the 2011-12 budget at no extra
cost to ratepayers.
However, councillors at yesterday's pre-draft budget meeting
also agreed to reinstate $350,000 a year in funding from
2015-16, subject to public consultation and final approval.
The change followed a plea from Cr Andrew Noone, chairman of
the council's infrastructure services committee, who argued
the council needed to support rural residential development
by sealing roads.
The cost to the council was about $250,000 for each kilometre
of road sealed, but Cr Noone argued developments on rural
residential land added "significantly" to the council's rates
take.
One of Dunedin's strengths was the choices offered to people
to live in either urban or rural settings, and those opting
for rural settings shouldn't just be asked to "put up with
what was there", he believed.
However, Cr Jinty MacTavish objected, saying the council,
with 700km of unsealed roads, would be locking itself into
higher maintenance costs associated with sealed roads in
future.
"I think it would be suicidal in terms of our maintenance
costs on our roading network.
"At some stage, we have to say enough is enough ... there are
other higher priorities," she said.
Sealing the gravel roads that were next on the council's
two-year programme - Scroggs Hill Rd, McMaster Rd off Saddle
Hill Rd, and Allans Beach Rd, near Portobello - would also
not attract a subsidy from the New Zealand Transport Agency,
she said.
That meant the council would be sending the wrong signal to
the community, by supporting some projects only because they
attracted a NZTA subsidy, while funding seal extension work
without one, she said.
"I just don't think that's very even-handed," she said.
Cr Noone's resolution was eventually put to a vote and passed
10-4, with Crs MacTavish and Teresa Stevenson, Mayor Dave
Cull and deputy mayor Chris Staynes voting against.
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