There are concerns in Broad Bay on the Otago Peninsula that plans to widen a road will ruin a local reserve and cause congestion around the local boat club.
Broad Bay resident Simon Blake had a first look at the Dunedin City Council’s plan to widen the Broad Bay section of Portobello Rd last week and he is not happy.
He was "appalled" to see the plan included the removal of native trees on the reserve next to the area’s man-made beach.
The trees were often full of native birds, including tui and bellbirds, he said.
It would also bring the road closer to the beach which he felt would make it less safe for children.
"Not only will we lose the trees and all the privacy, the road will be right by the beach."
The work is part of the council’s peninsula connection project, which is adding a shared path to Portobello Rd between Dunedin and Harington Point.
Mr Blake said he understood the council would consult Broad Bay residents in coming weeks, but in the meantime, residents would be meeting at the community hall next Sunday to discuss the plans.
Broad Bay Boating Club secretary Marty Brash said the widening would limit the space for people launching boats and needing to manoeuvre cars in a space that was already "tight on a good day".
He met council staff last week to discuss the draft plan, which included the removal of some car parks next to the club.
The shared path would generally complement the club’s plan to rebuild in the next few years, but adding congestion to the area did not.
The impacts had not yet been resolved and he would meet staff again, Mr Brash said
Broad Bay School principal Greg MacLeod said there needed to be compromise, but hoped the process would be carried out with good local consultation.
"My main priority is to ensure it is safe for the kids and community."
Dunedin City Council transport delivery manager Josh Von Pein said staff planned to consult the public further and plans would be updated to reflect the feedback received.
Work around the Broad Bay reserve would not begin until early next year, but bulk filling and new seawall construction would start either side of the reserve before the end of the year.
Mr Pein also said the council would replant the native trees elsewhere within the reserve where possible, and any that had to be permanently removed would be replaced with new native plants.
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Comments
DCC spending our rates because they can. The road is fine as it is, given today's traffic volumes- logic and rational thinking has never been a strong point for the DCC. Once we get back to last year's tourist numbers then widen it- until then reduce OUR rates instead of spending them willy nilly.
" and any that had to be permanently removed would be replaced with new native plants".
So council will remove native plants only to replace them with new native plants!?, why not just replant the native plants that are already there?. Bonkers "council" again, when are the elections again?.
You do have to ask if this is necessary. There is already a serviceable footpath through the reserve and the road is wide enough for the bus and truck/trailer units as it is. Is DCC again pandering to the minority, over-funded cyclists?