The widening of Mount Aspiring Rd and resealing work in Camp Hill Rd were both expected to start during the 2016-17 road works season.
The delays are concerning Wanaka firm The Roading Company, which carries out much of the council’s work in the Upper Clutha. General manager Fletcher Cranfield told the Wanaka Community Board this week the company, which had 35 staff, had no roading work on its books at present. District council property and infrastructure general manager Peter Hansby said the council would wait for survey data from the Department of Conservation before putting the Mount Aspiring Rd project out for tender.
The first stage of the project would start at the Mt Roy trail and the project included upgrading the trail’s car park, he said.
Work to widen the road between Wanaka and Glendhu Bay had been expected to start by Christmas and $250,0000 had been allocated to it. Mr Hansby expected it would go out to tender before Christmas with construction to be started mid-March, which avoided the busiest time for the trail.
The Camp Hill Road project was in concept design stage and the council needed to wait on final budgetary calculations. It needed to be identified if the preferred option was to rehabilitate the road or continue with regular maintenance, Mr Hansby said.
Other council roading projects, such as the almost completed upgrade to Beacon Point Rd, were under way, he said.
Wanaka-based The Roading Company had expected about 60% of its work during the road work season, October to April, would come from the council, Mr Cranfield said.
At the Wanaka Community Board meeting on Wednesday, Mr Cranfield said the The Roading Company was concerned about the lack of roading work in the area.
Some of the company’s 35 staff now had to work outside the area — in the Waitaki and Dunedin City areas — because there wasn’t enough work, Mr Cranfield said.
"About 60% of the road work I thought we would be working on is now not going ahead at the moment ... which leaves us with no roading work for the coming season."
The company had a good relationship with the council, which was one of the best local authorities to work with, he said.
"I’m just concerned there’s no major capital-fund roading work going on and the season is already started."
At the community board meeting deputy mayor Calum MacLeod said he would be happy to work with Mr Fletcher and would go through the changes to the roading schedule with him.
Cr Macleod said he would also look at the issues the company faced.
