26 April 2019

From Infrastructure General Manager Stavros Michael -

'Council has been working with NZTA to improve this corridor. The investigations since 2015 identified that there are clear safety and community severance risks on the corridor and a range of staged improvements are planned. For more details on the timing and nature of these improvements please refer to NZTA who own and operate the corridor.'

Response from NZTA:

How many pedestrians have been hit on Te Ngae Rd in the last five years?

There have been eight crashes involving pedestrians along the section of Te Ngae Road/State Highway 30 in the past five year. Four of these occurred at night, one occurring at a signalised pedestrian crossing.

What is planned to make the street safer for pedestrians?

The Eastern Corridor Stage 1 project covers the section of Te Ngae Rd/SH30 from Sala St to Iles Rd.

Works include upgrades to shared paths, signalising the Tarawera Roundabout (improving pedestrians' safety), improvements to the pedestrian underpass under the Puarenga Bridge, as well as street lighting improvements. This work is expected to be completed within 12 months.

The Transport Agency is also planning to review the speed limit along the entire section of Te Ngae Road as part of the national speed review process.

Does NZTA have plans to add street lights to make it safer for pedestrians? How?

Improvements to street lights along sections of Te Ngae Road are planned as part of Eastern Corridor Stage 1 project (mentioned above). We're also investigating improvements to street lighting between Sunrise Ave and Brent Road, and a section from Rotokawa Road to the Eastgate Business Park. These improvements are in the design phase.

[People have said] Vehicles speeding is an issue, 60km/h is too fast along Te Ngae and should only be 60km/h beyond the airport (heading to Tauranga from Rotorua), there needs to be 4 lanes, the roundabout is "horrible" and should be traffic lights, the road gets dark further up from the Te Ngae near Sunrise Ave re: street lights, the road needs a bypass, people drive through the red lights near Sunrise, traffic backs up people are riding bumper to bumper What is the NZTA doing about these concerns of the people? NZTA previously said work would begin on the Te Ngae roundabout to turn it into traffic lights in March but it is now nearing the end of April and nothing has started. I have also contacted the NZTA multiple times asking when this would start and have had no response.

Speed continues to be a huge problem on New Zealand roads, and our challenge is to help people understand that while speed does not cause every crash, it is always a crucial factor in the severity and the survivability of a crash. This is particularly true in any crash where a vehicle strikes a pedestrian or a cyclist.

Every week, 11 people are seriously injured or killed in a speed-related crash.

While enforcement of speed limits is the responsibility of Police, the NZ Transport Agency actively supports targeted Police enforcement with our road safety advertising campaign, which is primarily focussed on speed, drink/drug-driving, distraction and seatbelts.

In regards to the work on the Te Ngae roundabout mentioned above, the Stage 1 work along Te Ngae Road was initially scheduled to begin in March however this has been delayed due to tender negotiations. We still expect to have this work completed within the next 12 months.

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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Headstones vandalised

I'm getting in touch because we have had a lady let us know a number of graves at a Ngongotahā cemetery has had the headstones ripped off/destroyed.

We were wondering if this is something that has been reported to Rotorua Lakes Council and whether this is a matter the council would deal with?

If so, would it be possible to have a few comments from an appropriate person around what was reported and what the next steps will be from here?

Afterhours contractors notified Council earlier this week after the Police had reported to them that several gravestones had been damaged and a car bumper had been left at the scene.

Infracore staff have inspected and have confirmed four headstones have been damaged. It is likely that a stone mason will need to be contracted to lift the stones due to their weight.

The headstones are in the older part of the cemetery and are could be more than 30 years old. Staff are now working through the process of identifying family members so they can be notified.

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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Nearly one year on from Ngongotaha flooding

Reporter asked to interview Civil Defence leads "to reflect on the experience as it comes closer to the year on".

Bruce Horne and Stavros Michael were interviewed.

The main points covered in the interview were:

*Related joint Rotorua Lakes Council/Bay of Plenty Regional Council media release can be viewed HERE