The battle against the NZTA’s expressway route decision for Peka Peka to North Ōtaki is continuing. Peter Curling, chair of the Te Horo Road Action Committee (THRAC) advises that they are still awaiting NZTA explanations of the submissions report anomalies and also copies of various related materials under the Official Information Act.
“Most of the questions were raised in writing last year” says Mr Curling, “but responsive or constructive answers have been very difficult to obtain”. A February meeting with NZTA’s Rob Whight failed to advance matters and was concluded on the basis of THRAC re-submitting its questions in writing and responses are awaited. In addition to the questions, THRAC has requested copies of reports and minutes of meetings relating to the road route selection. Some materials have been supplied, some are still awaited.
“We are slowly piecing together a rough picture of what has occurred” and this is being aided by local National MP, Nathan Guy. “We approached Mr Guy as our electorate MP (rather than as Associate Minister of Transport) and he has been most helpful, personally raising questions with both the Minister, Steven Joyce, and NZTA directly”. It is understood that Mr Guy still awaits responses to the latter.
Local Labour list MP, Darren Hughes, is also on the case. “Mr Hughes evidently has personal doubts about the need for the road but applauded THRAC’s approach of seeking to ensure that, if built, it is put in the best place for all concerned”. It is understood that Mr Hughes will be raising Parliamentary Questions on the issues arising.
It is a slow, frustrating task extracting information and materials from NZTA according to Mr Curling, a difficulty that KCDC has said at recent workshop meetings, it is also experiencing. THRAC is sticking to it although Mr Curling fears that “..ultimately, it may come to Steven Joyce feeling impelled to direct NZTA to do the job again because of what we are finding”. As an example, Mr Curling claims receipt from NZTA of an admission that, in spite of assurances from NZTA and Steven Joyce that all proposed alternatives in submissions would receive equal consideration, no investigation of 2009 proposed routes under currently prevailing circumstances has occurred. “They are relying upon an outdated 2003 report notwithstanding that its findings have been shown to be wrong, circumstances have changed, some quite dramatically, and alternatives now promoted are different to those previously examined.”
Mr Curling thinks THRAC is not alone in its ongoing activities relative to the Te Horo – Ōtaki stretch of the new road. “I am pretty sure that local Maori interests are pursuing their concerns, one of which, presumably, must be the threat to the Ōtaki Race Course. Our tentative approaches to discuss community concerns received no return interest. We would welcome and indeed, invite discussion with other groups but and naturally however, we are entirely respectful of others’ rights to advance their own views and causes in isolation from us, even in opposition to us if that is their wish”.
Mr Curling reaffirms THRAC’s desire that the new road will “disrupt, displace and distress the least number of people in the community as possible” and that “its route will not be determined by public servants claiming support from people who do not even live in, have any knowledge of or interest in the well being of Te Horo and Ōtaki”.
Where to from here? “NZTA’s Rob Whight has indicated that the NZTA Board may be prepared to hear THRAC. This would best occur once NZTA has answered our requests for information of course and may accordingly not happen soon. However, I have every reason to believe that the Board members are reasonable people and this cannot help but make us quietly hopeful of a successful outcome,” said Mr Curling.
