My Account
See the big picture
Maurie Hooper, Snells Beach.
I did attend the meeting referenced on page three of Mahurangi Matters (May 17).
But I did not get the idea that the meeting had rejected the link road options as the headline suggests.
Yes, there were land owners affected and individuals who disagreed with all of the options presented, and who favoured the proposed four lane joining directly onto the motorway.
But the facts are that we had a group of qualified Auckland Transport (AT) staff present who have the best interests of the Warkworth area in mind.
Given the current traffic volume increases that we already know about, along with the development growth being planned that they know about, there is a real need to look at the bigger picture.
John Stokes, AT, growth north and west manager, stated, “This is not so much about the motorway link as it is about having well researched roading plans for the future of the area.”
In that respect, we should all be applauding AT for the commitment of competent staff to plan this future.
It has not happened like this before.
We all have to understand, and the staff I spoke to do have this experience, that to manage traffic flows effectively does require considerable detailed studies and experience.
They are looking at Hudson Road, McKinney Road, a Sandspit Road to Matakana Road, as well as traffic flows in and out of the proposed Matakana Link given future local housing demands. We are not talking about hundreds of new houses, we are looking at thousands.
The Matakana link road joining SH1 immediately north of the Showgrounds, and its ability to manage traffic both south and north is part of the AT study that has been done.
The proposed motorway/SH1 roundabout is in the hands of Land Transport New Zealand and its contractors. Any concerns there need to be taken up with that body.
Meanwhile, Hill Street will get some practical minor improvements.
Cycle trail hazard
Michele Wade, Omaha
As someone who is a competent cyclist and uses the Matakana cycle trail regularly, the surface of this trail in parts is a shocker – way more of a problem than the terrain.
I am not sure if the builders of this trail are cyclists, I imagine not.
But to just dump big rocks in parts of the trail is crazy.
Not only is it dangerous if travelling at a reasonable pace to hit these rocks, but it is also bad on the tyres.
Having done several trails around the country, this is the worst surface by far.
Parts of the track are good where they seem to have mixed a finer chip with a limestone (or something similar. I am not an expert in this area.)
I hope that in the redirection of some of the track (MM May 17) that the surface is improved, not made worse!
A lot of the crashes on this trail are as a result of the surface and wheels getting into the thick gravel, not the incline.
Hidden hall
Alan Boniface, Snells Beach
I was on front door duty at the Messiah concert at the Warkworth Town Hall and was asked several times “Where is the Town Hall?”
There is no signage at present – is it planned? Also, where is the block that was above the door giving the date it was built ?
Marvellous Messiah
Bob and Sue Stevenson, Mahurangi West
We would like to send a very big thank you to everyone involved with the Messiah recently. We really enjoyed everything about it, and being in our new/old hall was an extra pleasure.
Good One
Bob and Sue Stevenson, Warkworth
Well done One Warkworth for working to get a southern interchange for Warkworth. At all the information meetings we have attended we have pointed out the huge extra population planned south of Warkworth. These people will not want to go through town and several light stops, to get to Auckland. They will add congestion to the old accident-prone road towards Puhoi.
Tourists going north will not bother to have a nice coffee, wander around town and maybe buy something if they have to backtrack south.
Holiday people will get their stuff elsewhere if it is easier for them.
I’m sure One Warkworth will keep up the pressure and we hope NZTA will see sense.
Valuable volunteers
Kathryn Ashworth, manager Warkworth Wellsford Hospice
To the wonderful people who volunteer to help Warkworth Wellsford Hospice, you reflect the best of this community with your compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another.
You provide companionship and practical help for patients and give carers some time out. You collect, deliver, safety-check, repair, sort and sell donated goods for our hospice shops and garage sales; you cut old clothing into rags or make craft items for sale; you bake, cook and serve food as part of our catering team; you help plan and run events, street collections and stalls; you answer phones, clean nursing equipment, take care of our cars, our building and grounds.
You have risen to the challenge of raising millions for our new community day hospice; you put your specialised skills to work to achieve the successful completion of the new Community Day Hospice; and you offer your wisdom and good sense as members of our Advisory Board.
We thoroughly appreciate the dedication, time and gold standard of volunteering you all give to us.
It is a real privilege to be able to work alongside such a wonderful team of people, with such humour, dedication and care for others. Thank you so much.
