My Account
Auckland Transport (AT) and the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) last month announced a new transport network plan to support future urban growth in Warkworth.
The plan aims to provide a range of transport choices to be delivered over the next 30 years to cope with Warkworth’s growth.
Warkworth is expected to grow from 5000 to 22,000 people by 2046.
Key elements of the plan include:
• Investment in public transport services, including two new bus stations (public transport interchanges) in north and south Warkworth.
• A walking and cycling network, including along the Mahurangi River.
• A southern interchange on the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway and a connecting arterial road to provide access to proposed residential and business land in south Warkworth.
• A Sandspit link road, Matakana link road and Western link road (see map above, #4 and #5).
• Improvements to the Hill Street intersection.
The plan has been developed under the auspices of AT and NZTA’s Supporting Growth programme and follows technical investigations and public consultation undertaken last year.
AT chief executive Shane Ellison says Aucklanders have said they’re looking for more public transport, walking and cycling connections and these are integral to Supporting Growth’s long-term planning.
But AT and NZTA warn that the plan will require further technical investigation, engagement with communities and landowners and statutory approvals, before details of the plan are finalised.
Locals react to the transport plan …
Beth Houlbrooke, Rodney Local Board chair
All the elements of a future transport network we are looking for appear to be in the plan – southern interchange, Sandspit Link etc., but we know that funding and budgets are another matter altogether. This plan is where that process starts so it’s important to support it to the extent that it is the first step to attract funding, and nothing happens without funding being identified in the next Regional Land Transport Plan, including for the rebuild of the Hill St intersection.
The only comment I would have, which I know is supported by many in the community, is disappointment that the Western Link is still shown as cutting through Mansel Drive, a built up residential area and about to be built more on, which is not suitable for the type of traffic the link will attract – mostly heavy traffic. The road is not wide enough and adding heavy traffic to it will make it unsafe and unattractive to walk and cycle around. It will put a lot of industrial traffic through a residential area and right outside a retirement village. The noise will not be welcome. There was an opportunity with this plan to move the Western connector to a point further west which has not been reflected in the plan, yet there were many submissions to do so.
Bevan Woodward, SkyPath developer and transport planner
The plan is primarily about building more roads (9 of the 12 projects are new or wider roads) and lacks strategic thinking. The plan is based on 1950's traffic engineering that assumes we can build our way out of congestion – which as Auckland and LA have demonstrated, doesn't work. The research is clear: more roading encourages more traffic and a whole range of detrimental effects, such as traffic congestion, unsafe streets, pollution and carbon emissions.
The plan's focus of "Supporting Growth" is too narrow and allows it ignore the environmental and social effects of building new and wider roads. In taking a holistic view it is clear we need to prioritise public transport, walking and cycling. We also need to consider road pricing and rewarding people for using public transport. Ultimately road building for private motor cars will become the option of last resort. The plan wants to transform Warkworth into another Albany or Silverdale. How depressing.
Dave Stott, Oaks project director and traffic engineer
The proposed transport plan is generally as has previously been advised by Auckland Transport and hence I would be in general agreement with it. Specifically, the points of difference that I would have are as follows:
• The proposed walkway/cycleway along the Mahurangi River from the centre of town should be extended right through to the Falls Road ford and Kauri reserve
• There are no other walkways or cycle ways proposed, in particular the route through Kowhai Park and the Showgrounds to the MLR, the route along the river to Snells Beach and the linking of the Matakana to Omaha walkway and cycle way back to Warkworth.
• I disagree with the route of the Western Collector through Mansel Road. The more western route of the southern part of the Western Collector (WC) from the Southern Interchange to Woodcocks Rd is good but a better option for the northern part of the WC would be to follow the path of the new RONS from Woodcocks Rd to the existing SH1.
• Depending on timing, it may be possible to use what will eventually become redundant lanes of the RONS once the Warkworth to Wellsford section of the motorway is completed.
• No timing of the various projects has been given and the timing and sequencing of projects should align with new residential and commercial development.
Roger Williams, retired traffic engineer
• Southern Transport Interchange might be 30 years away but good to see this positively shown. Northern Transport Interchange might be too close to Motorway Terminus.
• RLB temporary Transport Interchange will be there for a very long time
• A walking and cycling network, including along the Mahurangi River. Good to see this marked. Not clear what side of the river it is on.
• Sandspit Link Road has not taken suggestions from community and from 5 willing landowners to relocate it outside the Lime Quarry whereas shown alignement will have multiple owners to deal with.
• Matakana Link Road will not be open at same time as motorway. A serious problem caused be procrastination by AT.
• Western Link Road not planned or funded. This becomes a serious problem forcing Stubbs Farm Development to be built from south resulting in huge congestion on Falls Road and Hudson Road. Development coincides with development of Stockyards and Presbyterian Land and Morrison Drive Industrial compounding the problem. AT need to engage with Turnstone Developments NOW.
• Western Link through Mansel Drive and beyond at Jamie Lane seriously undercapacity. The Mansel Drive/Woodcocks Intersection is the site of many crashes and needs to be signalised NOW.
• Hill Street Intersection Business case is now 6 months overdue and there is no indication of a preferred option let alone an actual Business Case. This is the worst case of Planned Procrastination.
• The Warkworth Structure Plan is a huge disappointment because the Supporting Growth Team has not come up with serious roading solutions. The Warkworth Structure Plan will have to be revisited when Supporting Growth finally report.
• The Traffic Modelling is seriously flawed. The main fault is that they have used 2.14 persons per house not 2.74. Maybe they should have gone to Specsavers. They can also expect increased growth in Eastern Beaches. The change from holiday homes to permanent homes will also increase by 13.7%.
• Really has not moved forward in the past 2 years. Has totally ignored constructive suggestions submitted by the public during consultation. Suggestions for realignment of Woodcocks Road and development of Falls area as a Park rather than a traffic route have been ignored.
