Feedback sought on Kaiapoi station proposal
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Public feedback is sought on a proposal to permanently locate the historic Kaiapoi Railway Station building alongside the Kaiapoi River.
The building’s owner, the Kaiapoi Railway Station Trust, and local developer Jedd Pearce are working together on the project.
It is proposed to raise the building and move it closer to the stopbank.
Additional outdoor seating would be provided on a wrap around deck, which would have a ramp access.
A reconfiguration of the car park is also planned, along with a tidy up of the pathway connecting Charles St to the toilets and then on to Morgan Williams Reserve.
The council would also formalise the temporary arrangements in place, with a lease to occupy the reserve and a licence to only operate a cafe in the building.
First built in 1904, the former railway station building has a category 2 rating with Heritage New Zealand.
Now home to the Paris for the Weekend Cafe, it was moved to its present location, Morgan Williams Reserve in Charles St, on a temporary foundation in 2013.
Public consultation is open until Thursday, April 6.
Once the consultation has been completed, council staff will report back to the Kaiapoi-Tuahiwi Community Board to make a decision.
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Fears motorway toll could leave North Canterbury town worse off
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
A community leader fears a toll on the proposed motorway extension could leave a North Canterbury town worse off.
Woodend-Sefton Community Board chairperson Shona Powell said she fears Woodend could face increased traffic without promised safety improvements, if a toll is introduced on the Belfast to Pegasus Motorway extension, which includes the proposed Woodend Bypass.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) last month announced consultation for a toll of $4.30 for light vehicles and $8.60 for heavy vehicles (including trucks) on the new 11km Manawatu Gorge Motorway, which will be completed next year.
It means commuters could be stung with paying an extra $43 a week in their travel costs.
The agency said the Belfast to Pegasus Motorway extension will be 9km, including the Woodend Bypass and the realignment and four laning south of Pineacres.
Woodend residents have been waiting for safety improvements since NZTA began consulting with the community eight years ago.
But the safety improvements have been placed on hold, pending the progress of the motorway extension.
‘‘My biggest concern is people will continue using the existing road through Woodend and will go through Kaiapoi or Tuahiwi to avoid paying the toll,’’ Powell said.
‘‘And Woodend may not get the safety improvements, so nothing changes.’’
Powell was also concerned the speed reduction from 100kph to 80kph on State Highway 1 between the Pegasus roundabout and Waikuku could be reversed, following changes to the Setting of Speed Limits rule being announced.
‘‘It was a speed limit requested by the community as a safety improvement.
‘‘To go back to having that fast speed limit for traffic coming from the north, it would just be disastrous.’’
NZTA director regional relationships James Caygill said the Government Policy Statement (GPS) on land transport requires the agency to consider tolling for new roads.
‘‘But it is too soon to discuss any potential tolling options until the scope and cost of this project has been confirmed’’.
Caygill was unable to confirm whether the 80kph speed limit between Pegasus and Waikuku would remain.
He said the agency will identify locations affected by the rule once it is finalised later in the year.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown said Waka Kotahi ‘‘is working at pace’’ to deliver the motorway extension.
‘‘NZTA’s project teams are reviewing the scope, design, cost, and timing of all Roads of National Significance projects to ensure consistency with expectations in the GPS on Land Transport 2024.’’
He said Government ‘‘will support any recommendation from NZTA to toll roads’’.
The Government was also committed to ‘‘reversing Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions’’, Brown said.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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