Call for road maintenance information to be sent to users

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 8, Issue 373, 12 February 1991, Page 15

Call for road maintenance information to be sent to users

People affected by the council's policy on maintaining roads beyond gates and cattle stops should be notified that they can make written application for their road to be maintained if their particular circumstances warrant, the community board is to recommend to council. The new policy is that council roads beyond gates or cattle stops will no longer be maintained, unless specific circumstances apply. The board discussed a number of cases with regard to the policy, including the road past the Ruatiti Airstrip which in the past serviced just one property but is now used by a number of people. Mr Winston Oliver said there were a number of bridges affected by the policy. "Who's going to

maintain them when they are council property? Are we going to let them fall down?" he asked. Mayor Workman said it was becoming more and more difficult to gain Transit New Zealand subsidy for such cases and that there had to be a favourable benefit/cost factor if the council was to spend money on such work. Cr Doug Bennett said the situation was constantly changing with some roads no longer needing maintenance and some coming back into use, He said there were cases where gates were no longer necessary. "The whole thing comes back to applications by the affected people to the council to have a road maintained if they feel it is warranted," said Cr Bennett.