I hadn’t actually noticed these before, but there are a number of Youtube videos about the Puhoi-Wellsford Road beyond just the alignment of the Puhoi-Warkworth section. We have:
Project overview:
Ground conditions/geology:
Road Design:
Environment:
Traffic:
Ecology:
Noise:
Watching these videos I do get a slightly weird feeling that everyone knows this project’s a huge waste of money, but they’re going through the motions simply because they have to. It’s kind of spooky actually.
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There is a significant amount of wealth in warkworth, matakana, omaha etc and I guess that is significant for the
financial well being of the national party
I can’t believe my tax dollars went to paying for an animated “Roads of National Significance” title.
In the Road Design piece, the design engineer Richard Davies admits that the requirements of building a motorway from Puhoi to Warkworth “doesn’t necessarily fit with the terrain”. Is the chuckle he has saying this supposed to inspire support for the road? Are environmental concerns in the NZTA really a joke?
I think they all know it is a joke but are equally excited to work on it because it is such a big and difficult project so they will get to use a lot of their skills.
I think it’s incredible that the Chris Wedding the Ecologist says that they have managed to identify Native Mistletoe on the indicitative route and modify the route to avoid it, but they don’t seem to be able to avoid 55 homes and avoid them!
Should have said – but they don’t seem to be able to identify 55 homes and avoid them!
From a Consultant’s perspective if this doesn’t go ahead this is a brilliant job. You get paid lots of money to provide a wonderful design that probably won’t get built and as such you have no long term liability.