Mata Road, pictured in 2020, could be open again in some places. It is on a list of 86 sealed roads on the East Coast that could be reverted to unsealed or chip-sealed coatings.
Photo: Supplied/Gisborne District Council

Some of Gisborne’s tarmac roads will be left unsealed as the district council looks to save money.

As part of its three-year plan, Gisborne District Council committed to reviewing its local road network covering 1,899 kilometres, to see where it needed to “build stronger roads” and “where to retreat”.

One councilor said problematic sealed roads were proving to be “bottomless pits” for funds due to constant repairs.

The council has compiled a list of 86 sealed roads within the city of Gisborne, in rural areas and along the east coast which a report says have deteriorated to such an extent that it would be more beneficial to reverse the road or parts of it to an unsealed road. condition or coat it with a cost-effective chip sealing coating.

“Selected roads have multiple surface defects, such as potholes and potholes, or the top sealing layer has been torn off,” the report states.

In 2018, the council adopted a policy to resurface asphalt concrete roads to remove sealing coatings on Gisborne’s urban road network.

However, there is no policy to change sealed roads to unsealed roads and as this affects service levels, a new policy is required.

During Thursday’s operations committee meeting, councilors approved a report recommending that council staff hold service level change meetings in affected areas until a policy is adopted. As Totangi (in Ngātapa), Russell (Ngātapa) and Armstrong (Whatatutu) said, the roads could become unsafe if left to endure another winter.

The council has already held a meeting with the Ngātapa community about the first two roads.

Councilor Debbie Gregory said she was impressed by the focus of the service level meeting.

“It’s certainly a sign of the times…the community appreciated knowing in advance what was going on. It was a good fit for the situation, so it wasn’t all bad news.”

Earlier this year, a resident described the poor state of Totangi Road by Gisborne Herald: “You have to go in and out of potholes and craters, swerving from left to right.”

Councilman Larry Foster called the changes “a sign of good service.”

He had received feedback that the community was “over the moon” because his potholes would no longer be there.

The deterioration of roads can be attributed to several factors, including earth movements causing subsidence during winter, increased heavy freight traffic and inadequate drainage.

Additionally, inflation has reduced maintenance budgets, while multiple floods accelerated the deterioration of underlying road pavements, according to the council report.

Councilor Teddy Thompson asked if Waingake Road, which was not on the list, would be open again.

“We’ve invested millions and millions into that path… and it just keeps falling apart,” he said. “It’s a bottomless pit.”

Council Journeys infrastructure manager Dave Hadfield said the council was undergoing a level of service (LOS) review, which looked into Gisborne’s roads and access to public services such as hospitals and cell towers, which would inform their decisions.

“If we decide to set that path at a high level, then there will be other paths that we will probably have to reset.”

The open seal policy will not be developed until after the LOS review. Hadfield said the council hoped to complete the review in May or June.

Deputy Mayor Josh Wharehinga praised the community-led discussions.

“Congratulations to the Ngātapa community for having a robust and productive discussion with us,” he said.

When people heard about changing the roads, “they automatically escalated,” but when people were involved in the decision-making then they could understand the reasons, he said.

Wharehinga questioned the need for a policy.

The council’s director of sustainable futures, Joanna Noble, said the policy provided a “broader strategic context” for decision-making before moving on to community-led conversations.

Reverting Totangi Road to an unsealed surface will cost $129,000 and Russell Road $89,000, according to the report. Most costs are associated with drainage improvements and fill additions.

A 2018 council report indicated that applying a chip seal coat to asphalt concrete roads could save approximately $8 million per 22km over the next 10 years.

However, not all roads are suitable for chip seal resurfacing, such as roundabouts, sharp curves, and dead ends.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.