May 6, 2011 For immediate release.

Urgent progress now required on land purchases

The NZ Transport Agency is being urged to quickly purchase properties affected by the proposed McKays Crossing to Peka Peka expressway.

“My fellow councillors are very aware of the distress some of our residents are facing with this Road of National Significance.

“Now that NZTA has made a decision over the alignment, the best thing they can do is negotiate with willing sellers as quickly as possible to allow those people to move on so they can re-establish their lives.

“This is a traumatic period for them. The worst thing that can happen is for negotiations to drag on and on, upsetting and de-stablising their lives.”

NZTA has made a decision on the alignment. If residents absolutely disagree, then the next step is to raise their issues at the Board of Inquiry, which should commence early 2012.

“The focus now moves the design of the expressway and mitigation issues. We attach considerable importance to these issues and our expectations are high.”

These issues are the focus of the information expos planned by the Alliance and NZTA, to be held over the next several weeks.

Ms Rowan said Council was pleased that NZTA and Alliance members were also addressing issues about the future design, cost and re-development of the existing SH1.

“In the past, issues surrounding the old SH1 were often left till very late in the development phase. I’m pleased to say there is considerable willingness on behalf of NZTA and the Alliance team to address these issues now.

“This means our community will not be left to deal with these issues post the expressway decision. We anticipate community consultation on concepts and ideas later in the year.”

ENDS

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