Council has reached another important milestone in its $54.2m Provincial Growth Fund local roading package, completing its $10m improved network resilience project on time and within budget.

Hailed as a game-changer to the region’s rural road network leading up to last winter, the project was focused on proactive maintenance and repairs in areas which were hardest hit by intense logging and weather events.

“This was our first PGF project to get underway and it signalled our government’s intention to support regions like Tairāwhiti to grow and prosper,” says Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz.

“The project boosted employment in the local roading industry, generated training for local people and kept key transport routes operational.

“It allowed us to focus on priority rural roads and start working with locally-based roading contractors to scale-up and increase capability to produce the results we’re now seeing now”, said Mayor Stoltz.

Works included upgrading over 50 culverts and drainage works on hundreds of rural roads. A total of $3.3m of heavy metal was laid into priority unsealed roads.

The package also included the Waimata Valley Road seal extension and last year’s $3m upgrade to Gisborne city’s CBD in time for the international spotlight of the Te Ha commemorations.

Council has invested approximately $30m of PGF funds into the local road network across 15 different projects and over 150 people are working on PGF projects at any one time.

For more information on the PGF Tairāwhiti roading package, see the Council website www.gdc.govt.nz/major-projects.

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