A hearing on the Southern Links route protection designations and resource consents will resume on Monday, September 1.
The hearing before four independent commissioners got under way on 21 July and was adjourned the following week to allow time for the applicants (Hamilton City Council and NZ Transport Agency) and receiving councils – Hamilton City, and Waipa and Waikato Districts plus Waikato Regional Council – to have further discussions and the councils’ reporting team to prepare final recommendations.
The hearing will resume next week to hear the councils’ reporting and recommendations and also to hear replies from the applicants/requiring authorities.
The commissioners will then issue designation decisions to the city council and Waikato Regional Council consents and make recommendations covering the four Notices of Requirement sought by NZ Transport Agency.
Following the decisions and recommendations process, there will be appeal rights for parties that participated in the hearings if their submissions are not adequately satisfied.
Background:
Southern Links is a Transport Agency and city council project involving 32km of future transport network in southern Hamilton, including 21km of state highway and 11km of urban arterial roads in Hamilton's Peacocke area.
The project also involves Waipa and Waikato district councils, and the regional council.
The receiving councils appointed four independent commissioners to conduct the hearing covering both the road designations and resource consents for bridges, which includes one over the Waikato River to the east of Hamilton Gardens and another south of the existing Narrows Bridge.
The Transport Agency and city council do not have any funding set aside for Southern Links design or construction in their respective 10-year plans. Getting the designations in place will protect the network so that it can be built when required in the future.
Full details about the hearing are on www.waipadc.govt.nz/hamiltonsouthernlinks(external link).
Background information is at www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/southern-links(external link).
For more information please contact:
Natalie Dixon
Waikato & Bay of Plenty Media Manager
T: 07 928 7908
M: 021 928 413
E: natalie.dixon@nzta.govt.nz
