Cash pile for a mile that’ll take a while
The Ōmokoroa community was invited to a public meeting at the Settlers’ Hall on Wednesday 28th October to hear from elected and staff representatives of Council and staff of J Swap Contractors - the construction team upgrading Ōmokoroa Road from Tralee Street to Western Avenue over the next 18 months.
J SwapManager Swap Manager Shanan ShananMowatt Mowatt says the project will impact on all those who use the road or live and work along the central stretch.
“Our team is familiar with Ōmokoroa, having been involved in previous roading contracts, and we are looking forward to being a part of the community again,” he says.
Council received seven tenders for the contract. J Swap Contractors was awarded the $5.76 million construction phase which includes 1.3km of Ōmokoroa Road. Work is scheduled to start on Monday 9th
November.
It includes upgrading the road to an urbanised standard completewith complete with kerbing, footpath/ cycle path, lighting, drainage, utility services and landscaping. Two roundabouts will be included at Tralee Street and McKenna Lane, plus improved entrances to Fresh Choice and the medical complex and commercial units in-between.
Also included is a newstormwatermain new stormwater main on onMargaret Margaret Drive fromthe from the Tralee Street roundabout to Cooney Reserve. Utilities services will be partially undergrounded, but Mayor Garry Webber says Council cannot set a District-wide precedent of undergrounding all power at great additional expense to the already burdened ratepayer.
This is the first of the ‘shovel ready’ projects in the $14 million package allocated in the Crown Infrastructure Partners (CIP) funding for Ōmokoroa. This project is co-funded by Council, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and CIP.
It’s also the first of a series of Council projects across the peninsula to cater for subdivision and population growth between now and 2022. Council estimates Ōmokoroa will be fully developed and home to an estimated 12,000 residents by 2060.
Council’s Group Manager Infrastructure Services Gary Allis says Council is pleased to award the contract to a local company.
“J Swap Contractors is a good local employer and has a quarry in Katikati. They are already familiar with Ōmokoroa’s local conditions and the community having been subcontracted to Westlink for the construction of Ōmokoroa Road from the state highway to Lynley Park in 2017/18.”
A bone of contention at the meeting was public desire for fully tar-sealed roads rather than the scheduled chip sealing. However, with the amount of bitumen five to seven times more expensive per metre, Mayor Webber says the Council has only one prudent and responsible choice District-wide.