Gorge solution needed

Concern is mounting over the long-term impact of the Manawatu Gorge closure on businesses after an independent report estimated a permanent solution could be more than six years away.

Horizons Regional Council chairman Bruce Gordon said the region could not afford the situation to drag out much longer than a few years.

‘‘The cost of the closure to our region and to our business is just too great, especially in Woodville. We’ve already seen businesses that haven’t survived or have had to move out of town.’’

The loss of revenue has already claimed some Woodville businesses, including Oosh La La and For Frocks Sake, and Yummy Mummy’s Cheesecakes is looking to leave town after 10 years in business.

There is yet to be a firm, official timeline for how long it will be until a long-term solution to the gorge’s troubles is established, and there was no sign of a Government financial hardship package for businesses hit by the closure.

Woodville business owner Suzie Johnson said she could have held on to Oosh La La and For For Frocks Sake with such a package. But with the accounts draining and no help coming, she had no choice but to close the shops on August 21.

Dannevirke’s Tinkerbell Dairy, a favourite of locals and passing holiday-makers alike for over 50 years thanks to its giant ice-cream cones, closed this week.

John ‘‘Tonka’’ Turner, who owned the Tinkerbell for 29 years, said the gorge wasn’t the only reason for the closure, but it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Poor weather over the past two summers and the impact of the low dairy payout last year had meant the dairy was already in a shaky position.

‘‘Dairies are the bottom of the food chain [in retail]... and are often the first to suffer.

‘‘When things are tight, [families] aren’t going to be coming in to spend $20 on lollies and icecream.’’

Transport Minister Simon

Bridges said urgent work was under way that was expected to bring more traffic and some relief for Woodville business.

‘‘Work is being rapidly undertaken to realign traffic using the Saddle Rd through Woodville, while work on a long-term solution is progressed.

‘‘Two corners will be realigned to guide traffic more directly through Woodville.’’

NZ Transport Agency regional transport manager Ross I’anson said more would be known about the potential options and the time they would take at the end of August.

A final decision on the options was expected in December.

But, Corporate Logistics Ltd senior logistics analyst Giancarlo Hannan recently released a report that estimated a permanent solution could be seven to 10 years away.

His estimate was based on how long construction, consents and community consultation would take for the four options examined in a November 2012 report prepared for the transport agency.

Hannan said the delay in settling on a solution has cost $100 million in slip-repairs since 2004, and every day the gorge was closed it cost the regional economy another $100,000.

Central Economic Development Agency chief executive Linda Stewart said while it was difficult to go into details before a solution was chosen and a timeline set, it was good to have Hannan’s report out there.

‘‘It does remind the community we have to be ready for both the best and worst case scenarios.’’

If a solution was as far off as Hannan’s report indicated, it would put significant pressure on the region’s transport and logistics sector, she said.

Palmerston North has twice the road freight of Wellington, six times that of Taranaki and three times more than Hawke’s Bay.

Stewart said if there was a prolonged period without a stable gorge alternative, many companies in the region could struggle with the extra fuel and maintenance costs.

Stewart said the agency planned to do an economic impact report. REGION:AN email where council staff were sarcastically referred to as geniuses was the spark that set alight Horowhenua District Council’s snooping controversy.