Concern over locked gates on roads

THE Waitaki District Council’s assets group manager told councillors he would prefer to address concerns about the public being locked out of public roads ‘‘out of public’’.

At a public forum former councillor Neil Roy, of Macraes, shared a laundry list of grievances — including locks on gates across public roads — he had with the council. He said he had raised the matters eight years ago and they had never been addressed.

The council’s Neil Jorgensen declined to speak on the issue in council chambers when Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher asked him to weigh in on the concerns.

Mr Roy said Peddie, Horse Flat, Fraser and Ross Rds all had locks restricting public access on them.

‘‘I strenuously object to being denied access to these roads by the occupier of adjacent land locking the gates,’’ Mr Roy said.

‘‘I’m not going to wait another eight years.’’

Mr Jorgensen said council staff had had ‘‘lots of discussions’’ with Mr Roy, and his concerns were not clearcut. There were some ‘‘differences of opinion’’ to consider.

He said the roads Mr Roy was referring to were ‘‘well beyond the extent of the maintained network’’.

Mr Kircher agreed to consider the matter privately but said an outcome — ‘‘one that hopefully as many as possible are happy with’’ — would be made public.