White Horse access road needs fix

Waimate’s new economic strategy group is calling for improved road access to the White Horse monument.

The steering group, made up of elected officials and community members, presented a report to the Waimate District Council meeting on Tuesday, stating a ‘‘key issue’’ in enhancing the White Horse monument and surrounds was the access road.

Group chairman Ian Moore said the council needed to provide help in order to improve the road.

Moore said the main problem was a 700-metre section of the access road, Centrewood Park Rd, as it was unsealed with rough culverts, creating difficult access for many vehicles.

‘‘Fix the road and more people will go up there,’’ Moore told the meeting.

Waimate mayor Craig Rowley said he agreed there was work to do on the access road but it was a matter of weighing up costs.

‘‘There is no decision being made today, it will be up to the chief executive and roading manager to come back to us.

‘‘I don’t disagree with it, we need to look to see what’s in budget,’’ Rowley said.

‘‘I think it’s a no-brainer that it’s a beautiful area. I’ll put it on to the chief executive to come back in the new year in terms of what will be spent and where the money will come from, some of this will come from existing budgets.’’

Moore said: ‘‘You build it, people will come, until you get that road fixed, you will frighten people off, we are just following the lead that was given to us by community.’’

Rowley said council had known for years that Centrewood Park Rd was an expensive road in terms of maintenance.

‘‘The costs are prohibitive, we will look at it.’’

The report stated the steering group had met with Waimate2gether representatives to discuss the White Horse enhancement project.

Waimate2gether, a community-led development initiative with Department of Internal Affairs funding, had received $17,000 funding for a landscape plan to be produced, the report said.

A first draft of the plan is expected in early 2020.