Decision made on Grierson Avenue proposal
It was voted by Councillors on Tuesday 25 November to approve the extension of Grierson Avenue, to provide a resilient alternative access route to Amberley Golf Club and adjacent areas, reducing reliance on Golf Links Road, which is increasingly vulnerable to coastal hazards. The vote was recorded as five votes for; four votes against; with two abstentions.
The decision was reached today after significant discussion, and satisfaction that Section 77 of the Local Government Act had been met. This mandates that a local authority must identify and assess all reasonably practicable options for achieving a decision's objective, considering their advantages and disadvantages.
The estimated total cost of constructing the Grierson Avenue extension including land purchases and legal costs is expected to be less than $1.4 million. This activity has not been budgeted for in the Council’s Annual or Long-Term Plan, and will most likely be funded by new debt, paid for through rates and unlikely to attract any subsidy funding from the NZTA.
Two other options were considered at today’s meeting. The first was to continue with the status quo and continue to risk the travel disruption of high tides, storm surges and coastal erosion impacting Golf Links Road. The second option was to consider further analysis of a western alignment, based on the unformed Hursley Terrace Road.
High level consideration by Council officers of the three options available rated the Hursley Terrace option the most favourable, with a score of 14 out of 30; the Grierson Avenue option at 16 and the existing alignment at 18 (note - a lower score is better). These ratings were based on: Consent, Design, Land Purchase, Potential Lifespan and both Capital and Operational Costs.
Prior to today’s decision, feedback was also sought from Amberley Beach Residents and the Ratepayers Community (ABBRaC), who maintained the Grierson Road extension was in the best interests of the whole district.
Plans for the extension to Grierson Avenue go back to 2022, when officers began investigating new route options to mitigate against weather and tidal events periodically affecting access to Amberley Golf Club, Waimaiaia 899 Reserve, the Waipara River Mouth and the Northern Beach via Golf Links Road.
Mayor Black commented on the decision, “There is a sense of discomfort about the new debt we will be incurring because of this decision. However, this is balanced with increased access for Hurunui residents, to a wide variety of amenities in the area. While we manage risk, we are exposed to new risks in the process.”
The next phase of work will be property purchase discussions with adjacent landowners and the Department of Conservation on the status of reserve land affected by the decision.
