The number of unsealed roads in the District is being reduced in leaps and bounds as more seal extensions are completed under the Performance Based Contract (PBC).

Because of the significant cost saving delivered by the PBC contract Council has allocated an additional $12.6m to boost the original 50km of seal extension by another 47.7kms, which is to be completed by 2013.

But the actual formula that determines the priority for unsealed roads to be sealed is probably a mystery to many people. Residents often ask - when will our road be sealed?

So let’s clarify the basics.

The sealing of unsealed roads in the District is determined in order of priority by an assessment of each road under the following criteria (weightings in brackets):

The volume of traffic the road carries (25%); the dust exposure to residents living on the road (30%); the impact on earnings that the dust may have such as on kiwifruit and other crops (20%); and the degree of benefit gained, relative to the cost of sealing the road (25%).

Council has set in place the seal extension policy that is being actioned by In³roads under the PBC.

Residential growth on unsealed roads is constantly being monitored by both the Council and In³roads and, as residential development spreads into rural parts of the District, the order of priority may change with some unsealed roads moving higher up the priority list.

Seal extension programme list  (26KB PDF)

Fabric Seals (9KB PDF)