Shameful consenting process

Dear Editor,
December year ago, the road safety intersection upgrade of Belk Road/SH29 should have been completed as the fine planning, property purchase, community consultation was completed. It was the very best example of working together with the NZTA and the people.

But before the work could be started a consent was required from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. For over a year the Regional Council stuffed around. They stuffed around just over a metre to be added to an existing culvert, in order to give a safer left-hand turn into Belk Road. What a shameful decision consenting process we have endured for a year. Then without telling the community NZTA has thrown in the towel on the pretext of cost and that the road will not be needed in the future. Not that anyone can give a timeline and, in the meantime, people will continue to risk their lives getting onto and exiting SH29.

How on earth can a community have confidence in a system that takes forever to make a decision. I refuse to accept such gross incompetence.it is just not good enough. The community deserves better.

Margaret Murray-Benge