‘A win in the weed war’: Waka Kotahi comes under pressure over weeds

More ‘out-of-control’ weed growth on some of Nelson’s most prominent roundabouts has seen Waka Kotahi come under pressure again for their handling of the issue, with the weeds finally being cleared on Tuesday night.

However the issue isn't an easy long-term fix, the agency says.

Waka Kotahi manages maintenance along State Highway 6 in and out of the city, while Nelson City Council is responsible for their respective city streets.

The weed growth on the Annesbrook Dr roundabout and surrounding traffic islands was first brought to light at the beginning of this year, and then again in April when the former mayor and deputy mayor slammed Waka Kotahi on the lack of maintenance.

But regulation changes made last year for the safety of workers have affected their ability to control weeds in high-speed and high-exposure traffic environments - including these 70kmh zones.

Nelson drivers vented their frustration on Facebook last week, with one person labelling the recent weed growth “embarrassing” while another compared them to “a scene from ‘I am Legend’” - the post-apocalyptic thriller starring Will Smith.

“Looks terrible and not safe for drivers of small cars, you cannot see the other side,” said one commenter.

“I struggled to see over the overgrown weeds and I’m a fairly tall person,” agreed another.  

“I thought I saw a stag living in there the other day,” joked one driver.

Mark Owen, Waka Kotahi regional manager for Wellington/Top of the South Island, says they “cannot take shortcuts on safety” and the agency is still trying to figure out a long-term solution.

“While we appreciate the concerns road users and residents raise, our contractors’ safety is vitally important, and we have to follow the health and safety rules for this sort of work.”

Mark says the higher a road’s speed limit, the greater the safety measures required.

“Works in a 70kmh zone require more safety measures than those in a 50kmh one.”

The weeds on the Annesbrook Dr roundabout and the neighbouring traffic island were finally cleared on Tuesday night.

Some of the weeds on SH6, closer to the Mitre 10 roundabout, were also dealt with when resealing work took place from 4 - 7 November, Mark says.

“Where possible, we try to time weed and vegetation control with planned roadworks,” says Mark.

The matter was also raised at the inaugural meeting of the joint Nelson Tasman regional transport committee last Friday.

Emma Speight, Waka Kotahi’s director of regional relationships, says weed maintenance is not an urgent priority for the agency and that it was being performed after longer intervals due to it now being less cost-effective.

“The aesthetic state of those roundabouts is not a safety risk for the travelling public, and so we can’t prioritise that over other projects that may have a greater safety risk for the public.”

However, Nelson mayor Nick Smith said the issue isn’t just an aesthetic one but damages Nelson’s reputation as a tourist centre.

“We’ve had our guts kicked out of us for two years, we’re trying to get back into business. The first thing [you see when] you drive out of Nelson Airport as a new visitor arriving into the region are weeds that are taller than me now. I don’t accept that it’s a non-safety risk when I can’t see across to the traffic in the other lane coming in the other direction,” he said at the meeting.

Nick took to social media today to express his gratitude for the weeds being cleared but says a long-term solution is still required.

“A win in the weed war. Big thanks to Waka Kotahi, Delta, and F&H for clearing the roundabouts at Annesbrook Tuesday night. We now need to find a good long-term solution that maintains good sightlines for drivers, keeps road workers safe, and which provides an attractive entrance for our beautiful city.”

Emma confirmed that preliminary investigations have begun into hard (concrete) and soft (landscaping) options to address the problem long-term, and reduce ongoing upkeep costs.

Nelson councillor Mel Courtney said concrete would be an unpopular option with Nelsonians while Tasman councillor Jo Ellis suggested that local art be incorporated into the concrete if that is the solution that is decided on.

A decision on the weeds, which are a nationwide problem for Waka Kotahi, is expected to be made in the New Year.