Residents deserve certainty says Mayor

Kāpiti residents deserved certainty over the proposed Mackays Crossing to Peka Peka expressway, said Mayor Jenny Rowan.

“I fully appreciate Councillor Gurunathan’s concern for the Main Road residents who may lose their properties under the option preferred by NZTA. No one, least of all me, likes the idea of private houses being bowled to make way for an expressway.

“However, Guru is a councillor and he has cast his vote, and that was in support of the Main Road option in the south and the east option for Te Moana Road.”

Ms Rowan said she understood the concern of residents. “We were all tested by the huge dilemma of private property on the one hand versus public open space and associated issues on the other.

“At the end of the day, however, the majority of councillors took a long-term view and the wider interests of the district on board when making their decision. I’m pleased that this Council had the gumption to clearly state its position.

“We owe it to our residents to make a call. Rightly or wrongly, we have.”