Repairs for Aotaki Street and Mill Road are on the way

The Ōtaki wastewater upgrade involves laying 2.7 kilometres of new wastewater pipeline along Aotaki Street and Mill Road to old State Highway 1. Both roads are major arterials connecting residential homes, schools, recreational facilities, and retail areas.

At October 2025, work has been underway for 15 months. Work is scheduled to be finished on Aotaki Street within a few weeks and will continue at the Mill Road/old State highway 1 roundabout and along Rahui Road until February.  

The project involved digging a trench in the road, laying new wastewater pipe and installing 44 new manholes, backfilling and resealing the road surface. Our contractor also laid new connector wastewater pipes to several homes and laid a new water main along a section of Mill Road.

For several reasons, the replaced road surface has become uneven in places with potholes forming and the surface deteriorating. Some of this is due to the need to build the road during the winter months, which is not best practice. 
Council and the contractor have agreed we want to provide a good quality road for our community. We have developed a joint plan to repair and, in some places, improve the roads.

Repairs will be staged. Some sections, including Aotaki Street from Riverbank Road to Kauri Street will be rebuilt by the contractor. 

Next construction season, Council will resurface Mill Road from the marae to old State Highway 1. We will install a harder wearing asphalt surface at high-traffic-volume areas such as intersections. This will provide a superior and longer lasting road surface.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to deliver high quality infrastructure to support our communities.