Approval is required from the district council road controlling authority if a new access onto a district road needs to be constructed. The process is very similar to the entranceway application for the state highways.
An entranceway application, with the following information, needs to be submitted to the district council road engineer:
- Location of proposed entranceway
- Proposed traffic usage
- Visibility in either direction
- Vegetation control
- Current traffic levels and average traffic speed
- Proposed signage.
As with state highways, photographs are useful to convey many aspects of the application.
Submit the application to the district council road engineer for approval. Approval is likely to require a site visit with the engineer. The approved documentation will also include a minimum standard diagram for the district council entranceways. Note that entranceway diagrams will normally include a high strength concrete culvert with a minimum diameter of 300 mm to ensure the storm water continues to flow along the ditch.
2.5.1 Maintenance of council roads
The district council will be interested in any proposed use of a district road for forest harvest transportation. They will be concerned with the:
- Total number of heavy traffic movements
- Effect on intersections
- Impact on road pavements
- Impacts on infrastructure such as bridges
- Dust and the impact on residents
- Planned time of the year for works
- Alternative routes or single route allocation.
Councils in some areas of New Zealand are challenged by the rapidly increasing log volumes on their roads. It is difficult for councils especially when upgrades and maintenance do not account for high cart volumes, all season operations, or an increasing number of back blocks being harvested. Often councils have limited funds available to upgrade or maintain rural roads. This can be most acute for small rural councils with a high concentration of plantation forestry.
Councils need advanced warning that a specific road’s traffic volume will increase to enable any necessary upgrade or maintenance to be planned and budgeted. Consider providing councils with estimated traffic volumes and durations well in advance of harvesting a new block, to give them time to work with you on getting the council road up to logging specifications, and to confirm that the proposed route is suitable. Also, it is advised to make submissions on the council’s long-term council community plan (LTCCP) – this details the council’s proposed plans.