METSERVICE WEATHER RELEASE FOR THIS WEEK MONDAY 26th - FRIDAY 30th JUNE

 

MONDAY TO FRIDAY 26th - 30th JUNE

A warm and wet start, but cold southerlies coming

MetService is forecasting a warm and wet start to the week for many as a complex area of low pressure affects the country. However, a change in regime is coming at the end of the week as the persistent mild northerlies give way to cold southerlies.

 

Rain or showers are forecast for much of Aotearoa New Zealand today as a band of rain moves eastwards across the country, followed by an unstable showery flow. Thunderstorms are also possible for the north and west of both Islands this afternoon and evening.

 

An Orange Warning for Heavy Rain is in force for the ranges of Westland through to 9pm tonight (Monday).  MetService meteorologist Amy Rossiter said, “86mm of rain has already fallen in Franz Joseph from midday Sunday through to 9am Monday, with a further 30-50mm expected to fall today.”

 

After a prolonged period of rain for Tairāwhiti/ Gisborne, (from Friday 16^th through to Sunday 25^th) which saw over 585mm of rain recorded in the Raukumara Range, and 255mm in Gisborne, a north-easterly flow continues to bring further showers to the region. “Surface flooding and slips are still possible due to how saturated the region is, but rainfall amounts are expected to be well short of warning criteria so no further warnings or watches will be issued,” adds Rossiter.

 

Tomorrow, a low-pressure centre deepens to the east of NZ, which remains slow-moving for a couple days driving strong easterlies and rain with possibly heavy falls into the east from Wairarapa to Canterbury.

 

Late in the week, a series of active and fast-moving fronts approach the country from the Southern Ocean, which will bring a change to wintry conditions. Temperatures are forecast to drop as cold air spreads up the country, and there is the possibility of snow, especially for those higher elevations in the south. “While it is too far out to pinpoint the finer details of the forecast for next week it is looking like a cold and windy start to the school holidays.” Rossiter said.

MetService

Pigeon Post News, Richmond

MOTUEKA TRANSPORT CHOICES PROJECT SABOTAGED

Motueka - No space for cyclists on High Street

 

Extensive community feedback defers cycle lanes on Motueka’s High Street

An impressive volume of feedback from the community will continue to shape the Motueka Transport Choices Project. To date, Tasman District Council (TDC) has received almost 500 pieces of feedback across the project.  

 

Transport Choices is a Council managed - Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency) funded project. The nationwide fund is from the agency’s Climate Emergency Response Fund (CERF) that encourages New Zealanders to choose transport options that lower overall emissions into our environment. To enable that choice, the Transport Choices project seeks to make the streets around Motueka safer and more appealing for walking and cycling.

Responses to the proposed project work have been varied, from ardently supportive through to passionately against, with a huge variety of opinions in between, said Transportation Manager Jamie McPherson 

“The community has given us some excellent ideas for how they want or need the transport system to function for them and their families, and how to keep mobility scooters, scooters, walkers, e-bikes and cyclists safe in our community.”

“Such a diverse range of opinions means ultimately not everyone will be satisfied with the final results, but it is important that we stay focussed on what the overall best outcomes are for the community.”

Where to from here?

The installation of cycle ways on High Street between Wharf Road and Whakarewa Street has been deferred and will not occur as part of the current Transport Choices Motueka project.  

We will revisit what is possible and what the community would like to see on High Street in the future.  Many safety concerns from residents and businesses were raised in the feedback about this stretch of State Highway. These will be summarised and fed back to Waka Kotahi. 

 

We have a number of other priority projects being investigated and are working through the list of alternative suggestions raised by the community to enable safer walking and cycling. 

 

Working with residents, businesses, schools and community groups to inform safe and convenient connections for all active transport users will help us decide the next steps for the project and to work out what is possible under the budget and timeframes determined by Waka Kotahi. 

The ‘next steps’ plan will be presented to the Motueka Community Board at their July meeting and updates to the project will be posted on the Shape Tasman website. 

Tasman District Council

Pigeon Post News, Richmond

Nelson Airport News - eBus service

Nelson Airport

 AIRPORT ROADWORKS PROGRESSING IN PREPARATION FOR NEW eBUS SERVICE

Nelson Airport and the Nelson City Council are working together on a new bus shelter and altering pedestrian crossings for the new airport bus service.
 
 Nelson-Tasman's eBus service will begin operating on 1 August, bringing greater choice to airport customers, tenants and staff.
 
To allow buses to travel safely and smoothly through the airport precinct, changes are required to the gradient of the pedestrian crossing points on the airport entry road and in front of the terminal. Work to alter the crossings and construct a bus shelter will begin on 6 June and run through until late July (weather dependent).
 
 Nelson Airport Communications Manager Beth Catley says the roadworks will cause some disruption to traffic flows through the airport precinct.
 
 “We’re asking people to take extra care when driving through our entry road, Pick Up Drop Off Lane and through the carpark. You may need to allow a little extra time when planning your trip to the airport to make your way through the diversions. There is likely to be some congestion so please be patient. Safety is the top priority.
 
 “There will be traffic management staff on site to support safe traffic flows so please follow their instructions and take it slowly and safely.”

Work has started at Nelson Airport in preparation for the new eBus service to the airport starting on the 1 August.

The key things to be aware of if you are coming to the airport during June and July are:

• The Commercial Lane (closest to the terminal building) will be CLOSED to all vehicles other than taxis and drop-offs for customers with accessibility needs for the duration of the works
• The Pick Up Drop Off (PUDO) lane will remain open, but will be busier than usual due to the additional traffic diverted from the Commercial Lane
• New temporary pedestrian crossing points will be provided to ensure a safe route is maintained from the carpark to and from the terminal
• A new bus shelter will be constructed near the terminal

“We recommend customers opt to park in the Main Carpark rather than in the PUDO lane, even if you are making a quick stop and drop, to help ease congestion. Parking will be free for your first 30 minutes, rather than the usual 15 minutes, to recognise the extra time people may need during this period,” Beth says.

“We really appreciate everyone’s patience while these works take place. The new bus will add to the sustainable transport options available for people travelling to and from the airport, so it’s well worth putting up with a few weeks’ disruption to enable the introduction of this much-needed service.”

To find out more about the new bus service visit shape.nelson.govt.nz/ebus

A map of the roadworks taking place at Nelson Airport - works area in red

Nelson Airport

Pigeon Post News, Richmond

 

Serious crash, Kawatiri-Murchison Highway, Tasman District

Emergency services are responding to a single-vehicle crash involving a truck on the Kawatiri-Murchison Highway, Tasman District.

Police were called about 1.08pm today 20 Jun 2023.

Initial reports indicate there are serious injuries and the Serious Crash Unit has been advised.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area as a helicopter is enroute.

Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are underway.

Tasman Police

Pigeon Post News, Richmond, Tasman.

Winter maintenance and erosion protection work on State Highway 6

 

Maintenance and protection work will take place between the orange highlighted section of the map (Rai Saddle and Hira). Plan ahead for single lane stop/go and temporary speed limits from 15 May until 17 July 2023, 7am to 6pm each day. Allow about 10 minutes longer for your journey between the Rai saddle and Hira. 

Winter maintenance and erosion protection work on SH6 between Rai Saddle and Hira

From the 15 May until 17 July, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency will be carrying out winter maintenance and erosion (or scour) protection work on State Highway 6 between Rai Saddle and Hira in Nelson.

Work will be done during the day from approximately 7am to 6pm with single lane stop/go and temporary speed limits.

Most nights the single lane closures will open back up and temporary speed limits will remain.

Any delays will be like the recent forestry work that has been happening in the same area. Allow approximately 10 minutes longer for your journey between the Rai Saddle and Hira. To minimise disruption, the forestry work is paused, while we carry out this maintenance.

To ensure the safety of our contractors and people passing through the work sites, we will have two stop/go traffic management areas and temporary speed limits in place.

We will be installing scour protection below the sites that were built up at the end of 2022. This protection will slow the natural erosion that occurs over time.

At the Christmas tree slip site (east of the Whangamoa summit), we will be drilling some drains.

We will also be doing some general maintenance, including pothole repairs, drain clearing, rock clearance, and guardrail repairs.

The winter maintenance is in addition to the storm and slip work completed at the end of 2022.

We thank you for your patience as this important work gets completed. You can get up to date information on SH6 and other state highways around NZ by visiting our Journey Planner - www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz

Information from:

Pigeon Post News Richmond, Tasman.

WEATHER CLEARING WEDNESDAY MAY 10 BUT SOME THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE IN GOLDEN BAY

 

NOTIFICATIONS FROM METSERVICE CONCERNING SNOW

On Wednesday afternoon snowfalls starts to affect the inland parts of the lower South Island down to 400 metres, with heavier snowfalls above 700 metres.

Tasman Nelson Regional Forecast

Wednesday

 10 MAY

Showers, becoming widespread in the morning, then becoming isolated by midday as fine spells develop. Westerlies, strong about Golden Bay where thunderstorms are also possible.

Issued: 8:13pm Tue 9 May

Thursday

 11 MAY

Cloudy, clearing and becoming fine in the afternoon. Southwesterlies, easing in the afternoon.

Issued: 11:28am Tue 9 May

Friday

 12 MAY

Fine. Light winds.

Issued: 11:28am Tue 9 May

METSERVICE.

Pigeon Post News Richmond, Tasman.

New Public Transport Interchange proposed for Nelson

 

Proposed new Bus Hub at Millers Acre and 41 Halifax St Nelson City

Will Nelson City have a new Bus Hub?

Hon Dr Nick Smith, Mayor of Nelson City, announcement today that Nelson City Council has purchased 41 Halifax Street, adjacent to Millers Acre, to support the development of a new central city bus interchange.

The Mayor said the Council paid $970,000 for the property at auction, after approval was granted at a confidential Council meeting on 3 April. The property had a capital valuation of $1.04 million. 

The Council are seeking funding from Waka Kotahi to cover part of the cost in support of the bus hub. 

The purchase is partly in response to concerns from neighbouring businesses about the loss of carparks due to the hub development at Millers Acre. The extra space will provide for about 26 carparks. 

The Mayor said “the purchase also provides an opportunity to build a better hub with space for other bus services like Intercity as well as separation between bus manoeuvring areas and an improved layout.”

It will be a surprise if this very popular carpark for people visiting the city is taken away. There are many businesses in the area visited frequently by people in and out of the city. The mobility parking located there will probably disappear as well.

Pigeon Post News Richmond, Tasman.