Disgusting, ugly and eyesore are words that have been used to describe the out-of-control weed growth on Nelson’s roundabouts.
Complaints were made to the Nelson Weekly about roadsides, roundabouts and islands in Nayland and Quarantine Rds as well as along the State Highway.
Waka Kotahi manage maintenance along State Highway 6 in and out of the city, while Nelson and Tasman District Councils are responsible for their respective city streets.
NCC group manager infrastructure, Alec Louverdis, says warm weather following a wet winter has made ideal conditions for weeds to grow quickly.
“That means our normal maintenance schedule can, at times, struggle to keep up with growth,” he says.
“Our contractor is working to get on top of this situation where it has occurred on roadsides we are responsible for in Nelson.”
He says work was scheduled to be undertaken along Nayland Rd last week.
Andrew James, system manager for Waka Kotahi Top of the South, says regulatory changes brought in last year to improve worker safety in high-speed traffic environments has, in turn, brought extra costs and subsequent increased traffic disruptions when work is undertaken.
“Along the State highways in Nelson and Tasman there are several locations where central median or roundabout islands are planted. These planted areas require regular vegetation maintenance to keep them tidy,” he says.
Andrew says there is now a requirement for safer distances between workers and their machinery/ plant and drivers.
“Local places where this has affected the perceived tidiness of these plantings are within the 70km/hr zones between the Beatson and Quarantine roundabouts,” he says.
He says options are being investigated to reduce the level of vegetation maintenance required in these areas.
“In the meantime, we are planning a road closure in the next few weeks to enable some vegetation clearance to be undertaken alongside pavement and barrier repairs.”
