50 Victoria Street
Private Bag 6995
Wellington 6141
New Zealand
T 64 4 894 5400
F 64 4 894 6100
www.nzta.govt.nz
18 July 2019
Kathy White
Waikato Regional Councillor for Taupo-Rotorua
[FYI request #10532 email]
Ref: OIA-5297
Dear Kathy
Request made under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank you for your email
of 13 June 2019 requesting the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act):
“In 2016, in response to my queries about multiple serious and fatal crashes around
Atiamuri, I was told that:
“A 300 metre long stretch of road south of Atiamuri had been resealed multiple times,
and that the repairs had only been partially successful. I was told that the situation
was unusual, that the different products trialled in each repair had been
unsuccessful, and that tests were currently underway to determine what the issue
was.
“As the speed restrictions on this stretch of road have continued on and off since
then, I assume the issue with tar seal bleeds and problems with binding agents have
continued.
“Please (1) provide the test results and the report that ensued, that was supposed to
provide a strategy for moving forward in relation to the road surface at SH1 Atiamuri.
(2) Correspondence to and from the NZTA in relation to tar seal bleeding in the
Atiamuri area from 2015 to 2019.
“Please also answer these questions:
(3) Did you find a solution to the problem you were having with the road seal in this
area, and were future road repairs successful?
(4) Was there an issue with tar seal bleeding along this stretch of road at any time in
2019?”
On 5 July 2019 the Transport Agency extended your request by 5 working days because of
the external consultations necessary to make a decision on your request.
The following documents fall within the scope of your question one and two and are enclosed:
•
Attachment 1: SH 1 Thorpe Road Pavement Renewal Report – February 2016
•
Attachment 2: SH 1 Atiamuri to Maroa Site Visit Report – February 2017
•
Attachment 3: Email correspondence
Question three: Did you find a solution to the problem you were having with the road seal in this
area, and were future road repairs successful?
The site you are referring to contained a build-up of chip seal layers which had become unstable
as the “binder to stone ratio” was found to be too high. The “binder to stone ratio” is a measure of
the proportion of bitumen to the proportion of stone chip. Chip seal layer instability is a common
occurrence that happens over time on sections of road throughout New Zealand when the
number of chip seal layers build up. The solution was to renew the pavement and surface by
reconstructing that section of road which was completed at the time.
2
Question four:
Was there an issue with tar seal bleeding along this stretch of road at any time in
2019?
Yes. There were other sections of SH1 to the south of Atiamuri that did exhibit tar seal bleeding
during the hot summer months of 2019. These sites were kept safe by our maintenance
contractor applying grit to the surface. Temporary traffic management and speed restrictions were
placed at one site just south of Ohakuri Road which was programmed to be resurfaced but could
not be completed before it suffered from bleeding, this resurfacing work was completed in late
summer 2019.
Certain information has been withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the Act. This section allows for the
withholding of information to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased
natural persons. With respect to the information that has been withheld, I do not consider there
are any other factors which would render it desirable, in the public interest, to make the
information available.
Information has been withheld under section 9(2)(g)(i) of the Act, to maintain the effective conduct
of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions by or between or to Ministers of
the Crown or members of an organisation or officers and employees of any department or
organisation in the course of their duty.
Under section 28 of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review my decision to
withhold this information. The contact details for the Ombudsman can be located at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
If you would like to discuss this reply with the Transport Agency, please contact Karen Boyt,
Manager, Systems Management Waikato, by email to [email address] or by phone on
07 958 7264.
Yours sincerely
Wayne Oldfield
Senior Manager, System Management