Kia ora Donna,

Auckland Transport (AT) acknowledges receipt of your request for official
information dated 14 March 2026 for information regarding why Melanesia
Road was resurfaced with chip seal as opposed to asphalt and associated
correspondence with that decision from January 2022 to present.

 
To comply with our statutory obligation, our decision is due to you by 14
April 2026. This is 20 working days after the day your request was
received. If we are unable to make a decision within this timeframe, we
will be in contact. Please note this includes Good Friday on 3 April 2026,
and Easter Monday on 6 April 2026 as these are classed as non-working
days.
 

We will be in contact at our earliest convenience if we require
clarification, or if your requested information is held by another agency.

Your case will be managed by Katy, who is one of our LGOIMA Business
Partners. If you have any further queries, you can contact the team on
(09) 355 3553 during business hours, quoting Local Government Official
Information request number CAS-1307490-S4D9J9.

 

Ngâ mihi, 

 

Tom

Customer Care Case Coordinator

Customer & Network Performance 

Auckland Transport | Hoake Tâtou

 

[1]image

 

------------------- Original Message -------------------
From: Donna McMillan <[FOI #34081 email]>; 
Received: Sat Mar 14 2026 11:54:46 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
To: AT Official Information (AT) <at[Auckland Transport request email]>;
[email address] <at[Auckland Transport request email]>;
LGOIMA <at[Auckland Transport request email]>; 
Subject: Official Information request - Query as to why an Arterial road
has been chipsealed rather than asphalt

 

Official Information Act Request – Melanesia Road Resurfacing Dear
Auckland Transport, Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request all
information relating to the recent resealing of Melanesia Road, St
Heliers, which was surfaced with

Official Information Act Request – Melanesia Road Resurfacing

Dear Auckland Transport,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request all information relating to the recent resealing of Melanesia Road, St Heliers, which was surfaced with chipseal despite being a busy bus route and arterial road.

Melanesia Road connects to other asphalt roads, carries scheduled bus services, and is heavily used by pedestrians and cyclists. I am seeking to understand the engineering, safety, environmental, and policy basis for the decision to use chipseal on this section of road.

Specifically, I request the following information:

The reasons chipseal was selected rather than asphalt for the resurfacing.

Any policies, guidelines, or engineering standards regarding surfacing types for roads carrying buses or acting as arterial routes.

Traffic volume data, including bus volumes and heavy vehicle counts, used to determine the appropriate surfacing.

Any lifecycle cost comparisons, maintenance modelling, or budget assessments comparing chipseal and asphalt.

Expected lifespan of the chipseal compared with asphalt under similar traffic conditions.

Any safety, pedestrian, cyclist, bus-operation, or heavy vehicle assessments undertaken prior to resurfacing.

Assessments of noise, vibration, dust, or environmental impacts associated with the chipseal.

Criteria or thresholds used to determine when roads carrying buses should be asphalt rather than chipseal.

Classification of Melanesia Road within Auckland Transport’s road hierarchy (arterial, collector, bus corridor, etc.) and how this influenced the resurfacing decision.

Any internal reports, engineering advice, or recommendations prepared regarding the resurfacing.

All internal communications, including emails, meeting notes, or memos, relating to the decision.

Any engineering recommendations prepared prior to the decision, including whether asphalt was considered or recommended.

Any documents indicating whether budget constraints or cost-saving measures influenced the decision.

Any assessments or engineering advice regarding stormwater runoff, drainage capacity, gravel loss(gravel is likely to go into drainage system with heavy downpours as the road is in a valley), dust, and noise, including how heavy rainfall events and impacts on pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles (e.g., gravel causing damage to brakes or other vehicle components) were considered in the decision.

Time frame: 1 January 2022 to present

If any of the requested information is withheld, please cite the specific section of the Official Information Act 1982 relied upon.

I would appreciate receiving the information electronically if possible.

Kind regards,

Donna

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #34081 email]

Is [Auckland Transport request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Auckland Transport? If so, please contact us using this form:
[2]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[3]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Important notice: The contents of this email and any attachments may be
confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you have received this
email message in error please notify us immediately and erase all copies
of the message and attachments; any use, disclosure or copying of this
message or attachments is prohibited. Any views expressed in this email
may be those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the
views of Auckland Transport.

References

Visible links
2. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....
3. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

hide quoted sections

Kia ora Donna,

 

I refer to your official information request dated 14 March 2026 regarding
the resealing of Melanesia Road between 1 January 2022 to 14 March 2026.

 

I’ve attached a response from Phil Wratt, Customer Care Engagement
Manager. There are also three supporting documents. 

Should you believe that we have not dealt with your request appropriately,
you are able to make a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman in
accordance with section 27(3) of the LGOIMA Act and seek an investigation
and review in regard to this matter.

You can contact the Ombudsman at [1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.

 

Ngâ mihi,

Katy (she/her) | LGOIMA Business Partner
Customer Care Engagement | Customer Experience
Auckland Transport

20 Viaduct Harbour Avenue, Auckland 1010
[2]www.at.govt.nz

 

 

Important notice: The contents of this email and any attachments may be
confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you have received this
email message in error please notify us immediately and erase all copies
of the message and attachments; any use, disclosure or copying of this
message or attachments is prohibited. Any views expressed in this email
may be those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the
views of Auckland Transport.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
2. http://www.at.govt.nz/