Road Reserve Fencing Under Scrutiny

A Safety Management System for the roading network is putting fencing on the council road reserve under scrutiny.

Part of the programme involves ‘safety audits’ in which deficiencies or faults are identified and then earmarked for future works maintenance, Urban/Safety roading supervisor Brian Barnes says.

With fencing of road reserves for stock grazing being an important aspect of road safety staff are now checking roadsides to ensure that methods meet the council’s requirements.

While the council was not against fencing for roadside grazing there were “quite a few” structures that were in a dangerous position or had been erected using non-council approved materials, Mr Barnes said.

For example Warratah (iron) standards are now considered unsafe and are no longer acceptable. They have been replaced by lightweight plastic electric fencing standards (pictured) which are ‘frangible’ – flexible on impact and therefore unlikely to cause injury.

Property owners with ‘defective’ fencing are being contacted by letter for a discussion on alternative methods.

So far several roads had been audited and fence owners had been “extremely co-operative” in working to rectify the problem, Mr Barnes said.

He also asks that anyone intending to erect a roadside fence contact any of the three roading supervisors to discuss their intentions.

“We are trying to standardise and streamline the methods used in road side fences and would appreciate the co-operation of stock owners so that damage to council assets can be avoided,” he said.

Along with Brian Barnes roading supervisors are Dave Robinson (Northern area) and Graham Parker (Southern area).