Ouse Street Updates

Ouse Street will be reopened to traffic next week once physical works have been completed and while consultation continues on a proposal to close part of the street. The street will remain open whilst the Community debates whether or not it should be closed to traffic permanently.

In the meantime submissions are streaming into Council with over 320 submissions received so far. This is a fantastic response and Council is really pleased as to how the Community has engaged with this issue.

Several submitters have asked if they could have the opportunity to speak to their submission and Council is to provide two time slots for submitters to express their thoughts directly to Councilors, should they wish to. Council will consider all submissions regardless whether or not they are verbally presented.

The options are:

1. Speak to Council at a public meeting held at the Ink Box – Oamaru Opera House on Monday 1 August at 6pm, or;

2. Speak to Council at a Council meeting held at the Council Chambers, 20 Thames Street on Tuesday 23rd August at 9am.

Background

Waitaki Girls High School requested that Council consider closing Ouse Street partway through the recent road works underway to replace pipelines and the Ouse Street road base. Council felt that it should at least consider the request and therefore has asked for public feedback before taking the idea any further. The response to date has been fantastic with over 320 people wishing to have a say. A number of issues and concerns have been raised for Council to consider.

The consultation has clearly shown that people are very passionate about whether or not Ouse Street should be closed, with a number thinking it is a great idea and an opposing number thinking it is not such a good idea. It is being a great community debate. Five main issues have been highlighted as key concerns, these are:

• Waitaki Girls High School would be safer without a road passing through the middle of the school.

• The safety of the Reed / Ouse / Derwent Street and Eden / Reed Street intersections.

• Increasing congestion in Reed Street would make it more dangerous for children at the two Primary Schools.

• Right turning onto Thames Highway would become difficult unless traffic signals were installed at other intersections.

• The amount of money spent on Ouse Street and the State Highway traffic signals.

In the meantime, physical works are nearly complete in Ouse Street. The road is likely to be sealed by the end of next week and it will be reopened while Council continues the consultation process and then makes a decision on the next step.