Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe o
Ōtorohanga
Council provides footpaths on some streets in the urban communities for safe and comfortable access and recreation of residents.
Footpaths are maintained to ensure that they are suitable for safe use by pedestrians, without excessive hazards associated with slipping or tripping.
Significant accumulations of leaves or other materials on footpaths are removed where appropriate.
Council has the objective of providing a sealed or concrete footpath on at least one side of the streets that are more heavily used by pedestrians, and it has a prioritised program of footpath construction intended to achieve this over time.
The extent of footpath construction depends on the financial circumstances of Council at that time.
In urban communities, the areas between the road and an adjacent property are termed berms.
In some cases, the berm may contain footpaths, signs, lights, power poles and other items owned by Council or other service providers.
Though the land of the berm is owned by Council, it is generally expected that occupiers will maintain their own frontages.
In the rural areas, however, the area between the road pavement and the adjacent property will be subject to occasional mowing or weed spraying by Council to ensure that vegetation growth does not interfere the vision of road users.
However, if you require that your property frontage is excluded from roadside vegetation control, please contact Council.
There are a small number of unsealed walkways in the Ōtorohanga and Kāwhia Communities.
These walkways receive only limited maintenance, typically restricted to the periodic cutting back of vegetation and repair of any serious walkway defects.
Council provides footpaths on some streets in the urban communities, for safe and comfortable access and recreation of residents.
Footpaths are maintained to ensure that they are suitable for safe use by pedestrians, without excessive hazards associated with slipping or tripping. Significant accumulations of leaves or other materials on footpaths are removed where appropriate.
Council has an objective of providing a sealed or concrete footpath on at least one side of the streets that are more heavily used by pedestrians, and Council has a prioritised program of footpath construction intended to achieve this over time.
The extent of footpath construction is dependent on the financial circumstances of Council at that time.
The Roading Department has had enquiries regarding the temporary fencing of the Road Berm to allow stock to graze. Traditionally this “Long Acre” is granted to allow farmers and other property owners to keep the property frontage neat. Allowing this temporary fencing comes with rules that need to be adhered to for the safety of both road users and the stock that grazes these “Long Acres”.
Roadsides are the part of Council’s managed corridor (the local network) and consists of the land between the legal property boundary, the grass verge and the road shoulder. Be aware the road fence is often not sited on the legal boundary- but is placed within road reserve to enable tidier management of that land by Owners. Council usually retains a width outside the road driving surface edge for safety and maintenance. It is important to know that Council does not manage most of this area- only the space which is mown for visibility, access, and safety; the remainder is the adjacent Owner’s responsibility to care for.
On occasion rural landowners may want to temporarily fence the roadside adjacent to their property. If you live adjoining a State Highway you will need to contact the NZ Transport Agency to find out their requirements. Otherwise, at present, Council doesn’t currently require a permit for temporary fencing, but-
Besides these rules any temporary fencing is still subject to Traffic regulations and it is important you are aware of your responsibilities. Fences and livestock present a serious safety risk to road users. Talk to your Insurer to understand what your public liability covers you for in the event of a crash. Also consider if you have allowed enough space for horse riders, walkers or cyclists to be safe. Lastly, any accident resulting from stock on the road will be entirely your responsibility.
Finally, Council reserves the right to remove any unsafe fencing. Stock will be placed in the nearest paddock, the fence removed and you will then receive a consequent letter and visit.
If you wish to discuss replacing a permanent roadside fence please contact Council at (07) 873 4000. Council will require a permit (called ‘Permit to Enclose Portion of Road’) and a representative will then meet you on site to ensure the fence is placed so as not to pose a hazard to Road users.