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Post by sabre on Feb 28, 2023 12:59:56 GMT 12
Yes the socialist extremists are very quickly turning NZ into a banana republic.
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Post by Fogg on Feb 28, 2023 15:56:05 GMT 12
When I used to live at GH (2003 to 2010) the ferries were very limited in frequency (2 to the city in the morning and 2 from the city in the evening). But they nearly always ran unless strong NE winds made it impossible - in which case a bus. That was very rare. It was run the little Kawau Kat operator which morphed into 360 Discovery. Those guys secured a bit more funding from AT and gradually increased it to something like 4 outbound / 4 return journeys including a late evening service on Fridays. It was small but reliable and personable.
I know several people who moved from the city and bought houses in GH on the basis the ferries were providing a viable daily commuter service. Which they were.
Enter Fullers a few years ago. Which was the beginning of the end. Yes the frequency increased to cover the entire day. But reliability dropped off and this has accelerated in recent times. All the usual excuses.
It’s now left many residents of GH doubting their original decision to relocate to GH and it’s causing much angst.
But hey, on the upside, Penlink will be here soon, right?! 😊
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Post by GO30 on Mar 1, 2023 3:49:14 GMT 12
But hey, on the upside, Penlink will be here soon, right?! 😊 Back in the pre GH Marina when Arkles bay was still mostly baches days and the Penninsula was still mostly holiday spots, it wasn't called Penlink but it was always due to start construction early next year. Jump forward some decades to see the Penninsula is now very much a city suburb and all thats changed around the more direct access on to it is the name.
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Post by fish on Mar 1, 2023 8:22:12 GMT 12
I think they have actually physically started construction. i.e. a bunch of pollies turn up in hi viz and silver shovels and shifted one sod of dirt. No word on a completion date of course. Don't think there is any word on if it will be tolled either.
The actual business case for penlink is not congestion on the Peninsular. It is to allow Milldale to develop, along with the planned commercial area around Silverdale West (currently farmland west of the Motorway between the BP and the Silverdale Exit).
The motorway exists simply do not have any more capacity. They are already at capacity. Obviously adding 8,000 more houses at Milldale (another full sized Millwater) is going to cause a major issue.
Penlink is the cheapest way of alleviating that issue and is why Milldale can proceed. Not for commute times for Whangaparaoa, but to shift congestion off the motorway exists.
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Post by ComfortZone on Mar 1, 2023 8:57:01 GMT 12
But hey, on the upside, Penlink will be here soon, right?! 😊 Believe it or not, physical work has actually commenced on Penlink. Initial "enabling" works including undertaking the final geotechnical investigations and installing environmental controls underway, real works will start next spring, this is driven by AC consent conditions. Going to be a bit of an engineering challenge, ground has very poor geotech strength
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Post by muzled on Mar 1, 2023 9:19:42 GMT 12
But hey, on the upside, Penlink will be here soon, right?! 😊 Going to be a bit of an engineering challenge, ground has very poor geotech strength Sounds like code for 'cost blowout' already? Or have they factored that in?
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Post by ComfortZone on Mar 1, 2023 9:50:14 GMT 12
Going to be a bit of an engineering challenge, ground has very poor geotech strength Sounds like code for 'cost blowout' already? Or have they factored that in? There will be allowances for "design growth" and "general contingency", the former being for what you expect when detail design is completed, the latter being for unexpected shit. But whether these are sufficient is the big question. I understand the contractor has capped their risk on ground conditions with NZTA ie the taxpayer, carrying the balance of the risk. Yeah, so there is certainly a blowout potential
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Post by fish on Mar 1, 2023 10:31:40 GMT 12
Going to be a bit of an engineering challenge, ground has very poor geotech strength Sounds like code for 'cost blowout' already? Or have they factored that in? While that term is used as the code you suggest, to be fair, the whole Stillwater / East Coast Road area has long been known for its completely dodgy geotech. That is why the area around east coast road and Snow Planet has never been put forward by developers for urbanisation. Basically East Coast Road is a ridge that really really wants to be a plane, much like what is left of Glenvar Road. Bit ups to anyone that can put a motorway through there and not get surprised by something sliding down.
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Post by fish on Mar 2, 2023 10:58:37 GMT 12
Several hundred passengers and several stock trucks full of sheep were stranded for hours in Wellington Harbour last night in another chapter of mishaps on the Cook Strait ferries. The beleaguered Interislander ferry Kaitaki, fully loaded with trucks for a freight-only voyage to Picton, broke down in the Wellington terminal. This prevented the Kaiarahi from making its 10pm scheduled arrival from Picton. An ODT staff member on board thought the stock trucks had room for over 2000 sheep. Several passengers were concerned for the animals' welfare. As the Interislander terminal was vacated, Kaitaki could be seen, still fully laden with trucks, tied up on a nearby conventional wharf. Kaiarahi's passengers, who had boarded in Picton about 4.30pm, disembarked about 2am. www.odt.co.nz/news/national/ferry-woe-continues-passengers-stranded?fbclid=IwAR2UsDPxwIZA1Y7mJAV_AsYf6R3ws9ZaxlSw7VCT1PFnVaKQfRyHHe7xm5s
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Post by Fogg on Mar 2, 2023 12:26:31 GMT 12
Seriously, how come:
1. Maritime NZ or OSH (or sone other busy-body regulator) issued an order to stop operating immediately?
2. People still book the thing (I understand freight is a necessity but surely no sane passenger would want to risk it)?
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Post by fish on Mar 2, 2023 12:49:50 GMT 12
Seriously, how come: 1. Maritime NZ or OSH (or sone other busy-body regulator) issued an order to stop operating immediately? 2. People still book the thing (I understand freight is a necessity but surely no sane passenger would want to risk it)? With food shortages in supermarkets, and a complete inability of produces and processors in the SI able to access the majority of the population in the NI, wouldn't you expect the Minister for Transport, Michael Woods, to get involved? Or at least make a comment? Oh that's right, he is a donkey. And he's still flogging the $30billion dead horse that is a tram to the airport. After doing a Crazy Ivan on the Harbour Cycle Bridge. It is beyond me how these guys can so blatantly go for vanity projects while the economy collapses because they can't get the basics right. Northland is down to a single HV power supply...
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Post by fish on Mar 2, 2023 12:50:45 GMT 12
This thread is as good as any for this topic: National grid operator Transpower is warning of possible disruptions to Northland's electricity supply as it shifts high-voltage lines to bypass a major slip. A big slip just south of Wellsford is threatening two towers carrying the lines, and there is a risk more bad weather might cause further movement and bring down both lines. Transpower general manager for grid delivery Mark Ryall said temporary towers will be set up to bypass the slip, and it has taken one line out of service to reduce the risk. "With more rain forecast, we have removed the 110kV line from service and will lower it to the ground as a precaution," he said on Thursday. "This will mitigate the risk of both transmission lines being affected at the same time if there are further slips." www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/485139/northland-down-to-one-high-voltage-line-risk-of-more-outages-transpower
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Post by sloopjohnb on Mar 2, 2023 18:57:58 GMT 12
Fark me......only 1 HV line to Northland, only 1 road to Northland and that's thru a beach township.....zero oops 2 ships cross a bit of water between 2 islands....what else can go wrong and that's not mention excess water fall on the North Island.
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Post by fish on Mar 2, 2023 20:09:10 GMT 12
Access to Northland almost needs it own thread. So the railway line is completely munted too. Apparently they just finished upgrading it so that larger / heavier trains could use it, 17 tonne axel loads. The first train ran on the 27th Jan, then we had the Anniversary weekend floods... Line wont be open until winter at the earliest. Just when you need to relieve pressure on munted roads from heavy freight, well, yeah. I'm buggered if I know how to move freight out of Northland. Other than the local producers, our only fuel import terminal is north of the Brynderwyns... Here's hoping those gas pipelines are still in one piece. Images shot by a drone show the extent of a massive slip blocking the rail line between Auckland and Northland. The rail link to the rest of the country has been hit by 50 slips in total and will be out of action until winter. KiwiRail chief operating officer Siva Sivapakkiam said the slips between Swanson and Whangārei were caused by the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods, Cyclone Gabrielle and further heavy rain on February 24. The biggest slip has smothered a section of track between Helensville and Wellsford beneath four to five metres of mud. www.stuff.co.nz/national/300820218/in-pictures-massive-slip-wipes-out-rail-line-between-auckland-and-northland
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Post by GO30 on Mar 3, 2023 2:15:47 GMT 12
Seriously, how come: 1. Maritime NZ or OSH (or sone other busy-body regulator) issued an order to stop operating immediately? 2. People still book the thing (I understand freight is a necessity but surely no sane passenger would want to risk it)? A govt dept make a call that big...not seeing that happen. Maybe Rob Campbell needs to take over the Directors job. More die on the roads yet people continue to drive. The 'it wont happen to me' theory. Most ferries make it across fine, even late....days late. Besides after the last couple of ferries we've been on the Cook Strait ones look safe as houses.
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