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Hull Road, Waitoki – One way road Hull Road, Waitoki – One way road

Proposal status: closed 1 May 2019, updated 10 July 2019 and 23 September 2019

Reference number: RTV-201

We proposed changes in your area

Last year, we asked for feedback on our proposal to convert Hull Road to a one-way road. Based on your feedback from your neighbourhood, we have now redesigned our proposal. Read more information on the new proposal and have your say.

This proposal involved the installation of several signs as indicated in the proposal drawing:

  • 'One Way' sign off Austin Road at the intersection with Hull Road.
  • 'No Entry' and 'Wrong Way' signs on Hull Road on approach to Austin Road.
  • 'No Exit to Austin Road' sign near the northernmost end of Hull Road.

Download the proposal drawing for Hull Road (PDF 900KB) 

Why the changes are needed

This proposal aimed to eliminate safety hazards on Austin Road which develop when four-wheel drive recreational vehicles from Hull Road track deposit mud onto the paved road. 

We have received a number of complaints that these deposits are dispersed onto the road during wet conditions and create safety concerns for vehicles travelling along Austin Road.

Proposal outcome

We received a number of responses to our proposal that expressed frustration regarding issues of safety and anti-social driving behaviour along Hull and Austin Roads. We recognise the concerns that residents have and thank everyone who submitted feedback.

After carefully reading and viewing all pieces of feedback, we have decided not to implement the one-way road as it is currently designed. Instead, we will develop a new design that better addresses the concerns of the community using Hull and Austin Roads. We will ask for your feedback on our new plan in October-November 2019.

Thank you again to everyone who submitted feedback on this proposal. A summary of this feedback and answers to questions and concerns is below.

Feedback received

Requests for additional safety measures

  • Requests to install "slow" signage.
    In March 2019, we asked for feedback on our proposal to review AT’s Speed Limits Bylaw which addresses traffic speeds along high-risk routes within the Auckland region. Both Hull and Austin Roads have high speeds at 100 kilometres per hour. Under the proposed Speed Limits Bylaw, these speeds may be reduced along with appropriate signage. Click here to read more about the safe speeds programme.
  • Request to reduce the current traffic speed on Hull Road, if the one-way plan is implemented. The respondent suggests that this additional measure is necessary to fully address the current problems on the road.
    We will not be implementing the one-way plan for Hull Road. As noted above, both Hull and Austin Roads have high speeds of 100 kilometres per hour which may be reduced with the new Speed Limits Bylaw. To keep up to date with these changes, please visit the safe speeds programme page.
  • Request for an on-going maintenance plan for residential sections of Hull Road, if recreational drivers continue to use this road.
    When mud is displaced and spreads onto Austin Road please call the AT Contact Centre on 09 355 3553 and the road will be urgently cleaned. Although the on-going management of "unformed" legal roads falls under our jurisdiction, there is no allocated funding or maintenance arrangement for these roads.

The following concerns will be addressed in our new proposal.

One-way restrictions

  • Many respondents opposed the changes on the basis that they would not be observed by road users.
  • Respondents suggested that the proposal would result in increased traffic volumes on the Kahikatea end of Hull Road.
  • We received a suggestion that the proposal would simply cause mud to be tracked onto the paved road accessing the Hauora Farm Park instead.
  • Some respondents supported the measures, as a compromise between residents and recreational users of the road.
  • Multiple respondents wanted the road to remain the same with no new measures introduced.

Road surface damage

  • Several respondents suggested that the damage to the Hull Road surface has been created by recreational users.
  • Respondents report that dust created from the ongoing disruption of the road surface causes them great inconvenience.
  • We received a request to provide evidence that larger vehicles are damaging the road surface.
    Turning area
  • Many respondents opposed the establishment of a turning area, as they believe this would make the road more attractive to recreational road users.

Road closure

  • Multiple respondents requested that Hull Road be closed to non-residential traffic, including specific requests to ban recreational drivers. Respondents cited AT’s Management of Unformed Legal Roads as a means of restricting the use of motor vehicles on an unformed road, also known as a "paper road".
  • Some respondents suggested that the road could be restricted to farm vehicles only. We received a request to install bollards, which would only allow horses and pedestrians through, or a gate to which only farm vehicle drivers had keys.
  • We received multiple reports, including photographic images and videos of damage to the road surface.
  • We also received reports of Hull Road being intentionally used after rainfall, further damaging the surface.

Next steps

In July, after we reviewed community feedback, we let you know that we would redesign our proposal and would have a new design for public consultation in August 2019.

The re-design process has taken longer than anticipated and we now expect to issue our new design in October-November 2019. We apologise for this delay and will be back in contact with a proposed solution as soon as possible.

Please call us on (09) 448 7265 to register to receive this information and any further updates by email. Residents of Hull Road and nearby roads will also be sent this information in the mail.