Home owners in limbo

BY STEPHEN FORBES

Homeowner Steve Pedersen is one of 65 people waiting to see whether they will be forced to sell their properties to the New Zealand Transport Agency for a planned upgrade of the northwestern motorway.

An $866 million project will widen the motorway by one lane on each side between St Lukes and Massey.

Interchanges at Te Atatu, Lincoln Rd and Massey will also be redeveloped.

At least 50 properties in Te Atatu will be affected and another 15 in Massey.

They include houses in Alwyn Ave, Te Atatu Rd, Titoki St, Milich Tce, Kasia Close, Chloe Place and Royal Rd.

Mr Pedersen has lived in Alwyn Ave for more than 20 years and got a letter advising him of the development last week.

The news has scuttled his plans to sell some time in the next two years.

Mr Pedersen has spent $180,000 renovating the house since 2007 and says he wants a fair market price if the agency does force his hand.

But he’s still not sure exactly what lies ahead.

"I don’t know how much of our property they are looking at taking."

"We’ll just wait and see what they say," he says. "What else can we do?"

Waitakere deputy mayor Penny Hulse says the council is keen to see the project go ahead but is concerned about the impact on property owners. "The council wants to work with the agency to try and minimise those impacts and support those who may lose their homes."

Transport agency spokeswoman Carol Greensmith says a series of public meetings will be held to provide the affected residents with more information.

"We’ll have project maps and we’ll be able to provide them with a lot more detail. They’ll be able to ask questions and there will be specialists there who talk about the different issues."

She says the St Lukes to Te Atatu upgrade will need to be completed in time for the opening of the State Highway 20 extension in 2015-2016.

The meetings will be held at the Te Atatu South Community Centre on September 30 from 3.30pm to 7.30pm, Royal Rd School on October 3 from 11am to 3pm and at Te Atatu South Community Centre on October 10 from 11am to 3pm.

Go online to www.nzta.govt.nz/SH16 for more information.

- © Fairfax NZ News