A roundabout at the northern entrance to Invercargill has been described as "the most unsightly I’ve ever seen" by the deputy mayor.
The circular structures were discussed at a council committee meeting this week where the agenda stated parks and recreation were beautifying ones at the entrance to the city.
Not included on the list was the North Rd roundabout leading to Riverton / Aparima and Queenstown.
Deputy Mayor Tom Campbell said he had received a number of complaints about the roundabout, which was damaging the city’s reputation.
“It is the most unsightly thing you could ever imagine, and it is the gateway to the city,” he said.
Because the roundabout was located in a high speed area, it came under Waka Kotahi jurisdiction.
Council group manager infrastructure Erin Moogan said she had fed concerns back to the transport agency, but its role was more focused on safety than beautification.
"The concern they have at the moment is they’re not particularly comfortable to hand that roundabout over, given the higher speed environment, and therefore the traffic management responsibility they would be handing over in that high speed environment."
The roundabout in question is maintained by Waka Kotahi, which can expect a request from the council to maintain it to a higher level. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting / Matthew Rosenberg)
Moogan said she had pushed back, aware other council’s had taken responsibility for roundabouts on state highways.
An agreement had not yet been reached, she said, while also warning that the maintenance cost to council would be "significant".
It was decided to push Waka Kotahi to maintain it to a higher level.
Campbell said it was the city’s reputation that was being affected, not the transport agency's.
"I think you can certainly take back to them about the reputational damage, having that as a very, very unsightly gateway to the city."
The North Rd roundabout wasn’t the only one discussed at the meeting.
Councillor Ria Bond commented on the height of vegetation at Tweed St's version, saying it was creating issues by blurring the line of sight.
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