In December 2024 the Long Bay Residents’ Association (LBRA) received an update from the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board (HBLB) about the ongoing Auckland Transport (AT) proposed plans for Vaughans Road remediation in order to remove the road closure #189. Please provide your feedback and support! This post is the 5th in a series – see below for links to prior posts.
The plan focuses on 5 areas of localised widening to meet a restricted budget of $2 million. Internal consultation on the plans is due by March 2025. Community consultation is due to take place around July 2025. The goal is for the budget to be available July 2025 – 2026 for construction, dependent on consultation feedback and other aspects. The road will be closed until construction is complete. The AT provided documents with details are attached to this post.
This is a positive step towards re-opening Vaughans Road, with improvements to allow for safer traffic movements, and this additional safe access has been planned since the Long Bay subdivision was proposed! However, the latest plan is majorly scaled back from the prior presented options:
- There are no shared paths (footpaths) and a bridleway is not included.
- Previously noted Pavement, Strength, Stormwater, Lighting and Speeds safety concerns are not mentioned, essentially just “Width” in five localised areas are addressed.
- Nothing is mentioned relating to the capped 3% maintenance allocation to the road surface despite the projected increase of traffic from ~691 to ~5,600+ vehicle movements per day.
- There are no road calming measures related to the formally reported undesirable vehicle activities of “boy racers”, which are expected to worsen once the road is opened to Piripiri Point Drive. There are separate ongoing discussions for these issues which are occurring on a regular basis.
- No relative impact/coordination is proposed in relation to the Glenvar Road/East Coast Road realignment project which is expected to start soon.
- No mention of legal considerations related to the Long Bay Structure Plan and required 4 access points to Long Bay.
- The background doesn’t mention the full project and plans from around 2015, nor the more comprehensive plans from May-2024 Options 1 and 2.
- The 18-24 months closure timeframe is not represented.
Community Action
Long Bay residents are being called to take the opportunity to advocate and provide feedback on this matter, and we’re determined to ensure that happens. Here’s what you can do:
- Send your feedback by emailing ATEngagement@at.govt.nz with “Vaughans Road Closure” in the subject line and cc longbayra@gmail.com
- Support our feedback to HBLB and AT – email your interest to longbayra@gmail.com, let us know of any other residents and local organisations that could help.
- Be active and advocate for the causes that impact you:
- Join or donate to the LBRA at https://longbay.nz
- Share your ideas with residents: join the Long Bay Community Facebook Group
- Advocate for your community: Share your views with us at longbayra@gmail.com so we can represent your concerns.
Our community’s unity and involvement are essential as we navigate this situation together. Let’s work collaboratively to ensure our voices are heard and our neighbourhood remains vibrant and accessible for all.
The Five Sections
For reference the 5 sections for localised widening are as follows and in the prior image:
- Site 1: Intersection of Vaughans Road and Okura River Road. Proposal to widen the road, provide a flush median and localised patch repairs.
- Site 2: 59–69 Vaughans Road. Proposal to widen the road and provide a flush median.
- Site 3: 94–96 Vaughans Road. Proposal to widen the road, provide a flush median and new retaining wall on south side.
- Site 4: 124–159 Vaughans Road. Proposal to provide localised passing bays. This is the lowest priority of the five prioritised sites.
- Site 5: 173–189 Vaughans Road. Proposal to widen the road, provide a flush median and adjust levels of the road.
Related Posts
This post is the 5th in a series on the Vaughans Road Closure, you can find the prior posts here:
Vaughans Road Closure – July-2024 Update
Vaughans Road Closure – May-2024 Update
Vaughans Road Upgrade – Call to Action – Sep 2023
Vaughans Road Closure – Aug 2023
Referenced Documents
Auckland Transport: Item 4 – AT Vaughans Rd update.pdf (December 2025)