Falls ford closure not supported

A Forest & Bird proposal for a new urban park, which includes closing the Falls Road ford in Warkworth, has not found favour with Heritage Mahurangi.

The proposal was discussed at the heritage group’s monthly meeting last month where concern was raised about the closure of the ford, which is understood to have been built in the 1930s.

Chair Dave Parker said there was general agreement that the ford needed better management, but closing it altogether was not the best option.

“It’s an important link in our roading history,” he says.

“What is really needed is proper signage, which bans all commercial traffic and advises cars to proceed with caution. It’s a very scenic spot and lovely to drive through.”

Earlier this year, Forest & Bird volunteer Roger Williams told the Rodney Local Board that there was an opportunity to link two existing reserves with several pieces of Department of Conservation land in and around Falls and Woodcocks Roads, and the left branch of the Mahurangi River. He said the one-way bridge on Woodcocks Road, near the junction with Falls Road, needed replacing, so it made sense to relocate the road to the south and keep the bridge for walking and cycling through a new urban park.

He also said the Falls Road river crossing should be closed to traffic completely, not only because it was in the heart of the reserve area, but because of the danger it posed to traffic and the fact that there was a safer alternative route.

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