Community engaged on SH1 renaming

More than 100 people have put forward suggestions for renaming the existing State Highway 1 (SH1).

Mayor K Gurunathan says it’s great to see people taking an active interest in the Council’s SH1 renaming conversation.

“People’s feedback has been mixed.  Many want to see Main Road, Main Road South and Main Road North retained. Some have expressed a view there should only be one name for the entire stretch of road, while others see this as a unique opportunity to give sections of State Highway 1 names that reflect the district’s rich cultural and social history.”

Within two years of the Mackays to Peka Peka section of the Kāpiti Expressway opening, the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) will hand over responsibility for SH1 to the Kāpiti Coast District Council and it will become a fit-for-purpose local road.  As part of this hand-over process, the existing SH1will lose its classification as a state highway which means it can no longer be called a state highway for address and identification purposes.

The Council is inviting the Kāpiti Coast community to have their say on name options for the existing SH1 up until 14 April 2017.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to shape our local character and I urge everyone on the Kāpiti Coast to participate in the Council-led process to name the road,” the Mayor says.

The names suggested by the community will be put into the mix alongside names put forward by representatives/historians from the district’s three iwi and a Council-nominated local historian. 

The Mayor says all suggestions will be considered with the final decision made by full Council before responsibility for the road is transferred from the NZTA to the Council.  

To have your say on name options for the existing SH1:

• talk to your community board
• email [email protected]
• complete the form on the back of the Council’s Renaming SH1 information leaflet which is available at all Kāpiti Coast District libraries and service centres and on this website here.