Several Whakatāne roundabouts will receive landscaping attention in the coming months as part of an ongoing upgrade that has already seen work completed on several sites. The Domain Road/McAlister Street roundabout and the Landing Road/Eivers Road/King Street roundabouts have been redeveloped, and work also began recently on the Commerce Street/Short Street roundabout. The Gorge Road/Commerce Street and Landing Road Bridge roundabout will also be redeveloped in the near future.

Whakatāne District Council Places and Open Spaces Manager, Mike Naude, says that considerable thought has gone into the upgrading of the roundabouts, with each location’s specific attributes being taken into account. “The design philosophy has been to provide a range of landscaping experiences and to individualise each intersection with a unique design which can serve as a landmark for visitors and residents,” he says. “An example of this is the flag roundabout at the Domain Road and McAlister Street intersection.”

Mr Naude also noted that several roundabouts have underlying issues that needed to be addressed. “The Commerce Street and Short Street roundabout is relatively small and has very high traffic flows, which poses a number of health and safety concerns for staff who have to work on the site,” Mr Naude says. “That site is further limited by shallow soil depth as a result of an old road surface beneath the roundabout, so we wanted a low maintenance planting, and hardy plants that would thrive in poor soil conditions. The choice was therefore to include rocks and a feature aloe tree, with additional plants coming to soften it and help it blend into the landscape.”

He says further plantings will be undertaken at the roundabout later this year, and in time it would present a highly attractive appearance similar to the accompanying artist’s concept drawing.