Change in highway classification

Southland District Council is keeping a watching brief on the changes made to state highway classifications in the south.

Group manager services and assets Erik Barnes said two highways received new classifications in Southland in the changes announced by the New Zealand Transport Agency this week - the Five Rivers to Invercargill highway, in Southland District, and the Invercargill to Bluff highway, which is in Invercargill City Council boundaries.

The Five Rivers to Invercargill highway has been changed from regional distributor to regional connector.

Mr Barnes said the change was not an issue in itself but he hoped it did not influence NZTA's investment strategy which is being considered at the moment. The strategy decides how much Government money is given to councils to look after local roads.

"We just do not want any further constraint in funding allocation," he said.

"There is already not enough investment in regional distributor highways and Council would hate to see it reduced further."

Southland has five highways - two regional strategic ones in Queenstown to Milford and Dunedin to Invercargill, one regional connector with Invercargill to Five Rivers and two regional distributors with Invercargill to Tuatapere and Clinton to Ohai.