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Traffic woes hinder Hobbiton from boosting visitor numbers

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Mon, 14 Jan 2019, 8:07AM
Hobbiton is applying to change its resource consent to more than double the number of people who step into The Shire every year.  Photo / Getty Images

Traffic woes hinder Hobbiton from boosting visitor numbers

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Mon, 14 Jan 2019, 8:07AM

The mayor of Matamata hopes simple traffic management will allow a major boost in numbers for Hobbiton.

Hobbiton is applying to change its resource consent to more than double the number of people who step into The Shire every year. 

It wants to open its gates to 650,000 visitors a year.

Matamata Piako mayor Jan Barnes told Tim Dower concerns over traffic shouldn't stop the region from growing tourist dollars.

"The growth, the job opportunities, particularly for our students [and] the international employee that comes and works at Hobbiton and becomes part of the community."

However, she said there is concern over the road leading to Hobbiton.

"How do we stop people, probably listening to their GPS and all of a sudden doing a U-turn into oncoming traffic. How do we stop people crossing a railway line and not stopping and going straight ahead."

Barnes said the council is looking at a number of different solutions to the traffic woes.

"Council, Hobbiton and NZTA have been working for a very long time to get the best for our community. It doesn't happen overnight [and] there is no one fix, I have to say, there will be lots of different mechanisms we will continue to put in."

"The flexible bollards perhaps need to be closer together. They do get damaged and broken - people do try to go between them. That's one suggestion recently."

"Guide signs - the very big ones have been requested. We are concerned about visibility. NZTA had said they will be putting in a flashing sign on the main highway so if there was any movement on the side roads it would go from 100km/h to 70km/h."

Matamata locals say a roundabout is the best solution which Barnes agrees with.

However, she said it doesn't happen overnight and the council has been lobbying for it for a long time.

"It would cost many millions and we would need to buy local land to put a roundabout in."

She said Hobbiton has "already invested huge money into roading signage".

"There is bound to be more requirements for roading and I know Hobbiton will stump up and do that."

 

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