Close to 60 people joined the Penlink project team at a drop-in session recently.

The session, held at the Stillwater Boat Club, saw the community raise concerns, or get answers, on what’s happening with the project: to build a 7km road from the Whangaparaoa peninsula to the SH1. 

The key topics that were discussed included the tolling, the Wēiti River Bridge work, the Duck Creek Road connections, operational noise, the project timeline and the impact on the environment.

A video, showing the various stages of how the connection bridge will be built, was also shown to those who attended. 

One of the main concerns raised was the noise from the heavy machinery, and residents want to understand what measures Penlink has set in place to mitigate noise levels and prevent disturbance. 

The team assured the residents that they have updated the design to minimise noise as much as possible.

The community also voiced concerns about the impact on the environment surrounding the project and the effects on the native wildlife. 

The project team stated that protecting the environment is a priority and that they work closely with iwi and the council to monitor and mitigate any impacts.

The next drop-in session will be on the Whangaparāoa side of the Wēiti River in a few months.