A Cromwell Community Board member has taken matters into his own hands, organising a small weeding working bee at one of the town’s state highway roundabouts amid ongoing local frustration over who is responsible for maintaining the site. 

Wally Sanford spent part of last week pulling weeds at the roundabout on State Highway 6 at the intersection with SH8B, near Cromwell’s main entrance, before encouraging others to join him over the weekend. 

The roundabout, installed in recent years by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), has been the subject of increasing online criticism, with residents questioning its untidy appearance as weeds have overtaken the rock garden earlier planted with natives.  

Wally said the condition of the roundabout, as well as that of a second roundabout a few hundred metres down the road past the Big Fruit on State Highway 8B, had been bothering him well before the debate escalated on social media. 

“There is plenty of chat about the roundabouts around town but first and foremost the state of them was frustrating me before the matter hit Facebook,” he said. 

“Pulling weeds and grass is hands down a more effective approach than emailing and squabbling over whose job it is.” 

Six people joined the informal working bee on Saturday (December 6), with Wally providing cold drinks for volunteers.  

Pisa Moorings resident Wally Sanford weeds the problem roundabout. Image: Facebook/Brett Sherriff

He estimated they had completed only a fraction of the work needed. 

“We have done about 10 per cent of the job to date so a much bigger effort is still needed,” he said. 

While he planned to continue weeding when he could, Wally said he would not be organising further formal working bees. 

“If people want to help, they should just go and do it as and when it suits them. 8pm onwards is a great time of day for it,” he said. 

Questions over the roundabouts’ upkeep stem partly from their location on state highways, generally under the jurisdiction of NZTA rather than the Central Otago District Council. 

In response to queries from The Central App, an NZTA spokesperson said responsibility for the roundabouts was still being worked through. 

“We are currently in discussions with other parties about where specific responsibilities rest in relation to these roundabouts,” the spokesperson said. 

They said NZTA’s immediate focus was on safety rather than appearance. 

“In the meantime, NZTA has been responding swiftly wherever safety concerns have been raised, such as vegetation interfering with the sight lines/visibility of road users,” the spokesperson said. 

“In the current constrained fiscal environment, the focus is on safety over amenity.” 

The roundabout is located at one of Cromwell’s busiest gateways, with traffic flowing between State Highway 6 and State Highway 8B toward Central Otago in one direction and Queenstown Lakes in the other.