21 March 2014Around 20 Cambridge streets will be temporarily closed to ensure the security of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The Royal couple will visit Cambridge on Saturday, April 12. While details of the visit will not be announced until a week or so beforehand, Waipa District Council has already advised some residents that their streets may be shut for up to three hours on the day.
Today the Council hand-delivered letters to residents on the streets potentially affected. The letters say streets are likely to be closed from approximately 11am until 1.45pm on Saturday, April 12.
During this time, no vehicle movements on the streets will be permitted. For security reasons, no vehicles will be permitted to be left parked on any of these streets. Emergency services will have unrestricted access at all times and two ambulance crews will be stationed nearby to respond to any medical emergencies.
Community engagement advisor Wayne Green said the Cambridge visit was one of few opportunities during the tour when New Zealanders would be able to interact directly with the Royal couple. He said the Council was working with the Department of Internal Affairs and police to help ensure as many people as possible could see them as well manage the substantial crowds expected.
As part of the security arrangements, the Council has been instructed to put in place a number of temporary street closures. Mr Green acknowledged this would be inconvenient for some people and said the Council had done all it could to give those people as much notice as possible of a potential closure.
The Council itself has no say on the route, or on the activities to be undertaken during the visit - that's out of our hands. As well as temporarily closing streets as requested, we've been asked to provide infrastructure like crowd control fencing, sound systems and toilets to make sure as many people as possible can enjoy the day.
Mr Green said it was impossible to predict how many people would be in Cambridge for the Royal visit but said it would be in the tens of thousands. On the advice of security officials, Council was hiring 3.2kms of crowd control fencing and was putting a traffic management plan in place.
There will be at least 50 - 60 media organisations from all around the world covering the visit so this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Cambridge and the wider district, he said.
Mr Green said the Department of Internal Affairs - not Council - would release details of the route to be taken by the Duke and Duchess a week or so out from the event. Council had up-to-date information about the Royal visit on its website www.waipadc.govt.nz
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Media enquiries only: Jeanette Tyrrell (on behalf of Council) 027 5077 599
