Residents 

The International Rally of Whangarei is coming to the Whangarei & Kaipara districts on the 7th – 9th November. We are planning to use your road as one of the Rally Special Stages and to ensure you, the property owner or resident knows what is happening we have done a letter drop (early September).

You should have received a notification letter is to advise you that we have applied to the Whangarei & Kaipara District Councils to temporarily close the roads, to all normal traffic. The road closure time is the maximum required, and the road can be expected to re-open earlier than stated.

Please fill in the form below if you wish to get in touch with us.

Below is some more information for you and your family or community about our event.

EVENT FAQ’s

WHAT ROADS ARE AFFECTED & TIMES

Download the maps below to see the roads affected and the times we have applied for road closure with the WDC / KDC.

RECCE PRE-EVENT – THURSDAY & FRIDAY ON THE ROADS

This will be held on Thursday 6^th and Friday 7^th November and the roads are open, times will be confirmed in our next letter. The reconnaissance times will also be displayed on green road-closed signs on the road (they will be up 3-4weeks before the event).

Each competitor is restricted to ONE pass in a controlled convoy situation in the direction of the stage at a MAXIMUM of 80kph, or the defined speed limit on that section of road. They will be in a convoy with between 40-50 cars and a lead vehicle / middle vehicle / tail vehicle with Rally of Whangarei Officials present.

Cars on reconnaissance will be clearly identified with numbers on the rear side windows and headlights will be on.

We do recommend that, if possible, you do not use the road during this time, or if you do, you travel only in the same direction of travel.  

Competitors are forbidden to practice or reconnoitre the route before the reconnaissance period. Any reconnaissance outside of these days is strictly prohibited. If you suspect a breach of this rule, please contact us with car make/model and registration number.

ROAD ACCESS PROCEDURE – SATURDAY & SUNDAY

The rally will run to a pre-defined schedule as shown below based on the closing then re-opening of your road. Each competing car will follow the same route and each Special Stage will have their own management team.

Accessing/leaving your Property. If you live on a Competitive Special Stage, you will be unable to leave your property whilst the stage is ‘live’ i.e. the official vehicles and competing cars are travelling the route and the road closure time has begun.

BETWEEN THE ROAD CLOSING CAR AND THE ROAD OPENING CAR, DO NOT ENTER THE STAGE.

Prior to the Road Closing Car entering the stage, Residents will be able to access and leave their properties. There will be a Security officials at the junction of all Closed roads, who will not be able to let you into the closed road after Closure. Members of the public will not be allowed access other than by foot into the stage.

Once the competing cars have exited the stage, the Road Opening car will travel the stage If you have not witnessed the Road Opening car pass your property, please do not leave until you have spoken to the Stage Manager or if it is safe to do so, ask the Marshal closest to your property.

All official vehicles will have their roles displayed on a ‘plate’ on the side of the vehicles.

If you live on a Non-Competitive touring route, you will be able to access/leave your property at all times as these roads are NOT closed. However please note, that whilst the road you live on is not a Competitive section, your access/exit may lead to a Competitive Special Stage section and maybe closed at the end of the road. Where this is the case, the same process will apply as to a Resident living on a Competitive section of the rally route.

RALLY WEEKEND ITINERARY

During the preceding few days there will be additional stationary or low speed traffic on the roads that are being closed.

The officials (Set up Crew) could be installing a safety equipment in order to define the competitive route and to ensure the safety of Spectators and Residents (this is known as route ‘furniture’). Safety Tape may be secured across the front of your property after the road is closed, it will not be done before road closure so this means you cannot exist your driveway. All rally ‘furniture’ will be removed at the end of the rally.

On Thursday 6th November / Friday 7th November, there will be the Competitors Reconnaissance, where the competitors pass ONCE to inspect the route in standard road cars at a MAXIMUM of 80kph, or the defined speed limit on that section of road. They will be in a convoy. Competitors are forbidden to practice or reconnoitre the route before the reconnaissance period. Any reconnaissance outside of these days is strictly prohibited. If you suspect a breach of this rule, please contact us with car make/model and registration number.

Following the Ceremonial Start, which will be on Friday evening in central Whangarei, the competitive element of the International Rally of Whangarei starts on Saturday 8th November. Prior to the Competing cars starting the rally, the Official cars (the Safety Convoy) will travel the route ahead of them from the road closure time.

BETWEEN THE ROAD CLOSING CAR AND THE ROAD OPENING CAR, YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO BE ON THE COMPETITIVE ROAD OR IT’S VERGES, EITHER ON FOOT OR IN A VEHICLE AT ANY TIME.

The Safety Convoy vehicles will have an official sticker plate on them denoting their role. These cars will also have lights, sirens and a PA system. All Safety Cars are in direct radio contact with Rally HQ. This sequence of Safety Convoy followed by Competing cars will be repeated on Sun 3rd for the rest of the stages. At the end of the rally, the winning car crews will be presented with their awards at Pohe Island, Whangarei.

SAFETY VEHICLES

So as to ensure the safety of our competing vehicles and the local community, we have a very tight safety process for the closure of a road for a rally. Its important to understand so you know what you are seeing happen on the road that is closed.

• Road Closure Car – This car will enter the stage on Road Closure time, and will be approx. an hour before the first competing car. This vehicle signifies to the Residents, Marshals and Spectators that the Resident’s access period is over and the road is now closed. On the passing of this car, Marshals shall erect any tape and barriers to close off access to the stage route. This vehicle travels at normal road speed.
• Taping & Arrows – Road Closure and right behind the Road Closure Car. A team of people come thru the road to setup the rally tape in driveways / fences and junctions. They also install the safety arrows at junctions or dangerous places on the roads. This vehicle travels at faster than normal road speed.
• Event Safety Delegate – approx. 30 minutes after road closure. This vehicle contains the event Safety Delegate and his driver. They will check that all stages are set-up according to the Setup plans and that the Safety plan is being complied with, also ensuring that the Spectators are in safe places. No Competitor will start a Special Stage until the Safety Delegate is satisfied that everything is in place. This vehicle travels at faster than normal road speed.
• Spectator Safety – approx. 30-40 minutes after road closure. The primary role of this vehicle is to check that Spectators are in safe places. The Safety Officer will travel with this vehicle to check all Spectator Areas are setup according to plans, all Marshals and Security personnel are in place. Spectator Safety will be supported by a marked Police vehicle if required. This vehicle travels at faster than normal road speed.
• MSNZ Stewards – approx. 50-60 minutes after road closure. The primary role of this vehicle is to check that the stage is setup and approved by the Motorsport New Zealand safety stewards. This vehicle travels at normal road speed
• Safety Car 000 – 30-40 mins before First Competitive Car. The primary role of this vehicle is to check that the stages are set-up according to the Safety and Setup plans, ensuring that all Marshals are in the correct places and Spectators are in safe places. They are in touch with the 00 / 0 cars and Rally HQ should they encounter any issues. This vehicle travels at faster than normal road speed.
• Safety Car 00 – 20-30 minutes before First Competitive Car. The role of this vehicle is to do a final check of the stage. No Competitor will start the stage until this vehicle gives the ‘Go ahead’. They are in touch with the 000 / 0 cars and Rally HQ should they encounter any issues. This vehicle travels at faster than normal road speed.
• Safety Car 0 – 10 minutes before First Competitive Car. This vehicle is a fully prepared rally-type car and is at semi competitive speed. They are in touch with the 000 / 00 cars and Rally HQ should they encounter any issues. It will prepare Spectators and Marshals for the first official Competitor and the car will have lights and sirens.
• Competing Cars There will be 40-60 cars. These cars are all road legal and insured but all have been modified with safety equipment including a steel protective roll-cages, full harness seats and fire extinguishers. The Crews will all be wearing fire-proof overalls and crash helmets. The cars will start at 1-minute intervals, in order of anticipated performance. Note – sometimes there will be gaps longer then 1min due to a crew having an accident or menchanical. If there is a gap DO NOT assume the road is open until you see the Sweeper / Road Open Car.
• Sweeper Car – after the last Competitive car. On each stage, after the last competing car, the Sweeper car will travel through the stage to indicate that the competitive part of the route has finished. Road Opening Car (After last competing car on the Second loop) This indicates that the road is now OPEN. Only after this car has passed are Residents permitted to access the route. Please access the road with care as behind the Sweeper car comes a few other teams.
• Recovery – after sweeper – they will follow directly behind the sweeper car and their role in the event is too help recover any cars off the road. They are usually the local 4WD club members and are in large 4WD SUV’s. They will travel to the speed limits now the road is open.
• Taping & Arrows – after recovery. A team of people not come thru the road to remove the rally tape from driveways / fences and junctions. They also pick up the safety arrows at junctions or dangerous places on the roads.

EMERGENCIES & ACCIDENTS

The Organisers, Emergency Services, have detailed plans on dealing with closure of roads, clearways, spectator provisions and procedures on dealing with incidents.

Please read the following to make sure you understand what to do on rally weekend regarding safety and access for you and your family / community

If you require the emergency services (Police, Fire or Ambulance) while the stage is closed dial 0800 RALLYE or dial 111 if you cannot reach us first. Please inform Rally HQ that you require the emergency services so that we can prepare for their arrival. In most cases, it will be quicker for our Rescue Crew to attend to you ahead of the emergency service arrival. Each of our Rescue Crews includes a registered doctor or paramedic and a fully equipped ambulance stationed at the start of each stage. Should an emergency service need access to your property then the stage will be stopped. We also have a helicopter on stand-by should it be required for residents or competing crews.

Should a crash occur which involves anybody in connection with the rally (i.e. the Competitors) please do not ring 111. The vast majority of incidents do not result in any injury to the crew and can be dealt with by our Marshals or the crew themselves. The cars have a tracking system in the cars which allows the crews to send a message to the HQ that they are safe, a hazard to competing cars (on the road) or require help (SOS) if trapped or injured. The system logs the G levels of the crash and it also alerts Rally HQ at the same time as the accident happens,

These more serious incidents may result in the stage being stopped via a system of radios and red flags and all competing cars will be stopped to allow the MIV’s and safety crews to enter the stage to assist.

Should anybody require medical attention, the Rescue and Recovery Crews will be sent into the stage from the stage start, where they will be based. Even if you think you can be of assistance, please do not leave your property unless instructed to do so by our personnel.

If the stage is stopped for any reason; do not assume it is safe to leave your property. We will aim to restart the stage as soon as the incident is dealt with.

If a rally car causes damage to your property, then please contact us via info@rallynz.org.nz or on the rally weekend call us on 0800 RALLYE with details of the damage. The competing crews are also obligated to file a damage report if they damage any public property, failure to do so incurs a large fine. The rally has substantial third-party insurance in place with specialist motorsport insurers and we have local fence contractors on standby.

SPECTATING ON YOUR PROPERTY

We would like to encourage the Residents, their families and friends to watch the rally from a safe place on their own property.

Please contact us for more information about safe spectating on your own property.

‘Out of Bounds Areas’ which are not safe for spectating will be defined by tape, appropriate signage, straw bales and other equipment.

‘Non-resident Spectators’ will be able to spectate from ‘Spectator Areas’, designated areas on the Special Stages. These areas have safe access and great viewing for Spectators and are managed by experienced Marshals to ensure that all the Spectators remain in the safe areas and do not walk onto the Special Stages (if deemed in the safety plan to be not safe).

If you see any Spectators outside of these areas or on your property and you are not happy, please contact your nearest Marshals (if safe to do so) or contact us on 0800 RALLYE. They will make arrangements to move Spectators to the safe Spectator Areas if it is save to do so. The Safety Convoy driving through the stages beforehand will help to move Spectators on and will not allow stages to start until all Spectators are in safe positions.

ROAD DAMAGE

We understand you might feel annoyed or nervous about us using your road. Our ideal event is when we only shift the gravel, but the weather can play against us. Our event team work with the councils to align the event to the road maintenance programs, this to ensure that we are NOT competing on the road right after its had maintenance. So any grading and maintenance is scheduled by the council after we go thru the roads, making sure your road is looked after.

Two-three weeks prior the event, we drive (at normal road speeds) and document each stage via video and in some cases the council road maintenance manager will accompany us to ensure the road condition is known and any issues flagged. If there are issues, we can then create a slow-speed zone in the event which is managed by the cars in-car satellite trackers. If the cars do-not adhere they are hit with fines.

On event day our 0 Safety car will also video the stages. This is because this is usually two-three weeks after the initial video to the event. If the stage is run twice, they will again video the stage before it starts. We supply this to council if required.

I’VE SEE A RALLY CAR SPEEDING ON NORMAL PUBLIC ROADS!!

All cars MUST adhere to normal driving rules when driving on the touring sections between stages. There are no exceptions.

If you see or think a car is speeding (sometimes the noise makes them seem faster) or you witness something stupid or dangerous, write down the number (its orange and on the windows) and the colour of the car and report it too 0800 RALLYE. Don’t wait until Monday, do it on the weekend so it can be dealt with on the event

All the cars have GPS trackers managed via satellite and we can access the speed data from the touring sections if it is speed related. Should we find the team have breached the rules, they then will be fined and in some cases could loose there competition license. We take this very seriously as our local community are important to us.

THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY

Our team would like to thank the local residents throughout Whangarei and Kaipara for supporting our event. We are grateful for your support and continue to work closely with local community groups to provide opportunities for fund raising from visiting spectators.

If you do not receive your letter, please contact us via info@rallynz.org.nz