Recent Weather Event Results in Large Repair Bill

Friday 5 October 2018

Significant damage caused by the September heavy rain event in Central Hawke’s Bay has resulted in a $4.5 million repair bill.

Following the September weather event, Central Hawke’s Bay District Council began the process of the extensive cleanup and repair, with a full assessment of damage throughout the District being undertaken. The heavy downpour over several days impacted various roads across the district causing surface flooding, slips, road surface damage, blocked drains and damaged culverts.

A number of sites suffered severe damage and required geotechnical investigations. An estimated 198 sites require repair that is either underway or shortly to begin to ensure that the roading network is protected for the future. Various work required and ongoing includes cleaning and re-establishing a large number of roadside drains, re-gravelling, grading and shaping a number of gravel roads to replace materials washed away, the installation of new retaining structures, as well as replacing many damaged culverts and headwalls.

“While we were fortunate to have not received the rainfall to the extent forecast, the impact on the community and our roading network was still large”, says Group Manager Customer and Community Doug Tate.  “A big thanks goes out to our contractors and rural community, for their patience and perseverance through not just the weather event, but now the ongoing impacts from repairs”.

Under slips of the ground have created the most significant financial impact for the District, with the partial loss of roads and damage to retaining walls, required to protect the road, requiring considerable work. 

Some of the roads severely impacted include Farm road - where a new 40 metre retaining wall requires installation, Lake road – where a 45 metre toe wall is required to prevent further land encroaching onto the road, and Middleton road – where another 20 metre retaining wall is required to be constructed.

A funding application has been prepared and will be submitted to New Zealand Transport Agency seeking subsidy for the repair work.

Council are working closely with Consultants and its Contractors to ensure long term, whole-of-life solutions are achieved to ensure best value for the District.  Once solutions are determined Council will engage a contractor to undertake the appropriate works.

In the meantime cleaning-up of the over slips will continue under the maintenance contract until completed.

The map below shows the areas that were impacted.

12 October 2018

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