Storms cost millions

More than $1.8million will be required to restore essential infrastructure in Waitakere which was damaged by land slips.

Heavy storms in recent months led to a number of slips which took out roads and underground pipes.

The Waitakere City Council last night agreed to raise an extra $1.8 million by way of a loan to pay for work requiring urgent attention.

The New Zealand Transport Agency has indicated that the council would be eligible for a 43 percent subsidy towards repair costs.

Priority has been given to repairing landslips affecting roads.

The schedule includes 15 sites with repair costs ranging from $5000 to $500,000. All the sites are considered to pose a high risk to the community and public safety if not reinstated.

Throughout July to the end of August, Waitakere experienced several prolonged spells of very heavy rain and by the end of August, a total of 46 slips had been reported. Some included residential properties that needed to be evacuated, some roads have been partially closed and streams were partially blocked.

The heavy rain followed a dry summer and below average rainfall since August 2007 and the soils became heavily saturated with groundwater.

The number of landslips was significantly more than would have been expected in a normal year and unprecedented since Cyclone Bola.

“This year’s weather patterns were extreme and many councils throughout the country reported an unusually high number of problems. It was something we couldn’t have predicted but have to be aware that it could be indicative of future weather patterns associated with climate changes,” says Derek Battersby, chairperson of the council’s Works and Infrastructure Committee.

The sites to be reinstated are:
Sturges Rd/Candia Rd;
Whatipu Rd;
16 Triangle Rd;
Huia Rd -1km east of township
4 Opua Rd;
Huia Rd – 50m past Shirley Rd;
Karekare Rd (downhill);
92 Lone Kauri Rd;
63 Christian Rd;
Scenic Drive – near Arataki Visitors Centre;
135 Victory Rd
15, 27 and 31 Warner Park Drive;
227 Forrest Hill Rd.