Storm damage bill could total $20m in Western Bay of Plenty

Wednesday, 1 March 2023

The bridge on No 4 Road in Te Puke washed out in late January, but a Bailey bridge is expected by early March.

The cost of storm damage to the Western Bay of Plenty district will be between $15 and $20 million after Cyclone Gabrielle and severe weather in January swept through the region.

There are more than 30 sites where major slips occurred as well as the bridge that was washed away on No 4 Road in Te Puke.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council infrastructure general manager Gary Allis told the Projects and Monitoring Committee last week the damage assessment was still ongoing so the cost could be plus or minus 30%.

“Our biggest hit was the anniversary weekend [weather] event, not Cyclone Gabrielle,” he said.

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Part of Te Puna Station Road, west of Tauranga, could be permanently closed after slips.

“Gabrielle did cause some damage but, in the scheme of it, for us it was minor, and compared to the rest of the country this area has dodged a bullet.”

The cost of installing a temporary bridge at No 4 Road would be between $1.5-$2 million, building a permanent bridge would be $7- $8 million, with the balance in repairing the slips, said Allis.

He said decisions would need to be made about the level of repair for some of the affected roads.

Some of the roads damaged by slips included Wairoa Road, Oropi Gorge Road, Old Kaimai Road and Te Puna Station Road.

Te Puna Station Road had a number of over and under-slips and a decision needed to be made about closing a portion of it to vehicles permanently, said Allis.

“The overslips have been continuing over a number of years so there’s a historical slip every couple of years there that closes the road.”

An over-slip on Te Puna Station Road, west of Tauranga. Such slips have been happening on the road for years, the council says.

The road was down to one lane because of slip damage prior to anniversary weekend, when it was fully closed after more slips.

Parts of the cycleway completely washed away toward the Wairoa River.

Allis said if the road was reinstated it was a “complex site” because of the slips and the main wastewater pipeline that was there as well.

There were two options, to close the road or reinstate the road to one lane one direction, he said.

“The preferred option would be to close it, leaving the cycleway open.”

It would be closed from the Waipuna Hospice to the Te Puna Station Road Reserve carpark, said Allis.

Reinstating the road to one lane would be a “more expensive option” and council staff had not assessed that yet he said.

“In terms of the repair works that we need to do on the network, and we’ve got 30 odd sites, this would not be a priority because there is clear alternative access so this will remain closed for some time.”

Wairoa Road, west of Tauranga, has also been affected by a slip.

Mayor James Denyer said he wanted to hear the opinion of all the residents about the closure and asked if public engagement was planned.

Allis replied that was the intention but the council was still in the “response phase” after the cyclone.

“It will stay closed for a bit and we'll go through that process.”

The council would decide Te Puna Station Road’s fate at a later meeting.

It was better news for No 4 Road in Te Puke, with council transportation manager Jim Paterson telling the meeting they expect to have the temporary Bailey bridge in place by early March.

The bridge over Raparapahoe Stream washed out on January 29 after severe weather, affecting the 30 properties above it.

It has been an anxious wait for residents with kiwifruit orchards because there is no truck access for the upcoming harvest starting on March 20.

No 4 Road orchardist George Muir previously told Local Democracy Reporting his family could lose $4 million if the fruit was not picked in time.

“It's pretty stressful because we've outlaid several million growing the crops,” said Muir.

Paterson said when the Bailey bridge was in place they could guarantee light vehicles and trucks but were unsure about truck and trailer access.

“We have to try and maximize the turning circles on and off the bridge on both sides to try and get truck and trailers [across] that's our objective.”

He said they want to “maximize the productivity” for the kiwifruit industry when the harvest starts.