Infrastructure

Millions of dollars worth of damage has been inflicted on Southland and Gore district council infrastructure from the floods earlier this month but repair work is well under way.

Southland District Council senior staffer Hartley Hare said it was still assessing the financial impact of the flooding.

However, early indications suggested about $3 million worth of repairs was required to the district’s roading assets.

Damage had occurred in the form of road and culvert washouts, slips, severe scour and erosion, he said. Repair work was under way, with the work priorities based on both risk and usage. Bridges had also been affected, including the Benmore Bridge which was swept away.

Hare said council staff had completed inspections on all structures in the flood zone.

With the exception of the most significantly damaged areas, most roads would be back to normal within the next fortnight.

Gore District Council senior staffer Ian Davidson-Watts said the flood damage in its district was reasonably extensive, affecting roads, parks and reserves, water infrastructure and old landfill sites scoured out by the Waikaka and Waimumu streams.

‘‘It would be fair to say we are looking at about $2 million worth of damage at this stage, not including the landfill restoration.’’

Council staff and contractors had been working hard to get essential services and infrastructure fixed as quickly as possible, Davidson-Watts said.

All roads in the Gore district had reopened by last week, with the exception of Howe Rd, near McNab which remains closed due to extensive damage to a bridge.