Digger may stay in stream longer

A digger stuck in a Hamilton stream has been there almost a month – and may stay for weeks longer, until rain eases and the stream level drops.

The digger took a July 1 tumble down a bank in the Mangaonua Gully while working on the Hamilton section of the Te Awa River Ride, a written statement from Hamilton City Council confirmed.

It was working on a retaining wall when the earth below it slipped, said Hamilton City Council general manager development, Chris Allen.

‘‘Wet winter conditions and a steep and challenging site meant the team were working cautiously in the area. Nobody was hurt as a result of the incident, which is the most important thing,’’ he said.

Once the area was secured and Worksafe and Waikato Regional Council were notified, work began to develop a recovery plan for the digger.

‘‘Unfortunately, the slippery conditions and increased rainfalls have delayed the removal of the digger until we can guarantee that it can be done safely. We have confidence in our contractor and support their approach to keep people safe and protect the environment. We’ve also been working closely with Waikato Regional Council to achieve this,’’ said Allen.

The digger didn’t initially fall into the water, Allen said, but was now partly submerged because stream levels had risen after heavy rain.

Waikato Regional Council was contacted when the incident happened and has been kept up to date with the work to protect the waterways and native habitats within them.

Allen said the team reacted quickly and installed spill kits to stop oil leaking into the stream.