‘Recovery and impact’ costs unknown
The cost of removing a digger that slipped into a Hamilton stream on the edge of the Waikato River remains unknown, Hamilton City Council has said.
The digger slipped into the Mangaonua Gully on July 1, while working on the Hamilton section of the Te Awa River Ride, where it was working on the $5.85m project.
Hamilton City Council general manager development, Chris Allen, said the project was being funded by Waka Kotahi to the tune of 51%, with the remainder of the funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Provincial Growth Fund.
‘‘At no cost to Hamilton ratepayers,’’ he said.
However, whether the digger retrieval will add to the overall cost of the project, and how much that may cost, remains unknown at present.
‘‘The cost of the slip/digger recovery and impacts on the project budget are unknown at this time while we work through the recovery methodology and implications,’’ Allen said.
Waka Kotahi regional manager of system design, Jess Andrew, said when it came to the overall cost of the River Ride, ‘‘conversations with Hamilton City Council are ongoing to see if this has changed’’.
Allen had earlier told Stuff the digger was working on a retaining wall when the earth below it slipped.
‘‘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.