Road and cycle trail flood repairs top $1m
Nearly $1.3 million was needed to repair damaged Southland District roads and a popular cycle trail following widespread flooding in September last year.
The figures were revealed at a district council meeting last week.
A State of Emergency was declared following the flooding on September 21-22, with widespread road closures and damage to the transport network.
The roading damage included road seal loss and erosion, gravel washouts, bridge debris build-up and abutment washouts, with repairs done across the district.
Remediation work has been under way since the flooding occurred, with Waka Kotahi subsequently agreeing to contribute $511,000 towards the work, matching its standard funding assistance rate of 52%.
The district council’s $472,000 contribution towards repairs came from its existing budgets, with the funding approved at a Southland District Council meeting on Wednesday.
More than $290,000 was also needed to repair and increase the resilience of the Around the Mountains Cycle Trail following the September flooding, with a Government department picking up the bill because it was classified as one of the country’s 23 great rides.
Heavy rain resulted in washouts and scouring on the trail, rendering several areas unpassable and other areas difficult to ride, a council staff report said.
The road between Walter Peak and Mavora Lakes sustained major damage and was closed for a week, but reopened to cyclists on October 2.
There were three washouts between Centre Hill Shelter and Mossburn and another washout near Athol, and the cycle trail fully reopened to cyclists in late October, the report said.
An application to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s extreme events fund was made for the $290,000 in repairs needed to the track, and approved in March.
No contribution was required by the council.