A lot of work has been done to clear slips and repair damage caused by November’s earthquakes and flooding.
The northern suburbs were hardest hit, with 48 significant slips recorded in Whitby, Paremata, Plimmerton, Pukerua Bay, Paekakariki Hill Road, Harris Road and Moonshine Road.
Council Chief Operating Officer Tamsin Evans says while many of the smaller jobs have been completed, some of the larger, more complex jobs require longer-term fixes.
“We’ve prioritised repairing slips that had immediate impact on people, where they are compromising a property or major road.”
The Council has also been working with affected parties to keep them informed about progress along the way. “We know that it’s been frustrating for people – both while they’re waiting for work to start and while work is being carried out – and we thank everyone for their continued patience.”
Some of the larger jobs are taking time to complete. Construction and repair work has been underway at eight sites on Moonshine Road since March and is expected to be finished by the end of August. Work on a further seven sites at different locations is also expected to be completed by then.
Each site needed a geotechnical assessment, prioritisation, and then investigation (which includes a topographical survey, ground condition assessment, calculations and drawing up of designs and specifications, gaining consents and seeking tenders) before any construction work could be undertaken.
“The solutions for all sites have been designed to have a 50-year lifespan, rather than making temporary fixes,” says Ms Evans.
Clean-up and repair work will end up costing the city an additional $3.2 million in capital expenditure and $540,000 in operating expenditure.
New sites are also being discovered as the ground moves and we’re continuing to monitor the situation at all sites, particularly after heavy rain.
We’re also working with others in the region on our long-term resilience plans and our preparedness for natural disasters, says Ms Evans. “At a local level, this includes investment in wastewater, stormwater, water supply and roading.”
27 Jun 2017
