Aorere Valley flood repair update
Tasman District Council’s communications advisor Chris Choat has supplied the following information about the flood repair process. The council, its contractors and residents have been working hard to make good the damage that occurred in the floods of 28 December
All roads are now open except the James Road Right Branch which remains closed due to the bridge being washed out. A temporary pedestrian swing bridge has been installed I n its place and a number of replacement options for a vehicle bridge are being considered. Tender documents will be prepared over the next few months and funding will be confirmed upon pricing and the Annual Plan process.
While the rest of the roads are now usable there is still a great deal of work to be completed including:
Abel Tasman Drive (Wainui Hill), Quartz Range Road, and Bird Road which were all affected by slips. These sites are presently being assessed by geotechnical engineers to identify the best ways to reinstate the roads for long-term safety.
Collingwood-Bainham Main Road – concreting together a rock reinstatement at a washout site.
There are a number of bridges still bearing the scars of the floods throughout the Bay which require work to maintain their long term integrity these include:
Collingwood-Puponga Main Road – abutment reinstatement and scour protection at Aorere River Bridge, Long Plain Road – repair scour of piers at Kotinga Bridge (Takaka River),
Collingwood-Puponga Main Road – repair scour at Young’s Bridge and Aorere Valley Road – repairs at Walsh Creek Bridge
The historic Salisbury Footbridge is not eligible for funding from the Civil Defence fund because it was not classed as an essential community asset. The council is still working on the possibility of having a footbridge donated but the long-term funding implications have to be fully investigated before it will commit to replacing this asset.
Meanwhile the council has been contacted by a number of residents who have identified an option by which the community manage a public subscription or fund-raising programme to build a replacement. Discussions are being held on how this would work and what support the programme would require from ratepayers.
A number of rivers changed course and/or caused damage to the banks that contain them and the surrounding land. While some of them have access to funds to pay for the necessary remediation work, others do not. The shortfall in funding is being considered by council as part of the Annual Plan process.
Neil Wilson
