Inundation from the river has plagued Tapuaeroa Rd, the route to Hikurangi, since a section of the road dropped following increased rainfall and frequent storm damage. Photo / Murry Cave
Inundation from the river has plagued Tapuaeroa Rd, the route to Hikurangi, since a section of the road dropped following increased rainfall and frequent storm damage. Photo / Murry Cave
Flooding issues have plagued a section of the main route up to the Hikurangi, an ancestral maunga of Ngāti Porou.
Gisborne District Council is working with the iwi to look at solutions for the issue, which recently cut off access for non-4WD vehicles.
Council director of community lifelines Tim Barrysaid the flooding 16.5km up Tapuaeroa Rd is one of many “challenging” sites across Tairāwhiti’s road network.
“Increased rainfall and frequent storm damage have caused changes in our road, river and drainage structures and the waterways that surround them,” he said.
“At this specific site, the road has dropped, more water is coming down the hill slope, which then meets the river and inundates the road in heavy rainfall.”
The council is working to provide options for a solution to present back to the iwi, Barry said.
Drone imagery shows a section of Tapuaeroa Rd enveloped by the river. Photo / Murry Cave
Ngāti Porou has prioritised the site to be considered in the council’s central government-funded $36 million road recovery programme, which aims to fix issues on roads that provide access to vulnerable communities and sites of cultural significance.
Repairs would raise the road “to a safe level and improve drainage to manage water coming down from the hillside”, Barry said.
“If a preferred option is accepted by iwi and meets funding guidelines, we would hope to start on the repair in the next 12 months.”
In a statement, Trust Tairāwhiti regional destination manager Holly Hatzilamprou told the Gisborne Herald that Tapuaeroa Rd was critical for nearby communities and regional tourism.
“Repeated weather events, including significant damage from Cyclone Gabrielle, have disrupted access to Maunga Hikurangi and impacted the daily lives of valley residents,” she said.
“It underpins one of our region’s most sought-after visitor experiences, the Maunga Hikurangi guided tour, operated by Nati Growth.”
She said tourism can only thrive when built on the foundations of a strong community.
Barry said the GDC lacked the necessary funding to fix all of Gisborne’s roading issues.
A long-term strategy recently endorsed by the council meant less-used or lower-priority routes may receive reduced service, revert to gravel or be retired entirely.
