On SH2, work continues on the Hakanui Straight flood resilience project.
“Drivers can expect stop/go traffic management and reduced speed limits at various locations on both highways while work is underway,” he said.
“At some sites, drivers may experience delays of 5–10 minutes.
“Around 90% of the recovery work is now complete, with a busy six months ahead as crews aim to finish most of the remaining repairs by mid‑2026.
“None of this work to improve the resilience of our state highways can happen without the support of drivers, so we’re grateful for the support and patience of everyone using the road.”
Vegetation fire at Rere
Firefighters have praised the actions of four farm workers who tackled a vegetation fire at Rere on Wednesday night, stopping it from reaching a nearby established pine forest.
Fire and Emergency NZ sent crews to the scene on the Wharekopae Rd at around 6.30pm.
“A branch had fallen from a tree onto powerlines, causing them to arc,” a senior firefighter said.
“Sparks set fire to vegetation underneath, and it spread from there towards the pine plantation.
“Fortunately, a group of four farm workers saw what was happening, grabbed shovels and other hand tools and managed to contain the fire.
“They probably stopped it from getting into the pines.“
When the fire crews arrived, they tackled what was left of the fire with their hoses and dampened down the remains.
They were at the scene for more than two hours.
“Those farm workers did a really good job.”
Water restrictions at Level 2
A Level 2 water restriction came into force this week in Gisborne.
It means sprinkler systems are only permitted between 6am and 8am and residents are asked to keep hand-held hosing to a minimum and conserve water at all times.
Water alert levels apply to all users connected to Gisborne city’s water supply.
