‘Very blunt’ reality for transport committee

Funding is secure for replacing the Hikuwai No 1 Bridge which was swept away in Cyclone Gabrielle. This Bailey bridge temporary replacement was opened in June last year. But building a case for long-term funding for “big rebuild work” for the district’s state highway network is ongoing, the Regional Transport Committee has been told. Picture by Liam Clayton

Recovery work on the cyclone ravaged State Highways 2 and 35 is “ongoing”, but long-term funding has not been secured.

That was the self-described “very blunt” response of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi director of regional relations (central NZ) Linda Stewart to a query from Gisborne district councillor Rob Telfer.

She was speaking at a Regional Transport Committee meeting.

“We have the money that we have at the moment for response recovery and maintenance work.”

Work was being done on a business case to secure funding for “the big rebuild work”.

“We are acutely aware of pressure on local businesses, not just to retain existing staff but to scale up to take advantage when the work comes online.”

The Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) Alliance was concentrating on detailed business case work on the highest risk and priority areas on both highways.

That work would “hopefully attract and secure funding from the Crown for this region.”

Ms Stewart said cyclone recovery work was about securing assets and restoring them to two lanes as rapidly and safely as possible until long-term resilience work could begin.

Last year 99 sites had been remedied with the work including clearing slips, drainage repairs, stabilisation and protection, river and road edge scouring, road surface repairs and replacement, and guard rail/barrier replacement,

There were still another 193 sites requiring similar work on State Highway 35, and 71 on State Highway 2.

Ms Stewart said investigations were beginning into permanently replacing Hikuwai Bridge No.1 and No. 2.

That work had cyclone funding.

The summer maintenance and operations programme was on schedule.

The weather had been forgiving “so far”.