Eskdale: Why portable office cabins are being stored on a cyclone-hit property near Napier

The cabins in Eskdale alongside State Highway 5. Photo / Paul Taylor

A row of portable office cabins has popped up on a cyclone-hit Eskdale property next to State Highway 5 – piquing the curiosity of passing motorists.

A dozen portable cabins, or portacoms, have been moved to a site owned by KiwiRail near the closed Hukarere Girls’ College north of Napier.

They are being stored on the property after being offered up for use as site offices for the Transport Rebuild East Coast (Trec) alliance.

Trec was set up about a year ago to repair the region’s enormous road and rail damage after Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023.

The Trec alliance is a partnership between NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Waka Kotahi, KiwiRail, Downer, Fulton Hogan and Higgins.

“KiwiRail had made the office portacoms available for Trec use as site offices if needed for rebuild activities,” an NZTA spokesman said.

“Trec no longer requires these office portacoms.”

Some of the damage to the rail network near Eskdale, in the weeks after the February 2023 cyclone. Photo / Paul Taylor

The NZTA spokesman said KiwiRail would look at other opportunities for their use.

A KiwiRail spokesman said the land the cabins were being stored on was owned by KiwiRail.

“The portacoms are for site offices and are not currently in use. They are available for Trec to use if needed.”

The spokesman said no decision had been made on the future of the rail line between Napier and Wairoa, which was badly damaged and has been out of action since Cyclone Gabrielle.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.