River closed in gorge for now

A section of the Manawatu River is now too dangerous for users, because of the instability of the land above it.

Horizons Regional Council has closed the stretch of Manawatu River 200m either side of the Manawatu Gorge slip, until the land above is stable.

The closure follows discussions with the New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA) and has been put in place to ensure the safety of all river users.

Habourmaster Evan Lloyd said there was potential for debris dislodged by the earthworks to fall, putting commercial and recreational river users at risk.

"NZTA will take precautions to warn users and stop work if anyone does enter the danger zone, but it is important that people remain vigilant and stay away from the area until further notice," he said.

Engineers and geologists are continuing to assess the slip face and surrounding area, with work starting on benching down from the top, NZTA's state highways manager for Palmerston North David McGonigal said.

"The latest info we have is that the 'lip' at the top of the slip is still very unstable, which will affect how close our machines can get to it. Once in place, machines will begin to remove material from the top of the slip in 'benches', which are terraces that will create level stable areas from which machines and men can operate safely as they work to get on top of this slip."

River users will be advised when the section of river is reopened again.

Other parts of the catchment remain suitable for recreational and commercial use.

For more information visit the safe swim spots section of www.horizons.govt.nz