Concerns over slip repair work

Pipiwai Rd was one of many Far North roads closed by slips triggered by winter storms. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The Government appears to be backing away from a pre-election pledge to cover at least 90 per cent of the repair bill for road damage inflicted by winter storms in the Far North.

The most destructive storms since 2007 left the district almost entirely cut off from the rest of the country, leading to shortages of fuel and basic food, and triggered 392 slips affecting local roads.

Then Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee was quick to reassure Far North residents they would not be burdened by the repair bill because, if the damage was severe enough, the Government would pick up more than 90 per cent of the cost through the NZ Transport Agency's emergency works fund. The 90-plus per cent figure was confirmed to the Advocate by Mr Brownlee's office.

However, the amount to be paid out for storm repairs now appears unlikely to reach $10 million, about 25 per cent of the sum the council says is needed to restore roads to their pre-storm condition.

That could mean Far North ratepayers, who already pay Northland's highest rates, have to pick up the rest of the tab, or - more likely - only the most urgent repairs will be carried out, leaving roads in a worse state than before the storms.

According to a report presented to Thursday's Far North District Council meeting in Kaikohe, the initial estimate for fixing storm-damaged Far North roads was $27,280,000 but that has since risen to close to $40 million.

So far NZTA has approved $5 million for slip repairs with $1.2m pending; $1.5m has been approved to cover the initial response.

An email from NZTA stated the council should not assume that reinstatement would be to the roads' original condition.

Instead the agency was taking a "risk-management approach" that shared the risks of not carrying out full repairs with the council.

Northland MP Mike Sabin said NZTA's response was not his understanding of the Government's commitment. He also expressed surprise that the council had not contacted him.

"I'll be following it up with the Minister and the NZTA," he said.

Mayor John Carter said he was in discussions with Government ministers. A spokesman for Mr Brownlee's office said he would not comment because he was no longer Minister of Transport, and referred questions to new Transport Minister Simon Bridges. Mr Bridges' office referred questions to NZTA, which could not be contacted on Friday.

Councillors instructed chief executive Colin Dale to write to NZTA seeking clarification of the storm damage subsidy, whether roads will be restored to pre-storm condition, and who will be liable if an unrepaired road causes an accident. They also instructed Mr Carter to take up the issue with central government.

The council report showed NZTA will cover only 50 per cent of the cost of repairing the 49 most serious slips, leaving a shortfall of about $5 million. It will pay just over a third of the cost of repairing the 92 next most serious slips. Claims for the remaining 251 slips have yet to be lodged.

NZTA pays for repairs to state highways from a separate fund so Northland ratepayers don't have to cover major slips on SH1 and SH14.