Weather-hit Whangārei residents face months more road chaos at Helena Bay

The timeline to clear the large slip at Helena Bay hill has stretched out to about four months but officials say more time will be needed after then, to reinstate the road.

Whangārei Mayor Ken Couper said frustrated residents should know Whangārei District Council is focused on opening the road as soon as possible.

The slip on Russell Rd came down after heavy rain saturated the region on January 21.

With the road closed, about 800 houses in the Helena Bay, Ōakura, Teal Bay and Whangaruru areas face a drive of at least 90 minutes to Whangārei, on a road so treacherous, pilot vehicles are running seven days a week to help guide drivers.

Non-residents are encouraged to access the area through the Ōpua car ferry, a trip which takes about two and a half hours.

In an update on Tuesday, the council said the slip is considered very large, with around 110,000cu m of dirt, rocks and trees to remove.

This will take more than 15,000 truckloads to remove.

The council and contractors have estimated the slip removal will be finished in June, assuming clear access and fair weather.

But there is still a large unknown about the state of the road underneath the slip and the timeframe for reinstating the road is unclear.

“The time required to reinstate and reopen the road cannot be known until slip material has been cleared,” the council said.

The slip on Helena Bay hill has seen about 110,000cu m of dirt, rocks and trees fall on Russell Rd. Photo / Ngātiwai Trust Board

The council will continue to closely monitor the slip, and other historical slip sites, for movement and warning signs of further danger, it said in the update.

Couper accepted the latest news would be frustrating to residents.

“It’s frustrating for everybody, but there’s a desire to be realistic at the same time ... we have to treat the people out there with respect.”

The storm recovery is a long process but the council will keep working at fixing the road, he said.

“There’s frustrations, I’m sure, but the people should know the council is focused on it – it will happen.”

So far, the area has been well-serviced by contractors cleaning up other, more minor, road slips, Couper said.

The cost of fixing these is some millions, he said.

The exact cost of fixing the Helena Bay hill slip is unknown – estimated at more than $10 million – but Couper hoped central government would be able to help cover some of the cost.

But he warned ratepayers will also have to foot some of the recovery costs.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.