Heavy rain has caused a slip on State Highway 1 near the Brynderwyn Hills in Northland.
Heavy rain has caused a slip on State Highway 1 near the Brynderwyn Hills in Northland.
Motorists heading south after the long weekend are being advised to take extra care after a slip fell on State Highway 1 near Brynderwyn Hill.
The main road between Northland and Auckland was impacted by a slip on Sunday evening, after the region was battered by ex-tropical Cyclone Tam.
A vehicle was hit by falling debris about 4.25pm but the driver, the sole occupant, was left shaken but unhurt, police said in a statement.
A witness to the landslip told the NZME “one driver was lucky to get through” and their “bumper was ripped off” by tumbling rocks.
The slip, just south of Brynderwyn Hills, closed the southbound lane for a time on Sunday but the road is now opened in both lanes, with some speed restrictions today - a key travelling day for Easter visitors.
Northland MP Grant McCallum visited the site on Monday morning and said the slip is cleared, although there is still some unstable material above the road.
“It’s a 50km/h speed and there’s a contractor on site keeping an eye on it.”
McCullum said those repairs performed “pretty well” in the extreme weather brought by Cyclone Tam, with benches capturing most of the slip material before it fell onto the road.
Benches on State Highway 1 near the Brynderwyn Hills helped catch debris before it fell on the road.
The benches performed as designed but there was just too much slip material for them to handle, he said.
Rain has been falling in the area since Wednesday, with Northland Regional Council’s rain gauge recording 129mm of rain in the Brynderwyns over the last seven days.
McCallum said the latest slip is a reminder of the need to find a replacement for the route.
“This just emphasises the importance of finding a solution for the Brynderwyns; not that Northlanders needed any reminding.”
The coalition Government is looking at replacing SH1 between Te Hana and Whangārei, with an announcement about the preferred route being “imminent”, he said.
Whangārei mayor Vince Cocurullo agreed work done last year on the Brynderwyn Hills was not wasted as it has improved the road.
State Highway 1 is now open at the Brynderwyn Hills. Photo / NZME
However, the work was always temporary and the route needs a permanent, four-lane replacement.
Overall, Whangārei district came out of the cyclone relatively unscathed, with damage to local roads being most minor, Cocurullo said.
Nearly 70 homes and businesses in the Far North are still without power, with most rolling into their fifth day without electricity.
Top Energy is reporting nine different outages across its Far North network on Monday morning, with many of these impacting either single properties or several properties.
However, 31 customers in Wekaweka Rd, Waimamaku, and 25 on Manawaora Rd, Bay of Islands, are still impacted. These faults are expected to be repaired by 5pm today and 6.30pm tomorrow, respectively.
Top Energy posted on social media last night that it is doing everything it can to reconnect remaining customers as soon as possible, but crews are now battling fatigue.
“Our teams have worked tirelessly through challenging conditions over the Easter weekend and the strain in starting to show ...
“We understand how difficult and distressing this is, and we want to sincerely thank the community for your ongoing patience.”
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.
