Wellington contractors 'really, really tired' as slips continue to cause chaos

A slip on Tio Tio Rd. Photo / Georgina Campbell

With rain still falling in the capital, Wellington contractors are getting burnt out clearing all the slips that just keep coming.

Wellington City Council chief infrastructure officer Siobhan Proctor told NZME there are still several road closures from Tawa to the Terrace, and a large slip in Wilton has taken out a significant portion of the park.

The Wilton Park slip. Photo / Supplied

There have been eight evacuations so far, with a total of 19 people displaced, and some of the slips are still moving.

"There's a lot of work to do because we have to wait until they become stable, which means we need to wait for drier weather so it can dry out before geotechnical engineers can come in."

However, with more rain forecast the capital could be in for even more chaos.

Metservice meteorologist John Law said there has been 237mm of rain so far this month compared to the average of 134mm for August.

This comes after almost double the average amount of rain fell in July.

"It has been essentially a really wet winter," Law said

For crews clearing the slips, it's been tough going. Proctor says a number of crews have been switched out as the workload has been too much.

A slip in Breaker Bay. Photo / Georgina Campbell

"Our crews are getting really, really tired we've had to swap some crew out. We're working as quickly as possible but we're mindful of the health and safety of the people we have working."

"We're constantly reprioritising and diverting crews and that becomes difficult and taxing."

With more rain forecast for Thursday, Procter said she just hopes people can bare with the crews and be patient.

"I'd err on the side of caution and suggest some of these roads will be closed for some days yet – there will be disruption for the next week."