Whangārei storm recovery costs hit $16m as Helena Bay slip work continues
Whangārei District Council is “burning money” in its recovery from the January severe weather events, with $16 million spent so far.
Mayor Ken Couper told a meeting in storm‑hit Ōakura the council would get some government funding but its share was unbudgeted.
The costs included work on a 110,000cu m slip at Helena Bay hill, a safety pilot system on alternative route Kaiikanui Rd, the clean-up of multiple other smaller slips and fixing infrastructure such as damaged drains.
Despite the high costs, Couper told about 100 people at the meeting they had done a good job of helping each other.
“I totally understand that you guys have had to cope with more than your fair share of natural disasters this summer,” he said.
More bad weather and a state of emergency last week meant the meeting had to be postponed from last Thursday but Ōakura was spared a repeat of the January slips and widespread flooding.
The meeting heard how the Helena Bay slip, which closed Russell Rd until at least June, was 25% cleared.
Nine heavy duty dump trucks were clearing the slip, with contractors working 11 days a fortnight as weather allowed, said project lead Curt Martin from Censeo Consulting.
Huge boulders in the slip had to be blasted so they could be handled but the rocks would become a valuable resource, he said.
Work on the road surface, once the slip had been cleared, would need to be done in spring when the weather was warmer but Martin expected cars would still be able to get through.
Council maintenance lead Tim Ward said the council was still looking for sites on the Ōakura side of the slip to deposit slip material.
It was working as fast as possible on clearing remaining slips in the area, with Kaiikanui Rd needing to close for roadworks, likely on a Sunday, he said.
Security cameras had been installed to catch red-light runners on the lights-managed road, Ward said.
Drainage and sewage gets residents riled up
While people at the meeting were interested in the roading and slip updates, talk of drains and sewage got the most passionate response.
Attendees asked the council what it was doing to maintain stormwater drains, road drains and the creek at Ōakura to help floodwaters escape.
Martin said one damaged stormwater drain in the middle of Ōakura Beach would be replaced with the same 450mm pipe.
Homeowners thought that would not be big enough to take away the floodwater.
Martin conceded there were larger stormwater issues in the bay, which would only get worse with sea level rise and climate change.
“There’s always going to be a risk of flooding there ... At some point, we’ve got to make some tough decisions – defend or retreat.”
This stark choice was not accepted by residents, who said stormwater pooling was the main cause of flooding.
Some residents asked the council to take a harder line on septic tanks that were failing when inundated with floodwater, contaminating the beach with sewage.
Martin said septic tanks and the council’s wastewater system failed in January because of the intense heavy rain.
But council staff agreed to look closer at septic tanks, as well as work with Northland Regional Council to ensure sewage warning signs on the beach were up to date.
Ōakura hall repair work progressing
After the meeting, Ōakura Community Hall representatives said they hoped to get the hall repaired and open in time for Anzac Day.
The hall was inundated by a slip on January 18 but a geological assessment found further slips were unlikely.
It was on land managed by the Department of Conservation and spokesman Nick Fowler said he hoped funding to remove material outside the hall would be approved soon.
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.