New, large tranche of slip repairs begins

One of the slips on Dartmoor Rd

Fixing more than 30 major slips caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in rural Hastings continues, with a new contract marking another big step forward on the extensive road repairs needed. 

The next phase of major slip remediation has started along Glengarry, Puketītiri, and Dartmoor roads. The work is being done by three contracting companies simultaneously over the next eight to 13 months. 

Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said these repairs, alongside those already underway on Taihape Rd, will be a huge relief for residents. 

“Those regularly using these roads have been waiting for this rebuild to start for a long time. Such a massive tranche of works requires a great deal of design and engineering, and I’m very grateful to our impacted community for their patience while the preparation was done. 

“This will help our rural community reconnect – and relieve the stress caused by travel delays for our farmers and our people needing to get produce across the region, and into town for work and school.” 

The three contracts combined total about $23.5 million, with the timing of the remediation work made possible by $91 million in government funding allocated to Hawke’s Bay roading recovery in Budget 2024. 

The contractors, part of the dedicated supplier panel set up to address the 224 major slips across Hastings, are working under the global resource consent granted by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council. 

Tūpore Infrastructure is focused on Glengarry Rd, from SH5 to just before Puketītiri Rd, with the work expected to take around eight months to complete. 

Downer Group NZ is working on eight major slips along Puketītiri Rd, expected to take 13 months to repair. 

Hick Brothers Civil Construction is repairing the remaining major slips on Dartmoor Rd, expected to take about 12 months. 

Hastings’ Rural Community Board chair Isabelle Crawshaw said that having this work happening would give the rural community confidence that the roads would get back to normal. 

“Our rural roads are very fragile, and I know we have been on edge over winter knowing that even average amounts of rain might see more damage, and possibly cut people off again. 

“This is going to be a year of really slow travel in and out of our areas, but seeing progress give us confidence we will back to normal in the not-too-distant future.” 

All three roads need retaining structures and walls constructed, road surface improvements, and repairs to dropouts and drainage systems.

While most work would occur within the single-lane closures already in place, there would be stop/go traffic management, and some delays were expected. Contractors would be on-site Monday to Saturday, 7am to 6pm. 

At the same time, slip remediation along Taihape Road was progressing well. TW Civil and Infrastructure and their subcontractors are working on six of the 11 major slip sites, with 39 staff on site.

Despite the challenges of large excavations at five of the six sites, considerable progress has been made, with overall completion sitting at 30 per cent. 

Council urges drivers to exercise patience and follow the instructions of traffic controllers.

A recent theft of a battery unit from mobile traffic lights on Taihape Road caused significant safety risks, and the public is encouraged to report any traffic issues or suspicious behaviour to the council's 24/7 call centre on (06) 871 5000 or to the Police. 

Project updates will continue to be posted to the roading recovery webpages on council’s website and shared with the community via the relevant ward newsletters and through social media channels. 

1 November 2024

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