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Hopes that work on a permanent solution for a hazardous recurring slip on SH16 at Makarau would start this year have been dashed by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
The agency told Rodney Local Board in July last year that repairs to the bumpy, speed-restricted section of the west coast highway, just south of Omeru Scenic Reserve, should start by mid-2025.
However, in a memorandum to update board members last month, NZTA said that following investigations, construction would not start until sometime next year, and that was subject to funding.
“Our preferred option is embankment drainage and enhanced monitoring in the shorter term and full displacement piling in the longer term,” board members were told – the exact same course of action NZTA put forward a year ago.
Last month’s memo said NZTA was now recommending that the initial activities took place in the current National Land Transport Funding period that runs until 2027 “given affordability challenges and an economic analysis”, with any piling done later than that, though with the rider “if and when the longer-term works are needed and viable”.
NZTA said preliminary design work for stormwater interventions to improve drainage was underway, which would be followed by detailed design work in November and construction “sometime next year”, pending funding.
“Once the drainage interventions are constructed, we will continue to monitor the landslip,” they said.
The SH16 slumps and cracks are being caused by a 150-metre underslip just north of Basil Orr Road that is thought to be at least 20 metres deep and still moving by up to 250mm a year. Although the subsidence is marked with signage, road cones and a 50km/h speed restriction, residents and board members say there have been several road accidents in the area over the years, some of which have been serious.
“This location had a fatality in November 2023. Let’s hope there’s no more DSI (deaths and serious injury) crashes while NZTA decides to fund a permanent repair or not,” local board member Geoff Upson said.
Steven Law’s property adjoins the affected stretch of highway and he has been lobbying for the slip to be repaired properly for many years.
Although he was pleased a year ago that a fix seemed at last to be imminent, he said last week that the lack of progress since was “the same old, same old”.
“I have seen that memo, but it’s funny as neither my neighbour nor myself have been communicated with by NZTA, even though my property is mentioned,” he said.
Law said he had 81mm of rain on July 29, causing the road to drop again and the surface to crack.
“They were notified on Friday (August 1), but no response or action has been taken yet,” he said on August 4.
Law added that he thought the current 50km/h restriction through the slip area should be dropped to 30km/h for safety reasons.
