Damage to SH2 through the Waioweka Gorge, caused by Friday’s heavy rainfall, has to be seen to be believed, according to witnesses. NZTA says it will take weeks to repair. Photo \/ Joss Ruifrok<\/p>\n
\u201cI will be contacting the NZTA to get their side of this unique situation,\u201d Kirkpatrick told the Gisborne Herald. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere were a lot of people with insights into what happened and I want to hear from them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe speed with which it happened, the highway closed from one end and not the other \u2013 I\u2019m going to collate all of that information and will be part of the police debrief on it. <\/p>\n
\u201cHow you manage an event between two regions like Tair\u0101whiti and the Bay of Plenty is at the heart of the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Forty people trapped by floodwaters and slips in the gorge had to be rescued by helicopters \u2013 private and military.<\/p>\n
Kirkpatrick has also been part of arrangements being made to look after the welfare of people who remain affected in the gorge.<\/p>\n
Continued closure of the road for \u201cseveral weeks\u201d was impacting directly on three to four families at Wairata, 11 people at Oponae and four people at the Manganuku campsite who chose not to leave their vehicles, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cArrangements have been made with \u014cp\u014dtiki District Council to take the lead in the welfare space for the residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s being handled like a civil defence situation, ensuring regular contact and supplies of food and the like. We need to make sure the needs of those cut-off people continue to be met.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Tair\u0101whiti Mayor Rehette Stoltz said news that the highway will likely be closed for several weeks is \u201cincredibly frustrating\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will cause major disruption for Tair\u0101whiti. This is a lifeline route to the north for freight and essential supplies, access to health services, workers, visitors and wh\u0101nau connections.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detours would be long and costly, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe impacts will be felt every day this road remains closed, especially by freight operators, tourism businesses and small local operators who rely on that connection.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe understand this is a complex repair job, but our communities need urgency and clear communication. The council will continue to advocate strongly for a swift, well-resourced response to reopen the route safely as soon as possible … also for stronger long-term investment in resilience because we can\u2019t keep being knocked offline like this.<\/p>\n
\u201cSafety comes first, but our region also needs certainty and a route we can rely on.\u201d<\/p>\n
NZTA, in an update on Monday afternoon, said two significant slips had been declared safe for crews to enter.<\/p>\n
Crews on the Gisborne side had cleared several small slips, removing 25 truckloads of material, and had removed 42 truckloads so far from the largest slip they could access.<\/p>\n
About 30 truckloads of material had been removed from a major slip on the \u014cpotiki side.<\/p>\n