A $35.9 million funding package from Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency will provide a much-needed kick-start to the process of repairing Central Hawke’s Bay’s roading network.

Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Alex Walker says today’s announcement is welcome news as recovery planning for the district begins following the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.

“In the immediate aftermath, the focus was on re-establishing access to as many routes as possible, largely through temporary repairs. This week, we were pleased to reconnect our last isolated community with the opening of a temporary crossing at Douglas Cutting Bridge to Wakarara residents.

“While this is a fantastic milestone and there has been an incredible amount of work to get us to this point, we cannot underestimate the extent of the damage and the task ahead.”

More than a month on from Cyclone Gabrielle, 10 roads remain closed, and many that have been re-opened require further major repairs so restrictions can be lifted. Eight bridges are still closed, while 12 have undergone significant repairs to make them passable, and a total of 69 need more work to restore them to pre-storm condition.

A temporary bridge at Douglas Cutting.

The Waka Kotahi funding would be used to ensure temporary access for all communities was secure and to help build more resilience back into the roading network ahead of winter.

“This will involve revisiting and bolstering temporary repairs, retaining large slips and increasing weight limits for key roads and bridges,” said Walker.

Once this work is complete in June, the district will still need major investment across its roading network to ensure Tamatea Central Hawke’s Bay has a roading network that its communities can rely on.

 “Initial estimates to repair damage from Cyclone Gabrielle suggest we need around $100m in total, around $65m on top of the funding we have just received. This does not include existing damage to the roads from 2022, which will cost around $50m to repair.

“We simply aren’t going to be able to shoulder these costs in the long-term alone. We are doing all we can as quickly as we can, but there will be years, not months, of work ahead of us. We thank the community for their ongoing patience and support. We will need to work across all levels of community and government to ensure we have a roading network that supports our region to thrive once again.”