It’s nearly eight months since the region was hit by the first of two devastating storms that caused widespread damage and disrupted so many people’s lives.
While for some residents those dark wet weeks in the middle of winter are a fading memory, for others across Tasman District there are still daily reminders of nature’s fury.
We are still doing a lot of work in many places.
The largest amount of work is in our rivers, and we’re going to have crews working full-time in the river network for the next 18 months to two years. That work includes rebuilding and re-forming stopbanks and adding protection where we can, starting in the highest risk areas.
We’re also gearing up for a big willow planting project this winter, which will assist with retaining riverbanks.
Our roading network also took a hammering in the storms, and we’re about to start on some big projects. A lot of assessments have been done, and geotechnical work has been completed, so we’re ready to launch some of the big projects like the Mārahau Hill and Motueka River West Bank Road.
Storm waste is another issue we’re still dealing with, which includes silt and all sorts of complex waste like woody waste, bits of trees, plastic, wire and fencing. We’re trying to recover and reuse what we can instead of sending it to landfill.
... And finally, we’re using the lessons and knowledge gained from these storms to plan and prepare for dealing with future flooding emergencies.