We continue to follow the long road to our new normal, following the back-to-back weather events that tore through parts of Tasman District in June and July. Five months after the devastating floods that wrought havoc in parts of our District, the clean-up continues.
More than 50 tonnes of rubbish and debris that were left behind by the raging flood waters along the banks of the Motueka Valley have been cleared in a mammoth effort by our contractor Nelmac Kūmānu.
But it hasn’t been an easy task for them. Operational challenges thoroughly tested the team’s planning, logistics, and risk management capabilities.
Crews encountered a range of hazards, including hanging trees, tensioned logs, and concealed debris. The expertise of their arborists and machinery operators has been essential in assessing and
safely mitigating these risks, allowing them to do the work efficiently and without incident.
The other big issue we’ve faced is dealing with large quantities of silt which was washed on land during the floods.
We established a temporary silt transfer station next to the Riwaka football grounds, where an estimated 6-thousand tonnes were stockpiled, then moved on to various locations.
Many people don’t realise that, in controlled quantities, most of that silt is quite fertile and usable, and that’s why some growers and farmers have allowed it to be spread on their pastures.
The rugby ground car park used for the transfer station has been restored to its former glory in time for the upcoming summer sports season.