'Like porridge slipping off hill': Massive repair bill for Tasman
The clean-up has been continuing in the waterlogged district at the top of the South Island following a month of historic rainfall, culminating in last week's destructive storm that has caused widespread damage.
The costs have already been swelling, with up to $500,000 absorbed daily on fixing the local roading network.
The state of emergency is expected to be lifted tomorrow ahead of a one-month recovery transition period.
The council's community infrastructure and group recovery manager Richard Kirby told RNZ's Morning Report programme today the district 's infrastructure was facing a repair bill of "between $20 to 25 million" and about 40 roads remain shut.
"Up to 200 people, about 15 heavy machines and trucks, all over the district opening roads," he said.
"Hopefully we'll have them open in the next couple of weeks."
The most arduous obstacle for council contractors was the type of material they had to shift, particularly in the Motueka Valley.
"It's just like porridge slipping off the hills. As soon as they push it more comes down," Kirby said.
"That's an ongoing challenge. It's all on at the moment."
There were further challenges underneath slips where roads had been washed out and bridge approaches, Kirby said.
In Kaiteriteri, a geotechnical assessment was needed to ensure a slip could be stabilised and the damaged road beneath reinstated.
Kirby said the busier roads presented the biggest challenges, compared to the quieter back-country roads.
He later told RNZ that the annual budget would likely be all gone by next month.
Earlier on Morning Report , he said the council would be requesting financial assistance from the New Zealand Transport Agency/Waka Kotahi.
"We'll be making a bid to NZTA and seeing if we can get some extra subsidy.
"Although we're opening roads, we still have to go back and do permanent repairs. That'll probably take 18 months or even two years to complete."
The council said a critical stopbank in the Motueka Valley had "held up really" well following government-funded upgrades.
Some erosion of stopbanks had occurred in Tapawera area on the Motueka and Motupiko rivers.
"The river teams are up there just to see what urgent areas need repaired in the event we have another rainfall," Kirby said.
"They're prioritising what work they need to do to get some resilience into those riverbanks." Produce prices tipped to spike
A fruit and vegetable delivery company is warning of a spike to the cost of vegetables around the country following the destructive weather.
Produce prices would sharply increase in the coming months due to the knock-on effects of widespread flooding, particularly in the Tasman district.
Angus Simms, the co-founder of fruit and vegetable rescue company Wonky Box, told Morning Report the effects would not be felt for another two to three months.
After a string of bad weather in recent weeks across the top of the South Island, growers have reported a delay in planting, he said.
"The immediate effects we haven't necessarily seen. Growers have been able to get into fields, they've been able to harvest. They've been able to make that work.
"Whereas actual planting delays will be happening here which is going to have an ongoing effect later on down the line."
Simms said the shortage would be likely be seen with green vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli, and less so with root vegetables.
Produce had begun to "steady out" at a retail level following Cyclone Gabrielle, which devastated parts of the North Island in February 2023.
"What we're seeing in the green space already is greens are slowing and values are coming back for growers," Simms said.
Fruit production is considered a jewel in the Tasman district's local economy and a major export industry.
Harvesting of fruit products including apples and pears finished a few months ago, Simms said.
"Anything that's already been picked and harvested has been stored," he said.
"The products that have been stored tend to be safe."
Some fruit growers were facing repairs of their infrastructure ahead of next season, he said.
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