While many slips and washouts had been cleared and repaired, the extent of damage across the wider city meant there was still considerable work to be done, council roading maintenance engineer Peter Standring said yesterday. The council was discussing long-term solutions with residents in Brown St, after the collapse of a large concrete retaining wall.
The worst slip occurred about 100m from the intersection of Upper Junction Rd and Blanket Bay Rd, near Sawyers Bay, where about 30m of road was lost, leaving a 30m scarp on the lower side of Upper Junction Rd, with a 20m drop.
A geo-technical study of the area had been completed, Mr Standring said.
''The DCC is now negotiating with residents as to the best options for repairing the road. It will be at least a couple of months before the affected part of the road is restored and reopened.''
The wet weather also created multiple slips around Turnbulls Bay on the Otago Peninsula and a geo-technical assessment of the area was being carried out.
''Any repair work will need to take into account future planned capital works in the area, which centre on the ongoing widening of Portobello Rd,'' Mr Standring said.
A large landslip on the peninsula on Harington Point Rd, just south of Weir Rd, was also being monitored.
The peninsula was particularly susceptible to slips caused by heavy rain, he said. ''There's a lot of volcanic area on the peninsula and a lot of loose material which makes it prone to slipping. We're on a hiding to nothing there, really.''
Roading-related damage caused by the June storms cost $980,000, of which the DCC will contribute $430,000. The ongoing work was expected to cost $1 million in the current financial year, of which the DCC would contribute about $450,000.
