Road repairs across the Queenstown Lakes District, after last year’s rainstorms, will cost an estimated $1.92 million according to a report to the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) Property and Infrastructure Committee.
This cost will be discussed at its meeting today.
While there was no period of intense rain, persistant rainfall over a sustained length of time in September and October 2024 extensively damaged the road network across the Queenstown Lakes District.
It caused ground saturation, slips, and slumps on 14 key roads, disrupting travel and posing challenges to local infrastructure.
The report provided the estimated costs of completing the repairs and highlighted that the costs were an unbudgeted expense with a potential rating impact.
According to the Metconnect Queenstown Aerodrome Weather Station, rainfall totals for September and October 2024 were 203mm and 139mm, respectively.
These amounts are well above the historical averages for these months — 57mm in September and 58mm in October — and surpassed the previous record for September rainfall of 171mm set in 1970.
The scale of the damage surpassed typical maintenance budgets, which averaged around $755,000 annually over the past five years.
QLDC had only allocated $150,000 for "minor events" under its long-term plan, which has already been exhausted.
As a result, the council has sought additional funding from multiple sources, including the New Zealand Transport Agency’s National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) and potentially the landowner at 205 Chard Rd.
To help offset costs, QLDC officers have been exploring other funding sources, such as reallocating surplus funds from operational or capital budgets.
However, these opportunities have yet to be identified, and if no other funding is secured, the remainder of the repair costs will be an unbudgeted expense, potentially impacting local rates.
The damage is being managed as part of QLDC’s ongoing roading maintenance contract, with a focus on repairs to restore access and safety.
While the repair work is essential, there is no immediate plan to extend repairs beyond the initial response on roads like Kinloch and Von Rds.
Roads affected include key routes like Crown Range, Skippers, and Wanaka-Mount Aspiring Rds, with repairs to be prioritised on high-traffic roads.
The most expensive road repairs are on the Crown Range Rd with an estimated cost of $719,942.97 and the Kinloch River Rd $427,839.63.
The QLDC infrastructure committee will review progress on the repairs, with a focus on securing additional funding and finalising repair designs.
Residents, ratepayers, and visitors to the Queenstown Lakes District are advised to expect possible road closures and disruptions during repairs.
The costs of the storms are not included in the QLDC long-term plan or annual plan.
By Graham McKerracher
