At a Central Otago District Council meeting, a report was tabled which showed the impact from the bad weather that hit most of the eastern part of the district early last month.
Dunedin experienced its heaviest ever rainfall in a day on October 4 and though Central Otago was not hit with rainfall to that level, it still received plenty of rain.
Some areas experienced a one-in-20 to one-in-30-year rain event while other areas were only hit by a one-in-five-year event.
Most of the damage was in Maniototo. Dansey’s Pass was hit with a cumulative rainfall peak of 131mm, which was just under a one-in-30-year rain event.
Rainfall in the Millers Flat, Teviot Valley and Roxburgh areas were more moderate and Beaumont Station recorded a one-in-five-year rain event.
The total cost to the council was $980,600.
Damage to roads in the Maniototo ward was significant and had created widespread demand for grading. There had been significant impact on draining assets.
The district had an old and vulnerable network of bridges, the report said. Several structures were damaged and repair work was being planned or under way.
The subsidy from the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) to fund unplanned bridge repairs on local roads was 17% less than budgeted after cost adjustments from NZTA.
Cr Tracy Paterson said there seemed to be an increase in these type of weather events.
NZTA had said earlier this year it would, from July 1 next year, change its funding for emergency repairs. It would fund emergency repairs only for one-in-20-year rain events as opposed to one-in-10-year rain events.
The council may have to fund more into the future and was up for 49% of repairs — $480,494 — this time around, with NZTA paying the rest.
After a lengthy debate the council decided to fund its share from its roading emergency works reserve account.
