SH3 cleanup
Another storm, another closure
Heavy rain resulted in more slips in the Awakino Gorge at the weekend resulting in the road being closed again.
As another 500 cubic metres of slip material was cleared from the plagued State Highway 3 road New Plymouth mayor Max Brough reiterated calls for a long term solution.
The Forgotten World Highway, SH 43, between Whangamōmona and Taumarunui was also closed on Saturday after several slips were reported. That road opened on Monday afternoon, and was down to one lane in some places.
Crews worked throughout the weekend to clear slip material and debris and repair other damage to the road.
The Awakino Gorge was under stop-go traffic management when this edition went to press.
Waitomo mayor John Robertson is on the same page as his New Plymouth counterpart and has argued for a bypass.
In his column in The News in May he said there was no transport link “more important to us in the King Country than State Highway 3”.
But the gorge had had slips for 100 years and would have for another 100 years.
He says the Crown could make Waitomo’s Taumatamaire Road into a two-lane, sealed bypass road to take traffic when the gorge closes.
Merger talks
Ōtorohanga and Waitomo District Councils will hold an extraordinary meeting on August 4 with an eye to adopting their combined amalgamation proposal. The meeting, scheduled outside the usual monthly meeting rotation, will give elected members from both councils the chance to sign off on the joint Head Start proposal, which advocates for the two councils joining together.
Deer issue
In the wake of an announcement that Sika have been declared a herd of special interest in New Zealand, a new Canterbury University paper has called for a deer management strategy and says their rising numbers are driving a slow often hidden decline in native forests.
Squad named
King Country Trailblazers rugby head coach Wayne Fraser has named a 35-women wider squad to play in their pre-season game against Central Bay of Plenty in Rotorua on Saturday. It will be followed by a second pre-season hit-out against Whanganui in Taumarunui, after which the squad will be trimmed. The Trailblazers kick-off their Northern Region campaign against Thames Valley in Taupō on August 15.
Shake and rattle
Aftershocks following Saturday morning’s magnitude 5.9 earthquake near Taumarunui – which was felt throughout Waipā – could continue for several months.
Jail for arson
A 23-year-old has been sentenced to three years eight months jail for setting fire to an Ōtorohanga and Waitomo Motels unit on Christmas Day 2024. Open Justice reporting said Curtis Milne was fuelled by methamphetamine and jealousy before setting fire to the motel room his partner and their baby were staying in. The repair bill was more than $117,000.
Road repairs
Repairs expected to take four weeks are being carried out to strengthen the road following an under slip on SH39 Ōtorohanga and Pirongia. Traffic will be managed under stop-go traffic control while repairs are underway. The site is just south of the temporary Mangati Bridge, which is also operating under one lane.
Rates call
Waitomo District Council has approved a 3.79 percent average rate rise. The rate matches that set by Waikato District Council. Neighbours Ōtorohanga went up 6.94 percent and Waipā increased 10.7 percent.
Correction
Out story last week about the new Waitomo Caves music director Daniela Benz contained a wrong name. The previous musical director for 15 year was Beth Dalton. Benz is the third person to hold post.
Stage call
Aria School is getting ready for its annual theatre production in mid-August. This year’s production is a musical comedy based on the Craig Hawes book Porridge, a murder mystery set in Happy Valley featuring Detective Sergeant Jack Spratt.
