Connecting Tairāwhiti

Project update

1 July 2024

Tēnā koe,

Welcome back to Connecting Tairāwhiti, our e-newsletter that provides updates about our work across the Tairāwhiti state highway network.

Take care when driving following last week’s heavy rain and wind

Our thoughts are with those affected by the weather events last week. We are working hard to repair damage caused by the heavy rain and wind as quickly as possible but please take extra care while out on the roads.

State Highway 38 (SH38) between Frasertown and Lake Waikaremoana remains closed to general traffic, with access to one lane for emergency services and residents. Traffic management crews are at the closure points.

It’s important to remember that weather events  can have an emotional impact, particularly given the extreme weather our region has been through, so please take your time on the roads and drive to the conditions so that you, your whānau and others get to where you’re going safely. If you see a pothole, slow down and when it’s safe to do so, report it to 0800 4 HIGHWAYS.

For the latest state highway information, please check our Facebook page and Journey Planner, which will be updated with all major developments as we receive them.

For the status of local road conditions please follow Hastings District Council, Napier City Council, Gisborne District Council and Wairoa District Council on Facebook.

If you need flood related support or information, including welfare support, please visit the Tairāwhiti Civil Defence Emergency Management website page or Facebook page. 

For more info on the weather event please visit www.metservice.com/warnings

SH2 Mohaka Ascent slow vehicle bay now complete

If you’ve passed under the Mohaka Railway Viaduct recently you may have noticed the newly constructed 650-metre-long slow vehicle bay at Raupunga, part of the Connecting Tairāwhiti passing opportunities programme of works that is currently underway along parts of State Highway 2 (SH2) and State Highway 35 (SH35).

Roading crews initially began work on the southbound slow vehicle bay in September 2022, however it was brought to a halt following the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Crews arrived back onsite in November 2023 and while wet weather and cold temperatures caused challenges on site, works were successfully completed in March this year.

Thank you for your patience around road works while travelling along this stretch of road.

The newly constructed slow vehicle bay at Mohaka Ascent on SH2.

History uncovered

While clearing ground during construction of the new slow vehicle bay at Mohaka recently, contractors came across this 1937 monument, overgrown and partially hidden in the ground. Under the guidance of Ngati Pāhauwera kaumatua, this piece of history has been cleaned and reinstated proudly on a plinth just off the site.

The plinth reads:

Mohaka Viaduct
IPENZ recognises this engineering work as an important part of NZ’s engineering heritage, with a deck 95 metres above the river it is the highest rail viaduct in Australasia.

Work continues at Busby’s Hill

Works are well underway at SH35 Busby’s Hill, 1km south of Tokomaru Bay.

Work at Busby’s Hill includes three work programmes: resilience works, and construction of a northbound mobile phone layby and a southbound 850 metre passing lane.

The resilience piece started in January this year and is remedial work due to the ground movement. Crews are reconstructing the slope and building a retaining wall for future resilience and protection of the state highway.

Pavement works as part of the construction of the mobile phone layby and passing opportunity will start in spring with the programme expected to be completed by the end of 2024, weather dependant.

This work is another part of the Connecting Tairāwhiti programme.

Works underway at Busby’s Hill, SH35.

Recovery work continues for our TREC team

Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC), alongside local contractors, continues to undertake recovery work across the Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay state highway network, as well as managing day-to-day maintenance and operations requirements.

Budget 2024 confirmed approximately $250 million to complete the recovery works.

To date, locally owned and operated companies have completed over 80% of recovery work, and TREC has confirmed this local focus will continue.

With additional recovery funding confirmed, TREC can now plan ahead to ensure this work is delivered efficiently and effectively. TREC will continue to undertake recovery work alongside local contractors and you'll continue to see a significant number of worksites across the region.

To keep up with the latest TREC works you can subscribe to the e-newsletter.

Rebuild funding (which looks at delivering improved resilience) will be subject to future funding considerations. Potential rebuild projects will need to seek funding approval from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi through the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF).

For more information:

Budget 2024 State Highway recovery map - East Coast (nzta.govt.nz)

Community providers helping meet driver licensing demand

An initiative with Tairāwhiti community providers helping people get their driver’s licences will continue following a successful trial.

Rural communities, Pasifika people, ex-prisoners and people in the justice system are just some of the groups benefiting from the initiative. It involves NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) contracting Tairāwhiti Rural Education Activities Programme to provide Community Driver Testing Officers (testing officers) to community providers offering driver licensing programmes.

Cass Wise, Manager of Driver Testing and Training at NZTA, says four community providers, Matapuna Training Centre, Siaola Vahefonua Tonga Methodist Mission, Howard League and Atawhai Charitable Trust are taking part.

“The purpose is to offer an alternative testing officer capability to the current service model because we know there is a continued, high demand for the service," Cass says. 

The community providers support a wide range of needs. Matapuna helps clients referred by Work and Income NZ or Youth Services and self-referrals; Siaola offers support for Pasifika people, often with English as a second language; Howard League helps offenders and ex-prisoners reintegrate into communities; and Atawhai works with people in the justice system and youth courts.

"We've been operating the testing officer model for 2 years now, and have gained significant insights and learnings from a two-year trial which ends this month," Cass says.

"With testing officers onsite, providers can now continue their programmes end-to-end, as well as offer flexibility with practical test bookings, which reduces practical test wait times."

For Atawhai, the ability to reschedule at short notice is really important so having access to a testing officer is beneficial, and has reaped good results. "The first of Atawhai’s students sat their practical test in early April, with 4 out of 5 passing their test.”

Find out more about the trial at the Driver Licencing Stories page on our website (scroll to "Community trials in Tairāwhiti (Gisborne) and the Far North").

Keep up to date

Please check Journey Planner before travelling on our state highways and drive to the conditions.

Traffic updates: Tairāwhiti
Facebook: Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency - Hawke's Bay and Gisborne
Twitter: Waka Kotahi CNI
Journey Planner: Tairāwhiti
Phone: 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)
Highway access maps: Gisborne

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More information

In between newsletters, you can keep up with the latest news on the recovery in Tairāwhiti online at nzta.govt.nz. Find the latest updates on road closures, highway conditions, and progress on recovery all in one place.