3 Mar 2023

Karekare possibly inaccessible to public for more than a year

From Checkpoint, 5:12 pm on 3 March 2023

More than 30 Auckland roads are still closed following back to back to extreme weather events including the anniversary weekend floods and Cyclone Gabrielle.

That's down from a peak of 120 roads closed and thirteen hundred slips around the region.

The isolated beach settlement of Karekare is still cut off after significant landslides that saw houses swept away and the power off for days.

Other west Auckland roads have suffered significant damage - with almost all waiting on geotech assessments.

AT chief engineer Murray Burt talks to Lisa Owen. 

Some West Coast beaches like Karekare may not be accessible to the public for more than a year. 

Burt told Checkpoint they're urging the general public to stay away from the beaches of Karekare, Piha and Muriwai, as roads are still delicate. 

"It could be more than a year before we get things back to the way that they were," on roads like Lone Kauri Rd at Karekare, Burt said.

There will be single lane access on damaged roads for Karekare residents in about two weeks. 

The slip on Scenic Drive named 'Elevation Slip' has been reopened to a single lane for light traffic - which will help the Piha community.