Some structures damaged in floods before Covid-19 arrived in 2020 are still not fixed.
An approach to simply replace ‘‘like with like’’ was also questioned as staff continue to comb areas for storm damage.
Monday's wild winds did not appear to do too much damage to Department of Conservation assets and structures throughout the South. But there had been some damage caused by the rain which hit late last month.
Doc staff had been out assessing structures and tracks following last month’s storm event which triggered a state of emergency in Gore district.
Doc southern South Island operations director Aaron Fleming said so far reports for the major tracks were looking positive, but some local tracks remain closed.
‘‘Now the weather has cleared, the cleanup begins. Our staff have been working hard to get out across the region to check for damage and ensure our structures are safe.
‘‘The major impacts on many of the tracks appears to be windfall - trees and other debris covering tracks - and erosion from floodwaters,’’ he said.
‘‘This means people will need to take extra care when out exploring, but for the most part, many tracks are open.’’
Where damage is more significant, such as large washouts, or bridges down. Doc had closed some tracks until repairs or remediation can take place, Mr Fleming said.
They include the Lake Sylvan Track near Glenorchy and the Mt Crichton Loop near Queenstown.
Dore Pass carpark and Mackay Creek Campground on the Milford Road (State Highway 94)are closed due to washouts, and Freeman Burn Hut in Fiordland is closed due to the risks posed by a dam which has formed upstream of the hut.
With significant weather events becoming more frequent due to the impacts of climate change, Doc was looking at ways to build resilience across its network of infrastructure, Mr Fleming said.
‘‘Repairing and replacing assets takes time and resources. The February 2020 storm caused significant damage to tracks, huts and bridges across Otago and Fiordland that were important to local communities, recreational users and tourism operators alike.
‘‘We’ve made excellent progress with those repairs, with the majority reopened but still have work almost four years later.
‘‘We need to ensure our assets such as tracks, bridges and huts are resilient to the impacts of climate change, and this means it’s not always about simply replacing like for like.
‘‘We need to think differently and plan ahead.’’
- Staff reporter
