Howard Road slip
Following temporary works to stabilise the slip site on Howard Road earlier this year, we've now completed the design of the permanent solution which will involve the construction of a reinforced concrete wall at the site. Works start on Monday 9 October 2023 for approximately six weeks (weather depending).
Road/pedestrian impacts
During the works, there will be:
- limited pedestrian access (no vehicle access) between 7.30-9am and 3-4pm on weekdays
- no pedestrian or vehicle access from 9am-3pm on weekdays
- construction and drilling noise and vibrations.
These will affect households above 76 Howard Road and residents on Ngaumatau Road. The closure is necessary due to the narrow road not being able to accommodate works and access at the same time. It will ensure both our crew and residents are kept safe while the works are taking place.
We apologise in advance for these disruptions but are committed to getting this project completed as quickly as possible.
Residents' meeting
We'll be attending a meeting held by the Point Howard Residents' Association for impacted residents:
- on Tuesday 26 September
- at Point Howard Tennis Pavilion (1a Ngaumatau Road, Point Howard)
- from 7pm.
This will be an opportunity to share more details with residents who are affected by the works and answer any questions.
Wellington Water works
Wellington Water will also be carrying out works in the area to replace the water mains. We'll provide further information about timing and impacts of these works once the details are confirmed.
Vehicle restrictions
- There are vehicle restrictions in place with a maximum vehicle weight of 3.5 tonnes and maximum width of 2.5 metres. Trailers can be towed provided they're also under 2.5m wide and that the total weight of the vehicle/trailer does not exceed 3.5 tonnes. Please note: only lightweight vehicles such as cars, vans, utes, SUVs and 4WDs are able to access the road above the slip site.
- All vehicles must be driven past the slip site at a maximum of 10km/h and utes, SUVs and 4WDs cannot carry additional heavy loads.
For residents above the slip site, there are large 660L bins located outside 59 Howard Rd for shared use that are collected twice each week as follows:
- Rubbish: Mondays and Fridays
- Recycling: Tuesdays and Fridays.
These bins are not for use by the wider public. We ask people to please be understanding that residents impacted by the slip need this service.
Residents should continue to bring their blue crates for glass recycling to the collection point on their usual fortnightly collection day.
Wellington Water and Hutt City Council released a joint review on the Howard Road slip in late-March 2023. The review examined what happened in the weeks and months leading up to the slip and found that:
- residents provided accurate and timely information about the status of the leak at Point Howard
- the engineering report, that provided an initial geotechnical assessment of the site after the slip, considered that the landslide likely resulted from a combination of a leaking water pipe and rainfall at the time
- there was an inconsistency in the flow of customer information between Wellington Water and Hutt City Council which impeded the timely escalation and prioritisation of the leak repair.
The review also made recommendations which both organisations are committed to implementing.
The review can be found by clicking on this link.
A large slip occurred on 14 March 2023 on Howard Road, Point Howard, resulting in 165 houses losing access to power, water and gas. The road was closed and the HCC Emergency Operations Centre was stood up to deal with the response.
Power and gas services were quickly restored and the road was opened (but down to one lane past the slip site) once emergency response works were carried out.