Whaingaroa may have got off lightly as Cyclone Gabrielle wreaked havoc and destruction across the North Island but local residents and businesses continue to feel the fallout from the loss of Raglan’s key link to the outside world.
And while the divvy’s closure has been particularly tough on commuters, bus services and commercial transport, Raglan Business Chamber chair Lisa James believes locals are “really lucky” to still have options – unlike many people in worse-hit regions.
Besides the official detour through Waingaro and Ngaruawahia “we have other roads potentially to use,” Lisa points out. And local businesses are still “intact”, she adds, with the likes of couriers and foodstuff suppliers going the extra distance without charging greater fees for the additional time and mileage.
Her own experience as co-owner of Orca Eatery & Bar is that food suppliers have been “amazing”, even putting on an extra run at a crucial time.
Sales generally about town are down as expected, Lisa says, but the local iHub still reports a steady stream of enquiries from out-of-town visitors, an indication people are keeping accommodation bookings despite the inconvenience of the divvy’s closure.
There’s possibly not the usual number of day-trippers, she adds, especially given the high levels of E.coli in the harbour. It really has been something of a “perfect storm”, she says.
Lisa was checking up earlier this week on Raglan’s small business owners, passing on tips and hints from both Waikato’s regional economic development agency and MBIE.
Officials are listening to concerns and offering the likes of tax relief for those affected, she says. “It’s really good to know we’re not forgotten.”
Meantime Waikato Regional Council – through its operator Go Bus – has been running a reduced number of buses between Raglan and Hamilton while the divvy is closed. The 5pm services have been cancelled and there are no Sunday buses.
Mark Tamura, the director of regional transport connections, says the diversion has added at least one hour each way and an extra 134km. Some sections of the diversion are narrow and winding, and include a couple of one-lane bridges.
He adds one of the factors in reducing services is driver hours, an issue “which is difficult to resolve in light of the well-known driver shortage”.
It was looking likely early this week that the roading issues may be largely resolved shortly anyway and that the divvy might reopen as early as next Tuesday, with Waka Kotahi posting on Monday that it was on target to have SH23 open by the end of this month.
“While our target date isn’t a firm opening date, we’re pulling out all stops to make this happen as a matter of urgency,” the transport agency said.
Waka Kotaki said the diversion “will give us the time we need to thoroughly assess the slip and plan for the long-term resilience of the route, while allowing for people to get back to using this vital state highway.”
Back in Raglan, meanwhile, repairs have been completed to a big slip which closed Cambrae Rd.
