Ninety four per cent of the slips that occurred on local roads in the ‘north urban’ area of Auckland during the 2023 extreme weather events have now been repaired.
More than 2000 slips on local roads were reported to Auckland Transport during this time. Of these, 1200 smaller slips were fixed fairly quickly, but more than 800 bigger slips required extensive investigation to inform sustainable and resilient engineering design solutions.
In the ‘north urban’ area 114 significant slips needed repairing: 74 minor (less than $250,000 to repair) and 40 major (more than $250,000 to repair). By the end of June 2025, 72 minor slips and 35 major slips had been repaired with two under construction and three more to go.
“It’s been a big job but we’re almost there,” says Ian Bielawa, AT’s North Urban Flood Recovery Project Engineer, who arrived two years ago to work with a team of experienced engineers finding solutions to reinstate a long list of complex slip sites.
“Together we’ve tackled some fairly difficult repairs like Glenvar Road in Torbay as well as Paremoremo Road, Ridge Road, Hibiscus Coast Highway, Masterton Road and Duck Creek Road in Stillwater,” he said. “Repairs like these were one-off bespoke projects where we needed to come up with the best solution that delivered value for money and were fit-for-purpose. “Not everything has to be gold-plated. We've worked closely with our north urban contractor Fulton Hogan and their designers to nut out smart solutions to constraints and challenges. We engaged with utility companies, the community and other affected stakeholders during some long and arduous builds.
“I’m especially proud of the work we did to repair Twin Wharf Road on Herald Island. The road was closed for a long time and needed to be shifted. We worked with Auckland Council’s parks team, Vector, the local community and Upper Harbour Local Board, and together came up with a good result for everyone.”
Hibiscus & Bays Local Board area slips completed
All slips in the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board area are now complete.
“We’re incredibly grateful to all the contractors and crews who worked so hard to complete a number of complex repair projects across the Hibiscus and Bays area,” says Alexis Poppelbaum, Chair of the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board.
“The early completion of Glenvar Road was a standout achievement. It’s made a noticeable difference for the community and is hugely appreciated. “Thank you to everyone involved for your dedication and commitment.”
Five slip sites to go
The five remaining major North Urban slip sites are:
- Albany Heights Road, Albany Heights
- Bush Road, Albany (currently underway)
- Huka Road, Birkenhead
- Lanigan Street, Birkdale
- Twin Wharf Road, Herald Island (complete stairs component).
For the latest updates, visit the Auckland Transport website.
