Where to from here for Central Hawke's Bay's ravaged roading network?

This slipon Wimbledon Rd, Central Hawke's Bay, is undercutting the road by more than half a metre. The northbound lane has been closed until substantive engineering repairs can be made.

After torrential rain over the past two weeks on top of our already sodden hillsides, the number of slips across Central Hawke's Bay has grown to more than 55, roads have closed or been reduced to one lane, and potholes have multiplied as fast as they were filled in.

The council roading crew responded to and repaired 458 potholes over the past week alone.

Alongside the obvious and growing roading damage, our key priority has been keeping our residents in touch and looked after, particularly those on rural roads at risk of closure.

Our community network liaison people swung into action alongside emergency services to work with people who could end up isolated.

When our chief executive Doug Tate rang round residents on one of these roads he was greeted with support and good humour. When any of our councillors or I turned up on doorsteps, on the phone or online, we were welcomed, and valuable local knowledge was freely shared.

This has been the typical response to our roading crew, to our reception staff, and after every social media update.

So, first, I'd like to thank our community. Despite considerable inconvenience, you took a typically practical approach and responded patiently. Thank you.

Rain will fall, and asphalt will always be vulnerable to moisture, so like every local council we will always have to contend with roading damage. That's why our crew are out there every day, circling the network and making repairs as they go.

But what we are seeing now is something a bit more than just annoying rain. After weeks of torrential rainfall, wind and even earthquakes, there's roading damage on a scale we've rarely seen out there, and it's getting worse — as everyone who lives in Central Hawke's Bay and travels our roads knows.

It is likely to have been more than 50 years since we have seen conditions like this.

We've been left with a massive amount of roading damage and a huge bill for repairs — up to $40million at first estimate.

And it's not over.

Much of the rain that came down over the past two weeks remains with us. Underneath the sodden ground, underneath the slips and asphalt and roadside banks, water has seeped and collected, weighing down and destabilising subsoil, weakening roads and eroding banks.

Over the next few days and weeks, the damage caused by that water and any more rain that falls will be seen in new slips and slumps, potholes and scouring.

At last week's council meeting, council urgently considered how it will fund the enormous clean-up and repair job ahead.

As some damage to our roads simply can't wait, council approved immediate release of $500,000 from council's Catastrophic Events Fund so the team can get started on the most urgent and high-risk repairs.

Council also resolved to proceed with a formal application to Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency for the rest of the funding required. A response from Waka Kotahi is expected by November at the latest.

Pending this response, council is planning for the large and challenging project ahead.

We know delays and damaged roads are frustrating and inconvenient for everyone running a business, getting the kids to school, going to work, or simply driving home.

We all want a more reliable network so we can be sure we'll get to where we need to go safely.

We're acutely aware that this work won't succeed without acknowledgement that it's not just about roads; it's about ensuring social and economic resilience for Central Hawke's Bay, and making sure our people, businesses, and rural economy are all at the centre of everything we do.

That's why we're planning for a full roading recovery project, funded to deliver a repaired and reliable roading network, led by a dedicated, resourced team, and, as always, committed to regularly updating our community.

In the short-term — we've got this.

But what continues to play on my mind, more than ever, is the long-term picture — how climate change projections will impact our rural community resilience. How we adapt, how we prioritise and how we fund.

These are vital questions to be answered. To build long-term resilience, we are going to have to think a bit differently.