Paradise Valley Rd residents will have to wait at least three more months for their road to be repaired, but one major tourism operator says the work - expected to cost around $1.2 million - needs to start now.
Two major weather events in March and April caused large slips on the road, cut access to farms and residences, leaving parts of the road down to one lane.
The Rotorua Lakes Council says tenders for the work will be sought next month, but the road won't be fully re-opened for at least another three to four months.
Paradise Valley Springs Wildlife Park owner Stuart Hamlett said he had been patient but was concerned the work would not be finished in time for the busy tourism season.
Damage caused to Paradise Valley Rd after flooding in March and April. Photo/Stephen Parker
"I don't want to sound ungrateful, we are actually very lucky to still have a road, but three or four months ago we were told it would be three or four months before it would be fixed.
"That time is up and now we're told it will be another three or four months... things need to start happening now.
"We have been patient, but we also realise the size and scale of the damage. My other concern is that if we have another big flood it won't be a one lane road, it will be a no lane road.
Damage caused to Paradise Valley Rd after flooding in March and April. Photo/Stephen Parker
"It's time for them to get moving because in three to four months we will be in the middle of the summer tourism season and it will be chaos," Mr Hamlett said.
Rotorua Lakes Council Rural Community Board member and Paradise Valley Rd resident Bob Martin said he felt the council was doing its best to apply for and find funding for the repairs.
"The [Bay of Plenty] Regional Council has just come on board and joined the discussion, but what has unnerved me is they haven't made any provision to prevent flash flooding if this sort of thing happens again," Mr Martin said.
"They [the regional council] need to be proactive about this, they can't control the weather, but it's urgent to get this road open again as it's also the only road on that side of the lake back into Rotorua if Fairy Springs Rd is closed for whatever reason and it will get a lot busier when tourists start to come back in greater numbers over summer."
Rotorua Lakes Council infrastructure manager Stavros Michael said substantial work would be required to fix the road with work expected to start in the next week on reinstating the roadside embankment opposite Paradise Valley Springs.
"Four other sites will require retaining slopes, two sites require drainage upgrades and another site requires road alignment," he said.
"These works will be going out for tender in about a month ... the road is not expected to be fully open for another three or four months.
"We estimate the full package of works required will cost about $1.2m, but we won't know exactly until we have gone through the tendering process."
Mr Michael said both councils had been working with affected property owners and "continue to do so, to assist them in making a decision on the type of permanent structures they wish to install to reinstate their private access, and progress has been made".
Bay of Plenty Regional Council integrated catchments general manager, Chris Ingle, said the regional council "have been liaising with the landowners since the weather event that affected access to their properties".
"Emergency work was undertaken to clear debris in the stream to prevent further erosion.
"For the upper Ngongotaha Stream catchment as a whole, staff have been working with the Upper Ngongotaha Catchment Group since spring 2016.
"The area has been nominated by council as a special management area, and a sub-catchment management plan is being initiated by council for development by the community.
"This is expected to result in some focused interventions by council and the community to address localised water quality and land management issues," Mr Ingle said.
