The reopening of Tiniroto Road on Monday at 7am has been described as a “huge triumph”. Tiniroto resident Kirsty Playle says the community has fought hard for this moment and it means a return to normality for the 250 residents.

Tiniroto Road has been closed since August 2023 after a geotechnical report identified an imminent and extreme risk of rockfall.

Over the past five weeks Council contractors carried out essential safety work at the Hangaroa bluffs 1, 2 and 3 so it could reopen.

Work included rock scaling at bluff 3 to remove overhanging and loose rocks, to reduce the risk of rockfall, as well as installing concrete blocks, earth bunding, and catch drains along bluffs 1 and 2 to protect road users from low-volume rockfall.

Monday’s re-opening means the communities of Tiniroto, Ruakaka, Te Reinga and Ruakituri will no longer have to use Parikanapa Road as a detour or travel State Highway 2 via Wairoa to get to Gisborne. Both ways have added hours to their usual 40-minute commute.

Mrs Playle says the reopening will make a “huge difference”.

“This means so much. Having the road closed while the work was being done meant as a community we’ve had to delay lots of day-to-day things in our lives – work, childcare and trucks for stock movements.

“It’s a huge triumph, we’ve fought so hard to get this part of the road open.”

It’s been a bumpy ride to get this portion of the road to a stage where it could be used safely by drivers again.

After Cyclone Gabrielle, Tiniroto Road had 1400m destroyed with two lanes being scoured away to less than one in parts, and significant damage at the Hangaroa Bluffs.

It was reopened briefly in May 2023 after emergency works, then closed again in August 2023 after another weather event, coupled with a geotechnical report that identified imminent and extreme risk of rockfall and risk to life of falling material.

In October 2023 25,000m3 of hillside above Tiniroto Road came down in a landslide that shunted almost 100 metres of the road downhill and dammed the Waikoko Stream.

Council Community Lifelines Director Tim Barry says he’s very relieved for the Tiniroto community to have the road safe and re-opened again.

“We know how hard it’s been for them. We just thank them for their patience and are very pleased to have it open and safe.

“We will continue to monitor this area at the bluffs to identify possible ongoing risk. There’s also ongoing work over the next few weeks to enhance road conditions. These will be carried out under stop/go traffic management, with potential delays of up to 30 minutes.”

Mr Barry says the road will be under watch, especially during heavy rainfall which could trigger a road closure at short notice until such time the road could be assessed for safety.

“If this happens, the community will need to use the alternative detours during these closures.”

Mr Barry says this reopening continues to be an interim solution.

“We still have Government funding of $45 million as part of their Cyclone Recovery package that’s going towards a long-term resilient plan. This is in progress however we want to be honest and that’s still three to four years away.

“During the rock scaling work last month bluff 3 was also mapped for this future safety planning.

“We want to thank the contractors who’ve completed a wide range of dangerous work on this section of road including GSI, Fulton Hogan and subcontractor AF Thompson.

“We’ll keep the community up to date with future plans as they progress.”

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