The cordon on the main road into Piha can be lifted because it is safe to do so now, the council says. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Auckland Council has announced the cordon restricting access into Piha will be removed at midday on Friday.
Several homes were damaged during Cyclone Gabrielle and several roads within the Piha area were damaged and remain closed. A cordon remains in place for the worst-affected areas.
The council's deputy group recovery manager Mace Ward said all necessary safety and roading assessments and community consultation have been completed, and there was no longer a need for a cordon to remain on Piha Road, the main road into the suburb.
"The Piha cordon was put in place immediately following Cyclone Gabrielle to minimise the risk to public safety, maintain the integrity of Piha Road and reduce community distress while the immediate aftermath of the extreme weather was assessed.
"Work has since been undertaken by Auckland Council and Auckland Transport to assess the ongoing risk to the community and wider public in relation to land and road stability, and we are now confident that the cordon can be removed without any risk to public safety," Ward said.
Piha Road suffered extensive damage during the cyclone and is down to one lane in a section near the main lookout. To manage this, temporary traffic lights are in place for the short one-lane stretch. Scenic Drive will also continue to be down to one lane in a section near Elevation Brasserie.
Auckland Transport chief engineer Murray Burt said recent geotechnical assessments showed the road could safely cope with increased traffic when the cordon was lifted.
"It's been a really tough couple of months for Piha residents and I want to assure the community that we are doing everything possible to get things back to normal as soon as possible," he said.
"We're asking for everyone's patience when they're travelling to and from Piha because journey times will be longer than what people were used to before Cyclone Gabrielle."
Ward said the decision to remove the cordon considered public safety, the resilience of the main road into Piha, mitigation measures, active environmental monitoring, sustainability of local services and the wellbeing and security concerns of affected property owners.
"We know that many Aucklanders have been frustrated at being excluded from Piha and we are very pleased to be removing the cordon so Piha can once again welcome visitors, friends and whānau."
He also acknowledged how difficult it had been for businesses that relied on visitors.
Plans were being drawn up for permanent repairs to Piha Road and the community would be informed once technical assessments and initial design work had been completed.
"An inner cordon will remain on Rayner Road and Marine Parade to prevent access to the most affected areas. While the removal of the main cordon on Piha Road is a great milestone to reach, there is still a lot of work ahead to support the community through recovery," Ward said.
"Unfortunately, most of our walking tracks around Piha, including the popular Tasman Lookout / Tasman View, Lion Rock, Liard Thomson and Kitekite Falls tracks, and Marawhara Walk, sustained significant damage and remain closed."
Ward said the public needed to respect the barriers and fencing on closed tracks because they were in place for safety reasons.
Cordons remain at Muriwai and Karekare
Cordons remain in place at Muriwai and Karekare and access is limited to residents and emergency personnel only. Both communities have suffered extensive landslips and road damage which continue to present a risk to public safety.
In addition, there is no water supply to Muriwai Regional Park due to the damage at the water treatment plant. Work is underway by Watercare to assess alternative options to restore water to the park.