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Internet access given the slip

PHOTO/FILE

A slip on Ponatahi Rd has cut internet to more than a dozen homes.

South Wairarapa mayor-elect Martin Connelly said the slip was just one of many road fixes needed in the region.

A resident near the slip, who asked not to be named, said that the damage had worsened over the past few weeks.

“We’re very lucky the road is still there – there’s been a crack making its way across the road.

Residents said that had regular maintenance been carried out, including the clearing of the water table, the slip could have been prevented.

“They’ve now cleared out the water table, it only took them half an hour.

“Now that they’ve done it I don’t think it will get any worse.

“A simple water table job where councillors drove past every day took five years to do … why?”

Residents also said the slip had affected the fibre optic cables by the road, with Chorus engineers having to take the cables out twice.

A Chorus spokesperson said a telecommunications cabinet was left without service after the slip damaged the road and the fibre cable running along it.

“Around 14 connections were affected because of the damaged cable caused by the landslip, however it is difficult to pinpoint the exact number affected.

“This occurred on October 2. Since then a temporary service has been put in place restoring all affected customers’ internet and landline services.”

They said a permanent solution would require three to four wooden poles being placed further back from the road and connecting the cable aerially between the poles to remove it from the affected area.

“The temporary solution and the permanent solution will be paid for by Chorus.”

Connelly said that when the new council was sworn in they would be looking to set up a subcommittee specifically to address infrastructure issues.

“We’ll be looking at setting up a group that will be actively identifying problems before they become urgent.

“Hinekura residents said they started telling the council about problems two and a half years before the slip.

“We’ve definitely got to start by listening to these complaints before we get the next Hinekura.”

Connelly said the group would work by encouraging residents to report problems and then following up by telling them when the problem would be addressed.

George Shiers
George Shiers
George Shiers is a reporter at the Wairarapa Times-Age interested in politics and social issues. He reports regularly on a range of topics including infrastructure, housing, and transport. George is also the Tararua reporter and helps cover police, fire and court stories.

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