Severe rainfall, which caused flooding in Paekakariki on Saturday, also damaged bridges, tracks and fences at Battle Hill Farm Forest Park, Pauatahanui.
Greater Wellington Regional Council has estimated the damage to the park infrastructure to be worth $15,000.
Greater Wellington western sector principal ranger Matt Ballantine says that flood waters of up to 67 cubic metres per second came down the Horokiri Stream to the park at the bottom of the Paekakariki Hill Road. On the day before the deluge the stream's flow was less than one cubic metre per second.
"It took out two of the three bridges and did major damage to sections of a recently upgraded track. The farm lost all its flood gates and some fences need repairing, as well as some farm tracks and roads," Mr Ballantine says.
The rainfall also did a lot of damage in the Bush Reserve on the slopes between the stream and the high point of Battle Hill.
"The Park is well used, especially by school groups visiting a working farm, and by family groups for picnics and camping over the summer. Rangers and volunteers have put a lot of effort into restoring and upgrading many aspects of the Park. This flood has been a real setback and we ask that Park users bear with us while we make the repairs," says Greater Wellington Landcare Committee chairman Chris Laidlaw.
Over the next few weeks, Greater Wellington will get on with track clearing and repairing fences, bridges and flood gates. Other restoration work will take a little longer.
For more information, please contact:
Matt Ballantine
Wester Principal Ranger - Parks & Forests
