A wheelie digger trial

Hurunui District Council undertook a trial last year to test the use of a wheelie digger on the roads to improve drainage and clear blockages caused by heavy rain. The trial was primarily testing the method of working on the roads and how we can reduce expenditure on temporary traffic management, while maintaining the safety of workers and road users.

Over the next few weeks we will be running the second part of the trial, putting into practice what we learned and also how we work with local landowners to ensure their waterways are free, and how the disposal of any spoil will work. The aim is to coincide some of this work with emergency work from previous adverse weather events.

This work is funded through our normal drainage budget, which is part funded by NZTA/Waka Kotahi.