Shotover slip to be inspected

A massive slip on a cliff above the Shotover River near Queenstown has finally succumbed to a heavy rainfall,’ Queenstown Lakes District Council general manager regulatory and corporate services Roger Taylor said.

“Residents down river confirmed a large sound in the area at around 6.30am,” Mr Taylor said.

Rain set in at 4.15 am with a total rainfall in the vicinity of the slip of 14mm.

The 30,000 cubic metre slip, first identified in July, has seen the closure of public access in the slip zone and the voluntary stop to commercial rafting on the Shotover River for seven weeks.

“The council agreed earlier this month to allow the commercial operators to undertake intervention and work commenced a week ago to pump water onto the slip, which has occurred with the assistance of the local fire brigade,” Mr Taylor said.

Geologists had predicted the failure of the slip was imminent and that it would occur naturally.

“It would seem a good rainfall has been the tipping point for the slip,” Mr Taylor said.

The majority of the fallen slip had fanned out into the chutes above the river, with a small amount of rock getting to the river.

“The river is high with the rainfall event but it does appear very little material has reached the water, we will know more when the river drops to normal flow,” Mr Taylor said.

Some further work would be done on the slip to clear any remaining material and the council hoped to have a geologist inspect the now smooth slip slope early next week.

“If we can be confident that the slip poses no further risk and that the Moonlight track has not been undermined by the slip then we will be in a position to reopen the river and allow public access back into the area,’ Mr Taylor said.