Friday 7 July, 2012

Farmers asked to move stock from floodway

Horizons Regional Council has issued a warning for farmers in the Moutoa floodway to move stock and drop fences in preparation for a possible gate opening today.

Horizons emergency manager Shane Bayley says the Council’s Emergency Operations Centre has been activated and staff will continue to monitor the situation throughout the day.

“We’ve been keeping a close eye on the Region’s river levels, the rain is easing off but we do have a crew on standby to operate the Moutoa floodgates if required,” he said.

“Farmers have been asked to remove any stock from the floodway by 1pm today so we can open the gates to remove pressure on the Manawatu River if needed. This is a precautionary measure.”

The river is expected to peak at 5.2 metres at Horizons’ Teachers’ College monitoring site at around 1pm and there are no concerns about river levels in the rest of the Region.

The Opiki floodway is currently underwater. Members of the public are being advised to exercise caution when driving and check the AA’s website, http://maps.aa.co.nz/traffic/roadwatch for information on road closures.
Horizons will continue to monitor the situation and update the public on any significant changes.

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