Whakatāne District – recovery update

Edgecumbe
The clean-up effort in Edgecumbe is continuing today – with around 150 volunteers working in both the northern and southern areas of town.

The work is being done by the Ngāti Awa Volunteer Army in collaboration with Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Whakatāne District Council.

Volunteers are working on flood-damaged properties, assisting residents and contractors in removing the worst affected belongings and removing silt from public areas.

Anyone who wishes to help with further clean-up is encouraged to register at www.whakatane.govt.nz/project-edgecumbe. Volunteers will be contacted directly to confirm when and where they are required to assist.

Road access to Ruatāhuna
Vehicle access to Te Whāiti and Ruatāhuna was restored yesterday (Saturday). Access to Te Whaiti is still via the Timberlands forest roads between Murupara and Minginui. Motorists are advised to drive cautiously.

The Minginui-Te Whaiti Road is also open.

Roads still closed
• State Highway 2 - Waimana Gorge - still closed due to large unstable slip – it will be at least midweek before this section of road is reopened
• Galatea Road at Te Mahoe - still closed due to an underslip.
• Stanley Rd is closed at the Waimana end due to a slip.

Rautahi Marae Civil Defence Centre – closing at 12 noon today (Sunday)
Rautahi Marae Civil Defence Centre will close and the service will transition to the Edgecumbe Contact Centre at the Edgecumbe War Memorial Hall at 12 midday.

Water supply and boil-water notices
Boil-water notices remain in force for the whole district – except for Whakatāne town, Ōhope, Murupara, Matatā and Coastlands.

Tankers for temporary water supply
Tankers of drinking water are at the following locations – people are asked to bring their own containers to fill:
• Rūātoki – at Rūātoki School
• Tāneatua – by the school, and by the skate park
• Waimana – by the shops
• Edgecumbe – tankers by the Riverslea Mall and by the Edgecumbe War Memorial Hall.

Silt and mud – please don’t wash it down the drains
Whakatāne District residents and businesses – including those in Edgecumbe – are strongly urged NOT to hose or wash mud and silt into drains and the stormwater system as the post-flood clean-up continues.

Civil Defence Controller Paula Chapman continues to stress that while it is understandable that residents will want to wash mud from homes, driveways and gardens, “mud and silt in the system may block pipes and cause flooding when further rain comes.

Residents are advised to pile mud and silt on the berms outside, or near, their properties. It will be collected over the next few days.

Whakatāne Transfer Station
The Transfer Station is open today but is busy – please expect some delays.

© Scoop Media