Westland storm response final update

Media update #10 – final 0945

Westland District has officially moved from response to recovery in the aftermath of last Thursday’s storm and flooding.

Jim Ebenhoh, Westland District Council’s Group Manager Planning, Community and Environment, has been appointed Recovery Manager. He will work with community groups and public health services to support residents and businesses needing assistance.

As of 8.30am today, essential services have been restored across most of the district, with electricity expected to be reconnected to Paringa and Mahitahi today.

Council Chief Executive and Controller Simon Bastion says an assessment of Jackson’s Bay yesterday has revealed significant damage to the access road, where the sea has gouged into the bank. The road is closed to the public, with restricted access for residents only.

The storm has also taken out several power poles along the access road, which NZ Electricity will begin to restore today. There’s no estimate yet of how long it will take to restore the power supply to Jackson’s Bay, or reinstate the road.

Drinking water at Fox Glacier and Arahura Pa still needs to be boiled, until there are three consecutive days of clear tests.

Mr Bastion has thanked the Westland Community for rallying strongly and supporting each other and the hundreds of visitors who were caught up in the storm.

He also acknowledged the long hours put in by the Council’s staff, contractors and those working for the NZ Transport Agency, Electronet and others involved in restoring essential services.

The Council will host a debrief at a later date to review the response to the storm. “There have been a lot of learnings from this process. Some will require central government support and others will be for us to consider.”

However, the immediate focus is to support the Westland community. Anyone needing assistance should call the Council on 03 756 9010 or 0800 474 834.

ENDS

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