Following the declaration of a State of Emergency at 11.55pm on Thursday 3 October, emergency staff, agencies and volunteers have worked throughout the night.

Emergency services and the Dunedin City Council continue to work hard to help affected residents in Dunedin as heavy rain continues to cause problems in the city and surrounding areas.

This event remains dynamic and unpredictable and we are asking that you check in on your neighbours, stay safe and stay informed through official channels.

If residents are in need of help, they are encouraged to phone the DCC on 03 477 4000.

Due to broken mains, West Harbour and Peninsula residents are asked to conserve water. Water tankers are being placed at Vauxhall, MacAndrew Bay playground and Portobello main street opposite the shops. Please use this water for drinking purposes to conserve the water in the reservoir.

West Harbour residents will be kept up to date on the plan for this area due to slips restricting access to the area. Residents in this area are also asked to conserve water from St Leonards to Deborah Bay.

Residents in South Dunedin, particularly in Caversham in and around the areas near Hillside Road and Surrey Street, are still encouraged to self-evacuate to higher ground if they notice rising waters or do not feel safe in their homes. Brighton and Green Island are affected and there is surface water flooding issues across the city.  Residents are asked to stay home if possible.

Sandbags stations continue to be located at the Dunedin Ice Stadium, Memorial Park Mosgiel, and Waikouaiti Community Centre. Please take your own shovels. 

The welfare centre at St Clair golf course is now closed. We continue to have a welfare centre operating at Forsyth Barr Stadium.

Civil Defence Controller Chris Henderson says, “Our key message for affected residents right now is to stay safe, evacuate to welfare centres if necessary, and if you need to leave home, please drive carefully and respect those out there working in these tough conditions.”

“For those residents in West Harbour and on the Peninsula please conserve water and where possible use the water from available tankers,” he said.

“We are regularly updating our website and social media channels with road closure information, so please go there for the most up to date and accurate information,” Mr Henderson says.

If residents are in need of help, they are encouraged to phone the DCC on 03 477 4000.

Key points:

A State of Emergency was declared for Dunedin at 11.55pm on Thursday 3 October. The declaration was made in response to heavy rainfall and flooding in the area - particularly in the South Dunedin area.

A water pipeline that supplies drinking water to residents of Otago Peninsula ruptured around 1.30am. The pipeline has been isolated near Irvine Road, The Cove. Alternative water supply options for these areas are being investigated.

As a result, residents in the West Harbour and Peninsula are being urged to conserve drinking water.

The St Clair Golf Course welfare centre is now closed.

A welfare centre is open at Forsyth Barr Stadium. We ask people to enter the stadium at Gate J where they will be assisted by Red Cross Volunteers and DCC staff. The evacuation centre at the St Clair Golf Club has now reached capacity (around 50 people).

A wide area of South Dunedin, including areas around Surrey St, Forbury Rd, and Hillside Rd, have experienced flooding overnight, with people reporting water in their houses.

We are continuing to advise residents in South Dunedin to self-evacuate and get to higher ground if they feel unsafe. If they have friends or whānau they can stay with, they should go there first.

We ask that if people have no reason to be in the area, then they need to stay away unless checking on relatives or helping with any evacuation.

The DCC would like to thank the local four-wheel drive club and LANDSAR, along with Police and Fire and Emergency, and Red Cross, who continue to assist with door-knocking in the worst-affected areas and checking on people and evacuating them if required.

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