Waitomo District Council’s Civil Defence team has joined forces with NZ Police, FENZ and Ministry of Social Development to provide support to those most affected by last week’s severe flooding event.

Armed with two ute-loads of supplies, a team alongside Mayor John Robertson, headed to Mōkau and Awakino on Friday to provide welfare support.

Coupled with generous donations from Te Kūiti Warehouse, New World, Mitre10, and the Fat Pigeon in Piopio, $500 from Council’s mayoral fund was used to purchase much needed items.

With the help of Mōkau Police and FENZ, staff were able to distribute new bedding, linen, towels, children’s pyjamas, clothing, toys, toiletries and food to those in need. MSD support was also on hand.

General Manager Strategy and Environment and local Civil Defence Controller, Alex Bell says the impact of a major weather event always leaves something to be fixed, and how well people recover from an event can depend on how well people have prepared.

“The recovery process after an event is about more than just rebuilding infrastructure. It’s about supporting people to rebuild their lives and restore their emotional, social, economic and physical wellbeing,” he says.

“Now that we have been able to access our more rural communities, our team has kicked into gear and joined with other agencies to provide the help they need where we can.

“We extend a heartfelt thanks to Te Kūiti Warehouse, New World, Mitre10, and the Fat Pigeon for stepping up and hurriedly arranging donations last week, it was very much appreciated by our team and those recipients.”

Not yet out of the woods

The weather event impacted Waitomo’s rural communities particularly hard, with widespread flooding and multiple slips and washouts damaging the road network. Coastal towns were cut off and isolated for several days.

Flooding from the Awakino River and its tributaries impacted several properties, with some residents needing to self-evacuate.

Alex says despite the flood waters receding, clean up and “business as usual recovery” will take some time.

“All flood water is potentially contaminated from such things as septic tanks, animal faecal matter, farm chemicals and road run-off. We ask people to take care and practice good hygiene when cleaning up.”

Any food or drink that has been in contact with flood water should also be thrown out.

Council’s roading team and contractors continue to assess road damage and crews are working hard to clear slips and repair damage as quickly as possible.

Mayor John Robertson says when events like last week’s flooding happen, Council staff step up and take on new roles.

“They have been doing an extraordinary job, as have the road crews. I thanked the Downer crew as they returned to Mōkau immediately after re-opening SH3. Thank you also to Inframax for all your work to open as many local roads as possible.

“A special thanks also goes to Mōkau Constable Donna Potroz and Fire Chief and Mōkau School Principal Maryann Symonds (pictured). Their leadership and care shown for their community has been extraordinary.

“As your Mayor, I also drop my "normal" activities and become immersed in Civil Defence matters. My responsibilities include interfacing with the media, communicating with Ministers of the Crown, engaging with the Rural Support Trust, and visiting those impacted.

“This was another massive weather event, inflicting damage that could very well be of a similar scale to Cyclone Gabrielle in January 2023. We will assess the damage and begin to determine the work and funding required to restore our road network.”