The impact of heavy rain has caused multiple issues right across the District. Our teams and contractors are clearing, monitoring and responding to flooding and slips, there are still a number of roads closed. Driving conditions are hazardous, please take care or stay off the roads if at all possible.
More watches and/or warnings will likely be issued in the coming days.
We're keeping a close eye on things and regularly updating our Facebook page and this page with information as it comes in.
As always, you can get in touch with us, to report any urgent issues to 07 306 0500, anything non-urgent can be logged through our online Fix it and Report a Problem form.
If the situation poses an immediate serious threat to people's lives or safety, please dial 111.
Jump to a section: Key information | Latest updates | Road status | Keep up to date | Escarpment information | Get prepared
Key information
- There are a number of roads closed across the District. Driving conditions are hazardous, please take care or stay off the roads if at all possible.
- Whakatāne River is slowly receding to its normal river channel. Bay of Plenty Regional Council is monitoring this and all rivers across the District closely.
- Kerbside rubbish and recycling services in Rūātoki and Waimana are postponed. Aroha mai / apologies for this. We will provide a catch-up service on Saturday. If there is any change to this, we'll let you know. Whakatāne and Tāneatua rubbish services will operate today as usual.
- If anyone feels unsafe, we encourage you to self-evacuate to friends or family / whānau, however this is up to the individual and not a request from Whakatāne District Council.
Boil Water Notice: Rūātoki - 3 May 2023
All residents of Rūātoki connected to the Whakatāne District Council water supply are advised to boil all drinking water for a minimum of three minutes due to flooding of water intake until further notice.
Latest updates
Update: Friday, 5 May 9:40am
Mōrena e te whānau, it's been a quiet(ish) night for our crews and although the cleanup continues, we have no new issues or road closures to report, so that's a win!
There are no changes, for current road closures, see roading updates.
We'll continue to loop you in on everything you need to know via our social channels and website. Anything major that crops up will also be broadcast on our rawe / awesome local radio stations.
There is continued rain in the forecast, particularly early next week. We're keeping really close eye on this and will keep you posted.
A big mihi / thanks to everyone right across the rohe / region working massive hours to help keep our communities safe and reinstate access for those that need it - Legends.
Remember, if you're cut off and need support, please call our Customer Service Centre on 07 306 0500.
Update: Thursday, 4 May 5 pm
Check out the below vid where our Duty Civil Defence Controller Nicholas Woodley gives an update on where we're at following this week's heavy rain and the impacts on the Whakatāne District.
- Update: Thursday, 4 May, 3:51pm
- Rewatu Road - OPEN with extreme caution. There is still flooding across the road. (See current - Road status)
- Bay of Plenty Regional Council have issued another update from their Flood Room.
- Whakatāne River is slowly receding to its normal river channel.
- Spilling at the Matahina Dam will stop.
- Update: Thursday 4 May, 2:01pm
- Reid Road is now OPEN
- See current - Road status
- Update: Thursday 4 May, 11:11am
Here's a snapshot of the state of our roads across the District:
⛔️ Valley Road - CLOSED due to slip (between Alexander + Arawa)
⛔️ Stanley Road - CLOSED due to multiple slips
⛔️ Rewatu Road - OPEN with extreme caution. There is still flooding across the road.
⛔️ Reid Road - CLOSED due to flooding
⛔️ Te Tawa Road - CLOSED due to flooding
⛔️ Te Kooti Road - CLOSED due to flooding and tree across road (inaccessible)
⛔️ Ōwhakatoro Road - CLOSED due to flooding
⛔️ SH2 Waimana Gorge - CLOSED due to multiple slips
✅ Tāneatua Road - OPEN with caution due to flooding
✅ Awahou Road - OPEN with caution due to silt
✅ Selwyn Road - OPEN with caution due to flooding
✅ Downards Road - OPEN with caution due to flooding
✅ Ranapia Road - OPEN with caution due to flooding
✅ Wainui Road - OPEN for essential travel only due to flooding
✅ Galatea Road - OPEN with caution due to contractors on site
✅ Tahuna Road - OPEN
✅ Ngamotu Road - OPEN
✅ SH2 White Pine Bush Road - RESIDENT ACCESS ONLY
✅ SH2 Nukuhou North - RESIDENT ACCESS ONLY (access reinstated for Nukuhou residents and Waimana residents via Matekerepu/Wainui Road intersection)
- Update: Thursday 4 May, 9:07am
- SH2 Waimana Gorge - REMAINS CLOSED
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Waikato BoP has advised Waimana Gorge remains closed between Station Road, Taneatua and Wainui Road, Kuturere. - At this stage we do not have an estimated opening time. We will continue to keep you updated with this situation.
- SH2 Waimana Gorge - REMAINS CLOSED
- Update: Thursday 4 May, 8:25am
- Reid Road - REMAINS CLOSED
- Awahou Road - OPEN
- Aroha mai / apologies for any confusion. Access to Rūātoki is via Awahou only at this stage.
- Update: Thursday 4 May, 7:30am
- Kerbside rubbish and recycling services in Rūātoki and Waimana are postponed. Aroha mai / apologies for this. We will provide a catch-up service on Saturday. If there is any change to this, we'll let you know.
- Whakatāne and Tāneatua rubbish services will operate today as usual.
- Update: Thursday 4 May, 7:10am
- Awahou Road - NOW OPEN. Access has been restored to Rūātoki.
- The road is still very messy with silt all over the road so caution is needed. A big mihi / thanks to all the crews who worked super hard to make this happen
- Valley Road - Remains CLOSED at Alexander Avenue/Arawa Road due to a large slip.
- Update: Thursday 4 May, 6:45am
Mōrena e te whānau, we're back today with rolling updates to keep you and your fam safe and informed.
At this stage, there are no changes to the road closures listed in the below updates. We will continue to update this post throughout the morning as the situation evolves.
- Update: Wednesday 3 May, 9:29pm
- Gorge Road slip now cleared.
- Update: Wednesday 3 May, 7:43pm
- Gorge Road - BLOCKED. A large slip has just come down blocking both uphill passing lanes. Crews are on their way.
- Tāneatua Road - OPEN with extreme caution. The road is still flooded in a few spots (particularly Red Devon’s Corner and back towards the start of Taneatua Road). Traffic control will remain on site near the flooded areas for your safety until the water subsides. Please only use this road if absolutely necessary.
- Update: Wednesday 3 May, 5:13pm
- Stanley Road - CLOSED at the 10km mark (Wainui end). A large slip has just come down and the road is impassable.
- Stanley Road - also remains CLOSED at the Waimana Gorge end (near the forestry road gate) due to a slip.
- Assessments are underway on various slips across the District including at West End Road, Valley Road, Commerce Street, Tāneatua Road, Pohutukawa Avenue and Hurunui Avenue.
- A boil water notice remains in place for Rūātoki until further notice.
- Update: Wednesday 3 May, 4:07pm
- Revised: SH2 - White Pine Bush Road - OPEN for resident access ONLY (this includes Tāneatua residents). Please note, due to a high volume of spectator traffic moving through the area, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Waikato BoP has advised the road is open only to those requiring access to their homes.
- Please stay off the roads if at all possible. There are multiple hazards across the District and our crews need space to reinstate access safely.
- Update: Wednesday 3 May, 3:43pm
- Te Tawa Road - CLOSED
- Owhakatoro Road - CLOSED
- Wainui Road - OPEN for ESSENTIAL travel only.
- Stanley Road - OPEN for resident access only.
- Te Kooti Road - OPEN for resident access only.
- Reid, Awahou and Rewatu Roads remain closed and will be reassessed first thing tomorrow morning (Thursday 4 May).
For those in central Whakatāne who were limiting their wastewater use, you're now able to resume normal services. This means you can flush your loo, use your washing machine, and wash your dishes. Thanks very much for your patience and cooperation - it allowed our wastewater systems a chance to catch up
- Update: Wednesday 3 May, 1:45pm
- Tomorrow's kerbside services in Rūātoki and Waimana may not be possible if roads are not open and safe for the trucks to operate.
- If we can't get to these areas tomorrow we'll try to service them on Saturday. We'll keep you updated.
- Awakeri to Tāneatua - NOW OPEN via SH2 White Pine Bush Road.
- Waimana Gorge will remain closed overnight (Wed 3rd May) from Station Road within Tāneatua to the Wainui Road intersection.
- Update: Wednesday 3 May, 10:21am
Please note, Council has not requested anyone in the Whakatāne District evacuate from their homes, schools or workplaces.
If anyone feels unsafe, we encourage you to self-evacuate to friends or family / whānau, however, this is up to the individual and not a request from Whakatāne District Council.
- Update: Wednesday 3 May, 9:08am
- Galatea Road - Now open for essential travel only. Slips are passable with caution. Crews are on site.
- Update: Wednesday 3 May, 8:49am
- Blueberry Corner - surface flooding, drive with caution
- Matatā Straights - substantial potholes, drive with extreme caution
- Update: Wednesday 3 May, 8am
- Waste Management are a number of drivers and staff down today due to road closures.
- Kerbside Services will be completed but they will be running late – please be patient.
- If your bins get blown over please pick them up.
- If you can delay visits to refuse transfer station please do so.
- Update: Wednesday 3 May, 7:34 am
- Wainui Road - Please drive with extreme caution. The road is currently under stop/go however there is extensive flooding near the S bends, and over the bridge near Te Kooti Road.
- Gorge Road - Drive with caution, slip
- Tahuna Road - Drive with caution, slips
- SH2 Awakeri to Matekerepuru - CLOSED due to flooding, powerlines down and slips.
- Update: Wednesday 3 May, 7:25 am
The rain has continued to fall overnight and there are multiple issues right across the District. We will be updating our channels throughout the day so please keep a close eye on it to help keep you and your whānau safe.
The key pieces of information are:
- Please stay off the roads if at all possible. There are multiple slips and areas of surface flooding and we simply do not have enough signage available to alert you to these areas
- Ruatoki - BOIL YOUR WATER until further notice.
- In central Whakatāne, particularly from north of Domain Road – that is the Pohutu catchment – please limit use of wastewater if at all possible. This means don’t flush your toilets, limit shower use and let the dishes and washing pile up til further notice. The system is overloaded with rain water
- Whakatāne River has reached its second warning level which means the river is rising but is still contained within its banks. There is no immediate concern, and Bay of Plenty Regional Council is monitoring this and all rivers across the District closely.
Here's how the roads are looking
Last updated Monday 8 May, 4 pm
Driving conditions are hazardous, please take care or stay off the roads if at all possible.
✅ Valley Road - Open
⛔️ Stanley Road entrance (Waimana Gorge/SH2 end) - remains CLOSED
⛔️ Stanley Road entrance (Wainui end) - remains CLOSED
⚠️ - Residents (only) can access Stanley Road via McCoy Road.
✅ Rewatu Road - OPEN with extreme caution. There is still flooding across the road.
⛔️ Te Tawa Road - CLOSED due to flooding
✅ ⚠️ Te Kooti Road - OPEN for resident access only.
⛔️ Ōwhakatoro Road - CLOSED due to flooding
✅ SH2 Waimana Gorge is now OPEN
✅ Reid Road - Open
✅ Tāneatua Road - OPEN with caution due to flooding
✅ Awahou Road - OPEN with caution due to silt
✅ Selwyn Road - OPEN with caution due to flooding
✅ Downards Road - OPEN with caution due to flooding
✅ Ranapia Road - OPEN with caution due to flooding
✅ Wainui Road - OPEN for essential travel only due to flooding
✅ Galatea Road - OPEN with caution due to contractors on site
✅ Tahuna Road - OPEN
✅ Ngamotu Road - OPEN
✅ SH2 White Pine Bush Road - RESIDENT ACCESS ONLY
✅ SH2 Nukuhou North - RESIDENT ACCESS ONLY (access reinstated for Nukuhou residents and Waimana residents via Matekerepu/Wainui Road intersection)
Potholes can appear quickly following heavy rain
For the wider network please visit NZ Transport Agency - Road and Traffic Information »
Where to get updates
We will be updating the information on our website as the situation evolves, you can also get the latest updates and guidance from these channels:
- Weather warnings from MetService
- Waka Kotahi: Road closures and traffic conditions: Traffic map
- Bay of Plenty Civil Defence website | Facebook page
- Check the Whakatāne District Council Facebook page »
- Tune in to Radio
- 1XX - 90.5FM Whakatāne | 1242AM Whakatāne | 92.9FM Ōhope Beach | Listen Online
- Sun FM - 106.5 FM | Listen Online
- Tumeke FM - 96.9 FM | Listen Online
Important information for Whakatāne and Ōhope residents living or working close to escarpments
Whakatāne and Ōhope residents living or working close to escarpments should always remain alert for any signs of escarpment instability.
Get prepared | Me takatū
The GetReady website is a great resource for people to check out, with lots of information and tips for how people can prepare for emergencies. Think about your family members, pets and belongings - be prepared to leave if you need to, and have enough supplies to sustain yourself for up to three days. If you are reliant on prescription medication, it is worth ensuring you have enough supplies to get you through next week.