17 April, 1:25 pm

Water

Boil water notices remain in place throughout the Whakatāne District except in Whakatāne Town, Coastlands, Ōhope, Matatā, and Murupara. An assessment of water in areas with boil water notices will be undertaken early next week. Anyone with private bores in areas affected by flooding or sewerage overflows should test their supplies.

Tanker trucks providing potable water are available at Riverslea Shooping Mall, Hydro Road, and College Road by the School in Edgecumbe, as well as Te Teko Road, Waimana Road, Rūātoki Valley Road and Te Teko Marae.

Pollution

Any potential pollution concerns (for example, mill waste) should be referred to the Bay of Plenty pollution response unit at 0800 447 774.

Power

Some areas of the District remain without electrical power. Horizon Networks is working to restore power progressively. If you have any questions or concerns about electricity supply, please contact Horizon at 0800 HORIZON.

Edgecumbe

Several properties in Edgecumbe on College Road and Rata Avenue are without electrical power due to a major cable fault. Horizon Energy reports this is unlikely to be remedied until Friday, 21 April.

Portaloos have been deployed in affected areas in Edgecumbe.

Please continue to conserve water as much as possible.

Please do not hose or wash mud and silt into drains and the stormwater system as the post-flood clean-up continues. 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.

Please don’t park on roadsides where clean-ups are taking place, as contractors are having difficulty picking up and deploying skip bins due to parked cars.

People with yellow-stickered houses are able to access them to clear out damaged furnishings, carpet and appliances and start cleaning up. However, these homes are not safe for staying in permanently.

The Insurance Council has advised that people should take a photograph of each damaged item before they are dumped, and that there is no need to wait for an insurance assessor, provided photographs have been taken.

Edgecumbe pets

Efforts to reunite lost and wandering cats with their owners will begin this week.

The safest way to capture these cats is to set traps which will not injure them. These traps will be set and monitored at least once daily by the SPCA and animal control officers. Any cats captured by the traps will be taken to the SPCA and cared for until the owner can be located.

Please don’t be alarmed if you see these traps around town — they’re humane and marked with SPCA branding. Please keep children away from these traps.

If you would like a trap removed from your property or have any other concerns about them, contact Whakatāne SPCA at 07 308 4608.

To register a pet lost during the Edgecumbe flood, phone 0800 306 0500.

16 April, 5:35 pm

Please don’t put bulky items in the Edgecumbe skips – put them on the berms

Edgecumbe residents are asked to avoid, if possible, putting large bulky items, like fridges and couches, into the rubbish skips that are being placed in the streets as part of the big clean-up.

About 120 skips and bins are being trucked into Edgecumbe daily and are being trucked out as soon as they are filled.

The skips are primarily designed to take carpet, mattresses, food and smaller household items.

Whakatāne District Civil Defence Controller Jono Meldrum says people should put “big bulky whiteware and furniture – things like that – on roadside berms. They will be picked up and disposed of by Council staff and contractors over the next few days.

“It’s OK to put big, bulky items on the roadside. Please place and stack items safely and try not to block footpaths or the roadway."

16 April, 2:55 pm

Horizon Networks reports the following areas are still without electrical power:

• Parts of Ruatahuna (expected restoration by 6 pm)
• Te Mahoe and Waiohau (expected restoration by 6 pm)
• Part Raroa Road (expected restoration by 6 pm) 

"Supplies feeding a limited number of customers in Fermah Road, Grace Road, Wainui Road, Waiotahe Beach Raod, Gow Road/Tablelands Road Opotiki, and Herema Road may remain without power overnight until crews can attend them tomorrow," Horizon says. 

Horizon also notes that predicted rainy weather "may result in further outages and delays in restoring supply across the region due to slips and trees. Even customers fortunate to have had their power supplies restored today should prepare themselves for further extended outages." 

Please direct any enquiries about electrical power outages to Horizon Energy at 0800 HORIZON.

16 April, 1:50 pm

Rubberneckers – stay away from Edgecumbe. Better still, come and help

Rubberneckers are hampering the efforts of the 150 volunteers helping in the clean-up of Edgecumbe today.

Whakatāne District Mayor Tony Bonne says members of the Ngāti Awa Volunteer Army are reporting a steady stream of sightseeers driving around the streets of Edgecumbe.

“They’re getting in the way – and this is frustrating and annoying for the volunteers and residents working on the clean-up."

Mayor Bonne says if you are concerned for the people of Edgecumbe, then come and help with the clean-up.

Anyone who wishes to help with the clean-up is encouraged to register online »

Volunteers will be contacted directly to confirm when and where they are required to assist.

16 April, 11:25 am 

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 online »

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.

15 April, 9:30 pm

Recovery for Whakatāne District progressing well

Recovery efforts will continue tomorrow to support residents of Edgecumbe as they go back into the area to recover belongings and tidy up homes.

Controller for Whakatāne Emergency Operations Paula Chapman said good progress had been made on a number of fronts during the day.

“Horizon Networks have been working tirelessly to get power back on and we are now down to 350 properties without power. Water and sewage services are coming back on in many areas and the clean-up efforts in Edgecumbe are going well.

“Our efforts are now focusing on the people with damaged properties in Edgecumbe and those affected by power and service outages elsewhere. We will continue to provide them with the support and volunteer assistance as needed.”

Water

• Whakatāne/Ōhope/Coastlands/Murupara/Matatā have normal water supply.
• There is a boil water notice in place throughout Whakatāne District except for the areas with normal water supply.
• Private water supplies should check their supplies for possible contamination.​
• An assessment of water in areas with boil water notices will be undertaken early next week.
• Residents with their own bore water supply should assess their supply for possible contamination, particularly sewerage. If in doubt, they should boil water too.
• Tankers with potable water are available in Waimana, Te Mahoe, Ruatoki, Tāneatua and Edgecumbe.

Roads

• SH2 between Awakeri and Tāneatua and Awakeri and Ōpōtiki remain closed.
• Ruatāhuna is accessible through Te Whāiti via designated Timberlands Forest Road

Power

Horizon Networks has advised there are still households in the District without power.

Contact 0800 HORIZON or visit their Facebook page for more information.

Waste

The Murupara Transfer Station will be open in the morning but will be closed for the afternoon.

Welfare

Medical Officer of Health for Bay of Plenty has advised that the recent flooding in the district may lead to a temporary increase in the number of mosquitoes and flies. Residents are advised to use insect repellent to help avoid being bitten and to tip water from containers around their properties.

Edgecumbe

• Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Federated Farmers and contractors continue working hard to manage emergency pumping in the Edgecumbe area.
• Almost 40 portable pumps, along with the area’s 40 permanent pumps, are now in action pumping flood water from the Rangitāiki Plains; particularly western areas of Edgecumbe.  
• Portable pumps are being monitored round-the-clock by contractors and BOPRC staff.
• Police have a continued presence over the next few days and security will remain in place.

Volunteers

• An estimated 80 properties have been cleaned with the help of residents and volunteers.
• Over 150 volunteers will be heading back into Edgecumbe tomorrow to continue the clean-up in Zone 3 (south west) and begin clean-up in Zone 4 (north west).
• 680 people have registered to volunteer to date.

15 April, 4:30 pm

Overwhelming support for Ngāti Awa Volunteer Army

Over 680 people have registered as volunteers for the clean-up effort in Edgecumbe. In collaboration with Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Whakatāne District Council, Te Runanga o Ngati Awa have created Ngāti Awa Volunteer Army, who are well into their first day of clean-up, which started with a Karakia at the Ruaihona Marae Recovery Centre.

Ngāti Awa Volunteer Coordinators Wini Hahipene-Geddes and Pim De Monchy have been overwhelmed by the support coming through from the community. “This is a fantastic result for the recovery effort. We’ve got two shifts working in Zone 3 today to help residents get their places cleaned up and have plenty of work for volunteers tomorrow.”

Volunteers are working on flood-damaged properties, assisting residents and contractors in removing the worst affected belongings and removing silt from public areas. Safety equipment and bins will be provided, and volunteers are being asked to come prepared in appropriate clothing.

“It’ll be a messy job, but one that is made infinitely easier with so many pairs of hands,” says Pim.

Whakatāne District Council Mayor Tony Bonne was on site to welcome volunteers and thank them for their efforts. “This has been a significant event for our region, and today will be hard for many Edgecumbe residents. I’m extremely proud of the number of people who have put their hands up to help our region get back on track; not only those here today, but also the volunteers who have been on the ground since Ex-Cyclone Debbie first hit.”

An estimated 80 properties have been cleaned today, all have had their exteriors cleaned and some have had the interior cleaned with assistance from residents. Around 150 volunteers will head into Edgecumbe tomorrow; 120 into the north side of Edgecumbe (Zone 4) and 30 will continue clean-up in Zone 3.

Anyone who wishes to help with further clean-up is encouraged to register at Project Edgecumbe » 

Volunteers will be contacted directly to confirm when and where they are required to assist.

15 April, 12:10 pm

Please don’t hose silt and mud 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 says it is understandable that residents will want to wash mud from homes, driveways and gardens. “However mud and silt in the system may block pipes and cause flooding when further rain comes.

“This message doesn’t just apply to Edgecumbe – the whole district’s stormwater system depends on it being free of mud and silt.”

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 is full – please don’t visit today

The Whakatāne Transfer Station is full of rubbish and debris – mostly storm-related – and residents are urged to delay their deliveries until tomorrow at the earliest to allow the staff to clear today’s input and make more space.

Civil Defence Centres transition to Edgecumbe from 12 noon today

The Civil Defence Centre that has been operating in the Whakatāne Memorial Hall will today (12 midday) transition to Edgecumbe – at the Edgecumbe Hall contact centre.  All current services will continue to be available - residents should go here for assistance in the first instance.

Rautahi Marae Civil Defence Centre will transition to Edgecumbe tomorrow (Sunday) at 12 midday.

Tankers for temporary water supply

Tankers of drinking water will be at the following locations by 3pm today – 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 War Memorial Hall

Electricity supply

Horizons Energy is continuing to work to restore power to outlying areas of the district following the passage of Cyclone Cook. While some 20,000 properties were without power yesterday, as of this morning the number was reduced to 1500 with further properties expected back on today.

Water, sewage and power is back to normal in Whakatāne town – but please continue to conserve water – and do not flush if you are elsewhere in the district:

Whakatāne District residents and businesses (except those in Whakatāne town, Coastlands, Ōhope and Matatā) are urged to continue to conserve water until power is fully restored to pump stations around the district (which will enable reservoirs to refill). Residents are also urged to flush toilets sparingly until wastewater pump stations are back in action.

Although water has been restored to much of Edgecumbe, we are continuing to ask people to conserve water as the network remains fragile, and a boil-water notice remains in place.

The boil-water notice also remains in place in Tāneatua.

15 April, 11:20 am

Whakatāne Transfer Station will be closed from 11:30 to 12 today because it's currently full and cannot process any more material until the backlog has been cleared.

If at all possible, please delay going to the Transfer Station until a later date.

15 April, 11:05 am

Water tankers are currently available in Edgecumbe at Riverslea Mall and the War Memorial Hall.

Tankers will be driven to other locations without water and should arrive by 3 pm today, as follows:

• Ruatoki: 18,000 litre tanker going to school
• Waimana: 18,000 litres by the shops, 
• Taneatua: 40,000 litres by the school, 20,000 litres by skate park

Containers are not available — bring your own.

15 April, 9:30 am

Residents of the District may resume normal use of water and wastewater services except in Edgecumbe and Tāneatua. Residents in Edgecumbe are still asked to minimise use of wastewater services as much as possible.

We are aware of water outages in Tāneatua, Rūātoki and Waimana, and are working to restore service as soon as possible. Boil water notices remain in effect for Tāneatua (once service is restored), Te Mahoe, Rūātoki (when service is restored), Rangitaiki Plains (including Te Teko/Mapou, Edgecumbe, Awakeri, Braemar, Onepu, Otakiri and Thornton).

In previously flooded areas, including Edgecumbe, please do not wash down houses, cars, etc. The stormwater system is still in a fragile state, and it is currently unable to cope with any silt washed into it.

15 April, 8:10 am

Residents from the 229 flood-affected properties in Edgecumbe Zone 4 will be able to return to their properties from 12 midday today (Saturday).

Whakatāne Mayor Tony Bonne said it was going to be a hard day for people as they went back to their homes, most of which had sustained moderate to serious damage.

“We feel for the people returning to their homes today. Many of them will need alternative accommodation for the medium to long-term as their homes are repaired.

“We are putting in support to ensure that the people of Edgecumbe have the information and networks to help them through this difficult time,” Mayor Bonne said.

People living on Tawhara Place, Titoki Place, Puriri Crescent, Rata Avenue, Hinau Place, Matipo Place, Bridge Street, Rata Avenue, College Road (from Bridge St to Edgecumbe College) will have access back into the area from noon.

Residents are being asked to go to the check-in points – at the northern and southern ends of Main Street – where their details will be quickly checked and they will be provided with a support information pack before they access their homes.

A large number of homes (174) in Zone 4 have been yellow stickered, which means they have suffered damage and are not yet safe to be permanently occupied - however people are able to return to begin the clean-up.

Support and information services are available at Edgecumbe Hall Contact Centre for residents. There are a range of agencies and support services that are available to residents.

Although water is restored to much of Edgecumbe, we are continuing to ask people to conserve water as the network remains fragile, and a boil-water notice remains in place.

There will be tankers in Edgecumbe providing drinking water, and we are asking people to bring their own containers.

Around 120 volunteers are expected in the area to help residents who returned yesterday. A total of nearly 500 people have registered as volunteers to support the ongoing clean-up effort in Edgecumbe.