Taskforce Kiwi Deploys To The Tasman Region To Provide Flood Relief
Taskforce Kiwi deployed community engagement teams into the region last week, and over the weekend began moving people, vehicles and equipment from both the South and North Island into the region to launch relief operations. This activity has been enabled by support volunteers based around Aotearoa.
A team of 17 skilled volunteers is currently based out of the Riwaka Rugby Club, and have already completed work on eight impacted properties in the Motueka Valley, with a focus on the area around Ngātīmoti. A steady stream of support requests continues to be received, indicating the need that remains in the region. Many of those tasks have been received via the Rural Support Trust, who are actively supporting those impacted in the area.
Tasks have primarily involved debris clearance tasks, removing flood debris by hand, tools, or chainsaw. Many of these tasks have been in support of those who do not have the ability to undertake those tasks themselves, due to the scale of the damage.
About Taskforce Kiwi
Taskforce Kiwi is an entirely voluntary charity organisation that exists to bridge the gap in disaster relief, providing skilled, organised volunteers to provide direct support to impacted communities before, during and after disasters.
Founded in July 2022, Taskforce Kiwi has since recruited 720 volunteers nationwide, the majority of who have already serve their country and communities in the defence force or one of the emergency services, and as a result have the ideal skill and experience required for disaster relief work. Over the past three years volunteers have contributed over 14,000 hours of skilled work in the field, carrying out 19 operations.
The majority of our work has been at home, including in response to the Auckland Anniversary flood, Cyclone Gabrielle, the 2024 Wairoa flood, bushfires and floods in Canterbury, and the Mangawhai tornado. Taskforce Kiwi volunteers have also deployed internationally, providing support to impacted communities in Australia, the US, Canada, Morocco, Vanuatu, PNG and Thailand.
Taskforce Kiwi relies on the support of businesses, trusts and individuals to operate. For example, Mitsubishi Motors NZ and TR Group provide vehicles, Mitre10 supplies equipment, and the Rata Foundation provided the funding to get initial boots on the ground in Tasman.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
30-07-2025
- RNZ News
Landslide mapping to be included on Auckland LIM reports from October
A landslide in West Auckland's Karekare during 2023's Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo: RNZ / Leonard Powell The first detailed mapping in almost three decades of Auckland areas prone to landslides will go on LIM reports later this year, Auckland Council says. The council has done a study of the entire region, giving new information and putting an end to anecdotal information having to be used. "So we've mapped the entire Auckland region all the way across the whole region, all the way from upper Warkworth all the way down to the bottom of Franklin. "And so we've covered everywhere. If you live in Auckland, these maps apply to you," Auckland Council chief engineer Ross Roberts told Nine to Noon. The mapping will be used by the likes of planners, developers, engineers and homeowners. Roberts said it will also play a key part in the council stopping developments in areas susceptible to landslides. He noted the information shows where there is a potential for a problem, rather than a definite problem. "These give an indication of where people might want to investigate further, they are not saying that there is going to be a landslide here. "We're not in a position yet with the science available to be able to forecast landslides. So it's giving people an indication. So they might want to dig further. They might need to get more information," Roberts said. The biggest problem areas were not surprising, Roberts said and they were in areas with big hills. "So you're looking at areas of the Hunua Ranges and you get up into parts of Rodney sort of north of Ōrewa, you see some of the bigger land sites. Auckland's Hunua Ranges. (File photo) Photo: RNZ/ Olivia Allison "Especially in some of the geology that's more vulnerable," Roberts told Nine to Noon. He said the northern half of Auckland was "particularly vulnerable" to ongoing slow movements that could pose challenges. The mapping also meant there was now consistency with information from across the Auckland region, he said. "We're not just relying on the anecdotal evidence looking at this and saying this looks like a problem area. "Now we've got a map that say, OK, now we could compare one place to another and say 'actually, we know that this is a higher susceptibility, we can start to do something about it'." Roberts said including the new mapping on LIM reports was "the right thing to do". "It's really important that people buying homes understand whether they should be looking harder to understand the problem. "But also we have a legal obligation to, if we have any information about a hazard, we're legally advised to put that on them. "They can look at it and say 'OK, there's a potential problem here, I'll get specialist advice, I'll get an expert to come and give me some information to make sure that in future my house is going to be safe'." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
1News
30-07-2025
- 1News
Te Puke neighbours' flooding fight: 'We stress every time it rains'
Every time it rains, residents of a Western Bay of Plenty neighbourhood watch and wait for the flood waters to rise. They say it's only in the last few years that the nearby stream has become a real threat, and they want action from their council. An official says the area has always had flood risks, and the council carries out regular work in the area. Homes at the bottom of Muir Place in Te Puke are a few hundred metres from the Ōhineangaanga Stream, which rises rapidly during downpours. Peter Willis' land borders the stream. ADVERTISEMENT He said there had been six large flooding events since 2022. Peter Willis' Raymond Ave land on the Ōhineangaanga Stream in Te Puke floods during heavy rain. Photo / Brydie Thompson (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) The worst was the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods in 2023, when his paddocks were underwater and water reached halfway up his shed, about 1.5m high, he said. Willis grazes sheep in the paddock but moves them to a neighbour's land if flooding was likely. He no longer used the shed after numerous floods, and had not rebuilt damaged fences, as they would get knocked down by water and debris. It would cost $60,000 to $70,000 to relocate the shed, Willis said. "We stress every time it rains, we're all out here at midnight. These last three rain events, we were all out here with torches checking how the creek's going." Willis believed the new Te Mania subdivision on nearby Dunlop Rd, which started in 2022, contributed to the flooding because its stormwater drained into the stream. ADVERTISEMENT Silt and debris left on the Muir Place right-of-way after the nearby stream flooded in January 2023. Photo / Supplied (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Willis and other residents want the Western Bay of Plenty District Council to build a stopbank for the stream to alleviate flooding. Kate King and her neighbours also wanted regular maintenance to keep the culvert downstream clear. The residents warned the council about the logs and debris blocking the culvert before the January 2023 flooding, but it wasn't cleared, she said. One of her neighbours was "constantly" calling if the culvert was blocked and being told it would be cleared in two or three weeks, King said. "It's not good enough when they know that the area is prone to flooding. "Every time it has flooded, it has flooded because they [the council] have not responded to the fact that there has been a blockage of the culvert." ADVERTISEMENT Kate King worries for her elderly neighbours because their properties flood from the nearby stream. Photo / Brydie Thompson (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) King's property was far enough from the stream that it was less likely to flood, but she worried for her elderly neighbours, some of whom lived alone. During the January 2023 event the water flooded a car on an elevated driveway at least 200m from the stream, she said. Before the Dunlop Rd subdivision, their properties had never been so threatened by floods, King said. The water would rise no further than a fence near the driveway. Bev Steenson said she and three other neighbours were in their 80s. One slept with a suitcase under her bed in case she needed to evacuate. "It's not how you want to live your retirement. We don't particularly want to lose our assets or our sense of peace. ADVERTISEMENT Flooding at Roy Ogle's Muir Place property in May 2023. Photo / Supplied (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) "We are in an immediate need of some sort of protection for our houses." Roy Ogle's property runs along the Muir Place side of the stream. He has lost fences and had to redo his driveway after flooding. His neighbour's properties needed to be safeguarded, but he said a stopbank would cost millions and he believed the chances of getting one were "zilch". Ogle suggested a gabion basket wall replace the wooden fence at the edge of the driveways to prevent water reaching homes. Council asset management team lead James Abraham said the Ōhineangaanga Stream and nearby properties had always been susceptible to flood hazards. Extensive hydraulic modelling was done to assess the effects of the Te Mania subdivision, which was accepted by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, he said. ADVERTISEMENT The modelling showed the development would not cause increased flood depth in the surrounding area. Roy Ogle wants action from the council to alleviate flooding. Photo / Brydie Thompson (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) The council aimed to respond to blocked stormwater culverts within 10 days, and had an eight-hour average response time over the past four years, he said. "Our approach is to proactively inspect culverts and open drains at least every six months, clear debris as it accumulates, and respond promptly to service requests." The upstream catchment was rural and included kiwifruit orchards and forestry operations that could contribute "significant" slash and debris during storms. "This is a challenge faced by many councils across New Zealand." The council focussed on protecting homes from flooding. Sheds were not a priority, Abraham said. ADVERTISEMENT Specific mitigation works had not been funded through the council's Long-Term Plan, but council had agreed to investigate what options might be feasible for the area, he said. This included assessing the effectiveness and cost of stopbanks or other interventions including those suggested by residents, Abraham said. A Te Mania spokesperson said the completed stages and those under-construction were designed and approved in line with the relevant district and regional council standards. All development stormwater discharge was approved by the district council before construction, and construction stormwater was managed in line with regional council requirements, they said. Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
NZ Herald
29-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Te Puke residents demand council action on frequent flooding
Peter Willis' land borders the stream. He said there had been six large flooding events since 2022. The worst was the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods in 2023 when his paddocks were underwater and water reached halfway up his shed, about 1.5m high, he said. Willis grazes sheep in the paddock but moves them to a neighbour's land if flooding was likely. He no longer used the shed after numerous floods, and had not rebuilt damaged fences as they would get knocked down by water and debris. It would cost $60,000-$70,000 to relocate the shed, Willis said. 'We stress every time it rains, we're all out here at midnight. 'These last three rain events, we were all out here with torches checking how the creek's going.' Peter Willis' Raymond Ave land on the Ōhineangaanga Stream in Te Puke floods during heavy rain. Photo / Brydie Thompson Willis believed the new Te Mania subdivision on nearby Dunlop Rd, which started in 2022, contributed to the flooding because its stormwater drained into the stream. Willis and other residents want the Western Bay of Plenty District Council to build a stopbank for the stream to alleviate flooding. Kate King and her neighbours also wanted regular maintenance to keep the culvert downstream clear. The residents warned the council about the logs and debris blocking the culvert before the January 2023 flooding, but it wasn't cleared, she said. One of her neighbours was 'constantly' calling if the culvert was blocked and being told it would be cleared in two or three weeks, King said. Kate King worries for her elderly neighbours because their properties flood from the nearby stream. Photo / Brydie Thompson 'It's not good enough when they know that the area is prone to flooding. 'Every time it has flooded, it has flooded because they [the council] have not responded to the fact that there has been a blockage of the culvert.' King's property was far enough from the stream that it was less likely to flood, but she worried for her elderly neighbours, some of whom lived alone. During the January 2023 event the water flooded a car on an elevated driveway at least 200m from the stream, she said. Before the Dunlop Rd subdivision, their properties had never been so threatened by floods, King said. The water would rise no further than a fence near the driveway. Silt and debris left on the Muir Place right-of-way after the nearby stream flooded in January 2023. Photo / Supplied Bev Steenson said she and three other neighbours were in their 80s. One slept with a suitcase under her bed in case she needed to evacuate. 'It's not how you want to live your retirement. We don't particularly want to lose our assets or our sense of peace. 'We are in an immediate need of some sort of protection for our houses.' Roy Ogle's property runs along the Muir Place side of the stream. He has lost fences and had to redo his driveway after flooding. His neighbour's properties needed to be safeguarded, but he said a stopbank would cost millions and he believed the chances of getting one were 'zilch'. Roy Ogle wants action from the council to alleviate flooding. Photo / Brydie Thompson Ogle suggested a gabion basket wall replace the wooden fence at the edge of the driveways to prevent water reaching homes. Council asset management team lead James Abraham said the Ōhineangaanga Stream and nearby properties had always been susceptible to flood hazards. Extensive hydraulic modelling was done to assess the effects of the Te Mania subdivision, which was accepted by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, he said. The modelling showed the development would not cause increased flood depth in the surrounding area. The council aimed to respond to blocked stormwater culverts within 10 days, and had an eight-hour average response time over the past four years, he said. Flooding at Roy Ogle's Muir Place property in May 2023. Photo / Supplied 'Our approach is to proactively inspect culverts and open drains at least every six months, clear debris as it accumulates, and respond promptly to service requests.' The upstream catchment was rural and included kiwifruit orchards and forestry operations that could contribute 'significant' slash and debris during storms. 'This is a challenge faced by many councils across New Zealand.' The council focussed on protecting homes from flooding. Sheds were not a priority, Abraham said. Specific mitigation works had not been funded through the council's Long-Term Plan, but council had agreed to investigate what options might be feasible for the area, he said. This included assessing the effectiveness and cost of stopbanks or other interventions including those suggested by residents, Abraham said. A Te Mania spokesperson said the completed stages and those under-construction were designed and approved in line with the relevant district and regional council standards. All development stormwater discharge was approved by the district council before construction, and construction stormwater was managed in line with regional council requirements, they said. - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
