Latest news with #TasmanDistrictCouncil
NZ Herald
a day ago
- Climate
- NZ Herald
Nelson Tasman floods: Riwaka farmer battles silt and debris after heavy rains
He estimated that they received about 270mm of rain over three days from July 11. 'It was quite intrusive, because it went inside the house, which we've never had before, and it's in our packing shed and our tool gear. 'We're quite fortunate that we don't have to dig out any fruit trees, it's just lying on an open paddock that we grew a crop of beans in last year, so we can just avoid using that this summer, and it'll give us time to push it out. Most of that silt is quite fertile and usable.' Hickmott said the property often flooded when the Riuwaka River levels were high. Although that had not been the case this time around, many residents felt the stopbanks were inadequate and that the river's management could be improved. Some fences on Frank Hickmott's property were knocked flat and others damaged in the second of two floods to hit Tasman in the past month. Photo / RNZ, Mark Papalii The damage to their farm was worse than during ex-tropical Cyclone Gita. 'There's certainly more debris, a lot of regenerating native debris that's floated onto the paddocks, the odd pine log with roots on and the odd stump out of pine trees that have been milled where the ground has slumped afterwards.' He said it was difficult to estimate the cost of the damage. Several fences had been wiped out and others damaged. Some of the debris pulled out of the creek on Hickmott's property. Photo / RNZ, Mark Papalii His insurance company said it would cover up to $20,000 for fencing, but that wouldn't cover all the work that was needed. 'We've spent a bit on a digger clearing fences and getting the creek back in because it came fully out of its course and was running around our house for three days, so we had to divert that back into where it should be.' River management across Tasman after the floods Thorn Rd, alongside the Dove River, remains closed after it was damaged in the recent floods. Photo / RNZ, Mark Papalii Tasman District Council said that, as a unitary authority, it managed and maintained 285 kilometres of larger waterways, including the Motueka, Wai-iti, Waimea, Dove, Aorere and Tākaka Rivers. The majority of smaller rivers and tributaries had no active management or ongoing maintenance. However, as the recent bad weather had affected properties and land next to rivers and waterways of all sizes, it had begun a tree and debris clean-up on some of the smaller catchments, including the Pigeon Valley Stream, Eighty Eight Valley Stream, Pretty Bridge Valley Stream, Stanley Brook and others. The clean-up would be done alongside recovery work in the large waterways. During the recovery phase, the council said long-term commitment to river work and community collaboration would be needed to repair flood damage and make the district's rivers more resilient to future floods. Mayoral relief fund Contractors clear debris from drains on Dehra Doon Rd, in Riwaka. Photo / RNZ, Mark Papalii The Government gave $100,000 to the Nelson Tasman Mayoral Relief Fund after the June 27 flood, followed by a further $300,000 after the July 11 flood, tagged to the rural sector. The fund was open to Nelson City and Tasman District residents, ratepayers or not-for-profit organisations who had suffered financial hardship because of the floods. Tasman District Council said the fund was now at $624,000, thanks to the Government and community donations. Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said the Mayoral Relief Panel met on Wednesday to consider and approve grants to 24 families affected by the last two storms. The fund was not a substitute for support from insurance companies, the Natural Hazards Commission, the Accident Compensation Corporation or the Ministry of Social Development, but was intended to help with incidental costs as people recovered, he said. It included the cost of flood-damaged items such as bedding, clothing, toys, fencing, appliances, outbuildings, paddock and crop damage, stock feed, equipment, driveways and vehicles. The minimum grant was $200, and it could cover up to 50% of an insurance excess. A separate Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) fund of $340,000 was available to help farmers and orchardists. People could apply to both funds for different losses. Smith said the two funds were being co-ordinated, but the MPI fund had a separate panel with agricultural expertise. Both mayors said anyone affected by the recent storms could apply for support until August 8. - RNZ
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Nelson Tasman floods: 'It was quite intrusive because it went inside the house'
Frank Hickmott stands in the creek that runs through his Riwaka property and changed course in the 11 July flood. Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal A Riwaka farmer says he's used to flooding, but the last few weeks have been unlike anything he's seen before. Frank Hickmott has lived in Riwaka, a small settlement in the Tasman District, his whole life, where he farms vegetables and fruit with his brother Stewart. He said their property received another 100 millimetres of rain yesterday, which fell atop a thick layer of silt and sludge that was spread across his land during the last flood. They had "dodged a bullet' in the 27 June storm, but during the heavy rain two weeks later, a creek at the back of the farm became blocked and later burst, sending debris from down the hilllside and over part of their property. He estimated that they received around 270mm of rain over three days from 11 July . "It was quite intrusive because it went inside the house, which we've never had before, and it's in our packing shed and our tool gear." Some of the debris pulled out of the creek on Hickmott's property. Photo: RNZ/Mark Papalii He said it was lucky the silt hadn't crossed the road and entered their kiwifruit and pear orchard. "We're quite fortunate that we don't have to dig out any fruit trees, it's just laying on an open paddock that we grew a crop of beans in last year so we can just avoid using that this summer and it'll give us time to push it out, most of that silt is quite fertile and usable." Hickmott said the property often flooded when the Riuwaka River levels were high and although that hadn't been the case this time around, many residents felt the stopbanks were inadequate and the river's management could be better. The damage to their farm was worse than what they experienced in ex-Tropical Cyclone Gita. Some fences on Frank Hickmott's property were knocked flat and others damaged in the second of two floods to hit Tasman in the last month. Photo: RNZ/Mark Papalii "There's certainly more debris, a lot of regenerating native debris that's floated onto the paddocks, the odd pine log with roots on and the odd stump out of pine trees that have been milled where the ground has slumped afterwards." He said it was difficult to estimate the cost of the damage to the farm. A number of fences had been wiped out with others damaged. His insurance company said it would cover up to $20,000 for fencing, but that wouldn't cover all the work that was needed. "We've spent a bit on a digger clearing fences and getting the creek back in because it came fully out of its course and was running around our house for three days, so we had to divert that back into where it should be." Contractors clear debris from drains on Dehra Doon Rd, in Riwaka. Photo: RNZ/Mark Papalii The Tasman District Council said as a unitary authority, it looked after the district's river with 285 kilometres of the larger waterways, including the Motueka, Wai-iti, Waimea, Dove, Aorere and Tākaka Rivers, actively managed and maintained. The majority of smaller rivers and tributaries had no active management or ongoing maintenance, but as the recent weather had affected properties and land next to rivers and waterways of all sizes, it had begun a tree and debris cleanup on some of the smaller catchments, including the Pigeon Valley Stream, Eighty Eight Valley Stream, Pretty Bridge Valley Stream, Stanley Brook and others. That work would be done alongside major river recovery work in the large waterways, following a similar plan of an initial post-flood cleanup and repair of the most vulnerable areas. During the recovery phase, the council said long-term commitment to river work and community collaboration would be needed to repair flood damage and make the district's rivers more resilient to future floods. Thorn Road, alongside the Dove River, remains closed after it was damaged in the recent floods. Photo: RNZ/Mark Papalii The government donated $100,000 to the Nelson/Tasman Mayoral Relief Fund after the 27 June flood followed by another $300,000 following the 11 July flood, tagged to the rural sector. The fund was open to Nelson City and Tasman District residents, ratepayers or not-for-profit organisations who had suffered financial hardship because of the June/July flood events. The Tasman District Council said the fund was now at $624,000, thanks to the government and community donations. Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said the Mayoral Relief Panel met on Wednesday to consider and approve grants to 24 families impacted by the last two storms. The Tasman District was hit by two devastating floods, two weeks apart, causing widespread damage to homes and businesses. Photo: Tim Cuff / POOL He said the fund was not a substitute for insurance, Natural Hazards Commission, ACC or MSD income support but was able to help with incidental costs as people recovered. It included the cost of flood damaged items like bedding, clothing, toys, fencing, appliances, outbuildings, paddock and crop damage, stock feed, equipment, driveways and motor vehicles. The minimum grant was $200 and it could cover up to 50 per cent of an insurance excess. A separate MPI fund of $340,000 was available to help farmers and orchardists recover and people were able to apply to both funds for different losses. He said the two funds were being coordinated but the MPI fund had a separate panel with agricultural expertise. Both mayors said anyone affected by the recent storms needing help could apply for support up until 8 August.
RNZ News
19-07-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Increase in cases of vomiting, diarrhoea since Nelson-Marlborough flooding
SATURDAY People cleaning flood-affected areas have been advised to cover cuts and wounds, wear a mask, and wash hands thoroughly before eating and drinking. Photo: Supplied/ Fire and Emergency NZ Health New Zealand has reported a spike in reported cases of vomiting and diarrhoea at the top of South Island, after recent flooding. The health agency said floodwater and silt could be contaminated with faces, and agricultural or industrial waste, and often carried bugs that could cause gastrointestinal illnesses. It said the overall number of cases reported to the public health service in Nelson-Marlborough was small, but investigations showed many had been exposed to the flooding. However, it was unable to directly link the outbreak to contaminated drinking water or food caused by the flooding, or contact with flood-contaminated land and water. A spokesperson was unable to confirm the number of cases. The agency said, while the Tasman District Council had tested its water supply and had no concerns about water quality, it had advised bore-water owners and those who had been issued with a notice to boil their water as a precaution. "People should treat all surface water as contaminated, and keep children and pets away from contaminated areas, until they have been cleaned up." Health NZ said people cleaning flood-affected areas should cover cuts and wounds, wear a mask, and wash hands thoroughly before eating and drinking. It encouraged anyone with symptoms of gastrointestinal illness - including diarrhoea or vomiting - following the floods to call Healthline or contact their general practitioner. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
17-07-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Stopbanks urgently being repaired in Tasman district ahead of more wet weather
The Motueka River following the two recent flooding events. Photo: SUPPLIED Flood damaged river stopbanks are being urgently repaired by Tasman District Council ahead of more wet weather that was forecast for the end of the month. The region has been slammed with two major floods in the past two weeks and Earth Sciences New Zealand is forecasting more wet weather for later in July and into early August. The council's river manager David Arseneau told RNZ a key priority was fixing an area of stopbank at the top of the Wai-iti River. "The whole stopbank just got scoured out over about 150 metres or so, we are actively out there rebuilding firstly the ground that the stopbank used to be on, and then the stopbank - before the next weather event comes in," he said. Council workers had been out in boats surveying the river network and assessing the damage. Another area that had been hit was on the Motueka River around Peach Island, where the stopbanks overtopped. The Motueka River in flood. Photo: SUPPLIED "They've survived and stood up. So right now we are planning out what that repair job looks like and also looking forward to an upgrade and strengthening... it's the same with the Brooklyn stop banks as well," he said. In many areas of the Tasman District, rivers have massively widened and realigned through paddocks and farms, Arseneau said. "In the short term we are just not going to be able to solve those issues on any kind of scale before the next flood or the flood after that. "It's a multi-year recovery that we are looking at for property damage and the impacts on our rural communities." The rivers had completely changed, he said. "They are no longer the rivers they were three or four weeks ago. When big events like this come along, the rivers flex, adapt and change... then they'll hopefully be relatively stable for a few decades." The Wai-iti River in recent days. Photo: SUPPLIED The Nelson Tasman region had begun transitioning from a state of emergency into recovery mode . As of Wednesday, 10 homes have been red stickered, 42 yellow stickered and 48 white stickered, which meant further assessment was needed. Nelson Tasman Civil Defence is providing accommodation for 12 people following both floods. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
17-07-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Families remain isolated in parts of Motueka Valley following Nelson Tasman floods
Nearly 30 families remain isolated in the Motueka Valley as the Nelson Tasman region transitions into recovery , after two floods weeks apart caused widespread damage. The state of emergency, which was declared on July 10, expires on Thursday with the region moving into a transition period for the next month. About 28 families were cut off in parts of the Motueka Valley where damaged roads were impassable and could remain so for several months, Tasman District Council group recovery manager Richard Kirby said. The residents in Graham Valley Rd, Hinetai Rd and the Wangapeka West Bank Rd had been delivered supplies by helicopter and the focus over the coming days was to reassess their needs and look at whether emergency access could be put in place. "The couple of roads that we're talking about are fairly major and may not be repaired for two or three months so we need to also look and see what sort of access we can put in, alternative access, if we can. "Most of them are lifestyle blocks and small sections so we've been talking to them and finding out what they need and dropping it off and we will continue that during the recovery period." Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi As of Wednesday, 10 homes had been red stickered, 42 yellow stickered and 48 white stickered, which meant further assessment was needed, with Nelson Tasman Civil Defence currently providing accommodation for 12 people following both floods. The district received two months of rain in a 48-hour period from June 27 and the scale of damage was exacerbated in the second flood on July 11, which was smaller but resulted in greater damage caused by high winds and saturated ground. Kirby said there were still 40-odd road closures across the district, with contractors working across the roading network to reinstate one-way access wherever possible. "There will be a big job to come back and do the final repairs, that work is likely to take probably 12 to 18 months, maybe two years to actually fully recover from." The other area of focus was stabilising the river network, ahead of the long range forecast predicting more heavy rain in the months ahead, but Kirby said full repairs and work with landowners on private properties adjacent to rivers likely to take years. "The rivers team are just highlighting where the urgent areas are so if there is any more heavy rain, we minimise further erosion and further damage, but it's fair to say that we're not going to get the rivers in any state ready for major floods for at least two, three, four years." The ground in Motueka Valley is sodden. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi Six households in the region remained without power after the most recent flood, Network Tasman operations manager Robert Derks said, with work underway to reconnect most of them before the weekend. About 3200 households were left without power in last Friday's storm. Three homes in Hinetai Rd and surrounds, two homes in Riwaka-Sandy Bay Rd and one in Teapot Valley Rd remained without power. Derks said the power poles at the Mārahau site in Riwaka-Sandy Bay Rd had been wiped out by a slip and needed to be rebuilt before the power could be reinstated. The same site had been wiped out by ex-Tropical Cyclone Gita in 2018. Abel Tasman Sea Shuttle's Greg Knapp had been collecting debris from the Motueka Sandspit after the Tasman District Council and civil defence got in touch to see if he had a vessel to assist with the clean up from the first flood. "Basically looking for anything that is not meant to be in the sea, tanalised posts, timber, apple bins, hail netting, fridges, I even found a kid's Ninja is all sorts out there, LPG bottles, you name it, it's all ended up out there." He's spent the last few weeks loading flood debris onto his barge, Astrolabe and almost had the spit cleaned up last week, only to have to start again after last Friday's flood. Knapp said the community had been amazing in pulling together to clean up after the floods. A number of churches in Motueka are co-ordinating a relief effort to provide affected families with essential items lost in the floods. Donations of clothes, shoes, household goods, kitchenware and furniture are being sought and can be dropped off at the Motueka Rec Centre on Saturday July 18 between 8.30am-9.30am with affected residents able to collect what they need between 12pm and 4pm. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
