Emergency Management Southland Update

Key Updates from Emergency Management Southland October 26, 2025

States of emergency for Southland and Clutha remain in place, with the emergency response likely to continue into next week.
Please check on your neighbours and share information where needed.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J Hercules arrived Saturday afternoon with staff to support the response and large generators for restoring the telecommunications network.
Other available generators are being prioritised for critical services (waste and drinking water treatment, healthcare, supermarkets, fuel) before redistribution as power is restored.

Rural Information:

Emergency management teams are working with farmers to gather intelligence on locations needing generators for milking sheds and stock water.
If you need a generator or have other urgent needs, call 0800 890 127 or email [email protected] with your location and needs.
Generators are being sourced and will be distributed to areas likely to be without power for some time.
Communicate with your dairy company and talk to Otago Regional Council or Environment Southland if you must dispose of milk.
For animal welfare emergency management questions, phone MPI on 0800 00 83 33.

Support Facilities Available:

Foodstuffs South Island confirms all Southland stores are trading, with those in power-affected areas running off generators.
The Wyndham Camping Ground (135 Cardigan Road, Wyndham 9892) will be open Sunday from 8 AM to 8 PM for toilets, showers, kitchen, or laundry (coin operated). It will remain open for several days.
Gore Multisports Complex is open, offering free showers, a cuppa, and a biscuit for those without power.
Stadium Southland in Invercargill is open Sunday from 9 AM to 4 PM, offering showers for a small fee.
The Invercargill City Library is open from 10 AM Sunday for device charging.

8,000 Properties Still Without Power in Southland

Power restoration efforts continue across Southland, with around 8,000 properties still without electricity following Thursday’s destructive storm.

Emergency Management Southland Controller Vibhuti Chopra said progress was steady, but the state of emergency would likely remain in place until mid next week.

“Yesterday afternoon, around midday, there were 12,000 connections still down; this morning, it’s 8,000,” Chopra said.
“For cell towers, it was 92 down yesterday, it’s 50 now, so they’re bringing in crews from across the country.”

She said restoration work sometimes meant temporary outages as lines were repaired and reconnected, affecting water and wastewater services.

“It’s all under control, but it can go up and down a bit while the work is happening.”

Residents needing support can contact the Emergency Management Southland welfare team on 0800 890 127 or email [email protected].

Southland Farmers Sharing Generators
Many Southland farmers are sharing generators to keep milking operations running.
Otautau farmer Stu Kent said his power was out for three days before being restored late Sunday morning.

“We’ve just got the generator back that’s been rolling around three farms,” he said.
“We’re just trying to get milk, get stock water back out, and get the pump going for the tanks.”

With no refrigeration, Kent said milk couldn’t be collected by Open Country.

“They can’t pick up warm milk — that’s just the rules — otherwise it goes off,” he said.

Kent, who milks 400 cows, said he was giving away milk to neighbours and calf rearers to avoid waste.

“At the moment, I’m really fortunate. I’ve got a 12,000-litre vat that filled up on the first two milkings. We had that overflowing,” he said.
“I’ve got guys who want calf milk, so I’m just giving that away.”

He joked that after several days without a shower, the tub in the cowshed was starting to look tempting.

Defence Force Helping in Clutha
Clutha Mayor Jock Martin said the New Zealand Defence Force had been deployed to go door to door in rural communities still without power or cellphone coverage.

“The army has sent a team down from Burnham; they’re doing needs assessments in rural areas,” he said.
“It’s back to old-fashioned comms and door-knocking, delivering pamphlets by hand.”

Martin said the storm caused “carnage in some areas”, with recovery expected to take months.

Boil Water Notice for Most of Clutha
Clutha District Council has issued a precautionary boil water notice for most areas, excluding:

Balclutha
Kaitangata
Wangaloa
Milton
Waihola

The notice is due to limited communication from water treatment plants.
Residents without power can use gas cookers or barbecues to boil water, or visit friends and family who have power.

Emergency Management Update
A state of emergency remains in place for both Southland and Clutha, with recovery efforts likely to continue into next week.

Priorities include:

Restoring power to telecommunications, water, and wastewater systems
Supporting community and animal welfare
Distributing and tracking generators

A Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J Hercules arrived Saturday with large generators for the telecommunications network. Other generators are being prioritised for hospitals, supermarkets, and fuel stations.

Authorities emphasised there is no fuel shortage in Southland — supplies remain healthy and can be resupplied as needed.

Rural Assistance and Welfare
Emergency teams are working with farmers and the rural sector to identify properties needing generators for milking and stock water.
If you need assistance, contact 0800 890 127 or email [email protected].

Farmers are encouraged to communicate with dairy companies and regional councils about safe milk disposal if required.

For animal welfare emergencies, phone MPI on 0800 00 83 33.

Support Facilities Open

Wyndham Camping Ground, 135 Cardigan Rd: Open 8am–8pm daily with toilets, showers, kitchen, and laundry (coin-operated).
Gore Multisports Complex: Free showers, plus tea and biscuits.
ILT Stadium Southland: Showers available 9am–4pm (small fee).
Invercargill Library: Open from 10am for device charging.

Water, Wastewater, and Food Safety
Most water and wastewater systems are operational but still running on generators.
Residents should continue conserving water and avoid flushing unnecessarily.

For food safety:

Discard thawed food that’s been at room temperature for two hours or more.
Don’t refreeze thawed food once power returns.
Eat perishables first, canned goods last.

Roads and Transport
All state highways are open, but some Southland roads remain closed, including Milford Road.
Rail services are operating, though several crossings near Invercargill are restricted, with trains limited to 10km/h in those areas.

Weather Outlook
All weather warnings have been lifted for Southland, but officials caution that ground remains saturated and waterways are high.
Rain and snow are expected early in the week, though not in significant amounts.

Stay up to date via Emergency Management Southland and MetService, and continue to check on neighbours and share reliable information.

Power is steadily being restored, with PowerNet crews prioritising critical services and townships.

If you have questions or concerns about animal welfare emergency management,