Welcome to our Saturday Roading & Weather update for Invercargill & Southland, we will be adding ongoing updates as we receive them from various agencies including NZTA, Emergency Management Southland, Environment Southland and Councils. Check back for updates!

10:40am Sunday Update: from Gore District Council

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Gore’s boil water notice is lifted, effective immediately.

Our 3 Waters team has received the results of tests taken at the Hilbre Ave water treatment plant and throughout the network, and everything’s good.

4pm Update: From Invercargill City Council.

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State of Emergency lifted, some Invercargill district roads remain closed

The State of Emergency for Southland has been lifted but some roads across the Invercargill district remain closed.

The emergency was declared for Southland on Thursday 21 September after heavy rain and flooding in the region. The region was moved into a Local Transition Period at 1.30pm on Saturday 23 September.

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A transition period supports the shift from response to initial recovery phase and provides for recovery managers to assist with recovery for a specific period of time.

Invercargill City Council Chief Executive Michael Day said there were still several roads across the Invercargill district that were flooded, and closed.

The roads in the Invercargill district that are closed are West Plains Rd, Ferry Rd, Kennington Rd and Staunton Rd. State Highway 99 Lorneville to Wallacetown also remains closed.

“Our teams are out continuing to monitor and address the flooding impacts where possible,” Day said.

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“If you’re travelling in the region today, please be extremely cautious as some roads may still have surface water, and there may be damage yet to be identified.

“It’s also key that you keep an eye on updates from Emergency Management Southland, Southland District Council and Gore District Council, as there are several rural roads right across the region that are still affected.”

Invercargill City Mayor Nobby Clark said now was the time to start focusing on recovery.

“Some of our people will have been significantly impacted by these floods and these situations can be very distressing for people,” he said.

“It will take some time for clean-up across Invercargill and Southland and we need to make sure we’re looking after each other. Seek help if you need it.”

Civil defence payments have been made available to people impacted by this weather event and can be accessed by calling 0800 559 009.

Civil defence payments can help cover the costs of food, bedding, clothing, accommodation and loss of income.

2:20pm Update: from Emergency Management Southland & Gore District Council

The Gore District Council has arranged for a water tanker to be parked out the south end of Ardwick Street behind the playground at 1:00 pm today. This is so people can fill their own bottles.

Our staff will keep an eye on the levels and refill tanker as and when required. The water has come from the Treatment plant at Mataura.

The State of Emergency in Southland has been lifted as the region moves into a Local Transition Period to support the community and address flooding impacts.The official State of Emergency was declared for Southland on Thursday 21 September, following significant rain and subsequent flooding across the region. The region is now shifting into a local transition period from 1.30pm on Saturday 23 September.

Transition periods support a transition from response into the initial recovery phase. It is the notice of a Local Transition Period that provides for recovery actions to be undertaken for a specific period of time, in this case initially 28 days.

Rain in the region has ceased as the weather system travels up the country. In Southland, floodwaters across the region have receded significantly and rivers have peaked, allowing some highways and roads to reopen.

Emergency Management Southland group controller Simon Mapp said the decision had been made to shift from a State of Emergency to a Local Transition Period so response teams could now focus on recovery.

“It was agreed to move to this Local Transition Period and not completely lift the emergency powers available to us because there are still boil water notices in place for Tuatapere and Gore, and we need more time to fully understand the impacts of the flooding on our communities and the damage there has been to infrastructure like roads and stop banks.”

State Highways 1, 6 and 93 have been reopened, but SH99, between Lorneville and Wallacetown outside Invercargill, was still closed and many rural roads across the Gore, Southland and Invercargill districts remained closed, Simon Mapp said.

A precautionary boil water notice was issued for Gore township on Saturday morning.

The conserve water notice for Tuatapere had been lifted, but the boil water notice would remain in place while further water testing checks were undertaken, he said.

“As the clean-up phase gets under way, look after your wellbeing and that of those around you. This is a stressful time for many people and recovery could take some time.”

Flooding and emergency events can be extremely distressing for people and as the damage and loss becomes more clear, we know people will need support.

If you need mental health support there are a number of agencies available.

Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor.

Lifeline – 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) or free text 4357 (HELP).
Youthline – 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat.
Samaritans – 0800 726 666
Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO).
Healthline – 0800 611 116

For the latest on the rivers visit the Environment Southland website)

ENDS

10:30am Update:

This is an official message from Emergency Management Southland

Floodwaters across the Southland region have begun to recede, and rain has ceased but the region-wide State of Emergency remains in place as teams assess the conditions.

A State of Emergency was declared for Southland on Thursday 21 September, following significant rain and subsequent flooding across the region.

Emergency Management Southland duty controller Simon Mapp said on Saturday that most rivers had peaked overnight and were lower and slower than initially expected, but there were still several hazards across the region.

(For the latest on the rivers visit the Environment Southland website)

“While several roads have reopened and we continue to see floodwaters subside and river levels drop back, it’s important that people remain cautious and alert, and avoid floodwaters as they could be contaminated or contain debris.”

(For up-to-date information on road closures, see Emergency Management Southland Facebook page)

“There are temporary speed limits in place across the region and people should be aware that some water will remain on the roads, even where they are open, and some roads may have damage that is not entirely evident at this stage.”

A precautionary boil water notice was issued for Gore township on Saturday morning after turbidity levels spiked at the Hilbre Avenue water treatment plant. The increase in particles in the water supply was being caused by discoloured flood water from the Mataura River entering the Jacobstown Well aquifer.

The conserve water notice for Tuatapere had been lifted, but the boil water notice would remain in place while further water testing checks were undertaken, he said.

“We are now looking towards the recovery of those affected in our region. It’s not yet clear the extent of the damage and loss suffered by our community but steps are in place to manage and provide welfare to those who need it.

“As the clean-up phase gets under way, look after your wellbeing and that of those around you. This is a stressful time for many people and recovery could take some time.”

Please seek support and advice if you need it – organisations such as the Southland Rural Support Trust, Federated Farmers, DairyNZ, Beef+Lamb NZ are available to help.

For the latest on further road closures and conditions see the Gore District Council Facebook page, the Southland District Council website and Waka Kotahi for state highways. ENDS

9:40am Update:
The Gore District Council has this morning issued a boil water notice for Gore, effective immediately.

3 Waters Operations Manager Aaron Green said the notice was a precaution after turbidity levels spiked the Hilbre Avenue water treatment plant.

The increase in particles in the water supply was being caused by discoloured flood water from the Mataura River entering the Jacobstown Well aquifer.

“We are increasing our testing and monitoring.”
Mr Green said it was unknown how long the boil water notice would be in place. ENDS

8:30am Update:

We are happy to advise that SH1, between Gore and Mataura, and SH93, between Mataura and Clinton, are now open. Our staff and contractors have been on-site since early this morning, clearing the sandbags.

We want to thank motorists and Mataura residents for their understanding and patience.

OPEN

SH1, between Gore and Mataura
Clyde Street, in Mataura

Gore District roads still closed are:

River Road
River Street
River Terrace
Ontario Street
Bury Street, between Gorton and River streets
Woolwich Street
Knapdale Road, between Woolwich Street and McKinnon Road
Maitland Street, from the flood bank west
Otamita Road
Otama Flat Road
McBain Road

This is an official message from Emergency Management Southland

The rain has eased, but a region-wide state of emergency remains for Southland.

Emergency Management Southland duty controller Lucy Hicks said latest information suggests most rivers in the region have peaked, although the Mataura River is still to peak at Gore and further down the catchment. At this stage, all peaks are expected to remain within the capacity of the river system, with the predicted peak for the Mataura River considerably lower than the 2020 flooding event. (For the latest on the rivers visit the Environment Southland website )

All community hubs are now closed but people are urged to reach out if they need assistance or feel unsafe. If urgent assistance is required they should call 111, and there are a number of other agencies providing support, including the Rural Support Trust.

Ms Hicks said although the immediate flooding concerns are easing, hazards remain and people should avoid flood waters as they may be contaminated or contain dangerous debris.

“We’ve received reports of people attempting to whitebait on stands along flooded rivers. This is incredibly unsafe and could put others at risk by diverting essential emergency services.”

Road closures are constantly changing as flood waters rise and fall in different areas. People are encouraged to avoid travel, but if they need to, they should take extreme caution and check for road closures before leaving. While a number of roads remain closed, there will be others that have significant surface flooding or damage from the flooding.

For the latest on further road closures and conditions see the Gore District Council Facebook page, the Southland District Council website and Waka Kotahi for state highways.

As we move into the next few days and flooding recedes, the impacts of the flooding will start to be known. This will particularly affect our farmers who will need to manage stock in some challenging environments. Farmers are urged to seek advice and support from agencies such as the Southland Rural Support Trust, Dairy NZ, Beef + Lamb NZ. ENDS

Weather update expected after 9am.

Invercargill & Southland Saturday Roading & Weather Updates – Ongoing

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