Southland’s Response to Bluecliffs Erosion Enters New Phase with Community Focus

• Southland District Mayor Rob Scott has officially moved to a recovery phase for the Bluecliffs erosion, setting a 28-day minimum for focused support and planning.
• The transition enables the appointment of a Recovery Manager for long-term erosion risk management, following significant advancements during the state of emergency.
• A joint funding effort led by Environment Southland and Southland District Council has secured $1.35 million for the cleanup of the Bluecliffs dump site, emphasizing community collaboration for future steps.

Southland District’s Mayor, Rob Scott, has taken a pivotal step by transitioning the Bluecliffs erosion response into a recovery phase. This strategic move ushers in a period of at least 28 days dedicated to recovery efforts, where Emergency Management Southland, alongside council entities, will persist in supporting the community.

Mayor Scott emphasized, “The decision to take this step into the recovery phase provides a minimum of a 28-day period where Emergency Management Southland and the councils will continue to support the community… This move allows us to appoint a Recovery Manager who will take a medium to longer-term view to managing the erosion risk at Bluecliffs.”

Following the initial declaration of a state of emergency on February 8, due to critical erosion threatening local properties and an old dump site, substantial progress was made. The recovery phase aims to build on this foundation, prioritizing sustainable, community-focused solutions.

Significant actions under the state of emergency included efforts to realign the Waiau River mouth and the removal of hazardous material from the community dump. Despite challenges, these actions have laid the groundwork for ongoing recovery and mitigation strategies.

In reinforcing the community’s role in recovery, Mayor Scott said, “We have progressed the two key pieces of work we set out to as part of this State of Emergency, and we have a lot more information available to us. This puts us in a good position to develop solutions, alongside the community, that are focused on the longer term.”

The announcement of $1.35 million in funding by Minister for the Environment Penny Simmonds, for the remediation of the dump site, highlights the collaborative effort between Environment Southland and Southland District Council.

Looking ahead, Mayor Scott reassures, “We’re reviewing the assessment of work already done to open the bar at the Waiau River mouth and the options available to us as next steps. Once we’ve considered this, we’ll be speaking with the community in the next week or so… The community’s ideas for the opening will be considered alongside this independent advice, and we’ll discuss the next steps with the community before moving forward.”

Mayor Scott also expressed his gratitude towards the Bluecliffs community for their cooperation and patience, urging them to stay proactive in their personal preparedness efforts against the erosion.

This transition to a recovery phase not only signifies a shift in strategy but also enables the Recovery Manager to direct resources effectively, mirroring the authoritative role played by a Controller during emergency scenarios.

From EMS Controller Matt Alley.