'Very big mess' - Tasman's flood clean-up to take 'months and months'

1News

6 days ago

Tasman's mayor says the region faces "months and months" of clean-up work as it recovers from historic flooding that's devastated parts of the district.
More than 800 properties are being assessed for damage while the region grapples with 51 road closures, from local roads to State Highway 6 at Rocks Rd in Nelson, which NZTA said would be closed for "at least the next two days".
Nelson Tasman remains under a state of emergency.
Mayor Tim King told Breakfast it was easy to see from the air the hardest-hit properties.
Tasman Mayor Tim King spoke to Breakfast following more bad weather over the weekend. (Source: Breakfast)
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"There are large areas that are a very big mess," King said of the most recent inclement weather.
"The damage that's been done this time around compounds the damage - a lot of the same areas have been affected [with the] same property owners."
Strong winds over the weekend had been the "big difference" and resulted in "hundreds and hundreds" of falling trees on property and blocking roads, he said.
The mayor added weather had mostly impacted rural land.
"It's the biggest flood we've had in this region since the late 1800s," he said.
King said the weather forecast looked better over the next week, but that "the message is still, if you don't need to travel, please don't" today.
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"Complete rebuild" after Tasman homes and businesses hammered by repeated weather events. (Source: 1News)
NZTA Nelson/Tasman system manager Rob Service said further inspections at Rocks Rd were completed this morning.
"Geotechnical investigations confirm that heavy rain has created another unstable wedge of soil, with vegetation and rocks hanging above the highway. Pieces of debris are continuing to fall intermittently."
While sluicing to remove debris had begun, Service said the road must remain closed for "at least two days" due to the ongoing risk.
"At this stage, we do not expect to have SH6 Rocks Road open before Thursday."
State Highway 6 at Rocks Rd would remain closed until further notice, NZTA said. (Source: NZTA)
Six schools and early learning centres remain closed today: Tapawera Area School, Riwaka School, Brooklyn School, Parklands School, Tapawera Kindergarten and Horizons Montessori Riwaka.
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Around 80 customers remained without power this morning, with crews working to restore electricity to the hardest-hit parts of Thorpe-Dovedale, where flooding has made access to damaged poles on private land difficult.
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Council property assessment teams visited 417 properties yesterday and will continue today where they're aiming to visit a further 413 properties, according to Civil Defence.
"We will be focusing on the south of Tapawera, Rocky River, Dovedale, Baton River, Pretty Valley, Trass Valley and Hoult Valley areas."
Picking up the pieces
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said that the Government was focused on supporting the clean-up, but that the scope of support was still being decided on.
The Prime Minister spoke to Breakfast as the Nelson Tasman region began recovery from flooding. (Source: Breakfast)
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"Let's get a sense of what the scope of recovery is needed and support is needed. I've been pleased with the way that central government and local government work together very seamlessly," he told Breakfast.
King said it would take "months and months" to pick up the pieces from the floods.
He said there would be "a lot of difficult discussions" to have over the years ahead about how to improve the region's resilience to bad weather and "build back better".
Torrential downpours deluge districts still trying to recover from last week's floods. (Source: 1News)
"Trying to ensure that where we're repairing roads that they may have bigger culverts through them. In the rivers, there'll be a case of exactly, where do you put back protection?
"Where is it needed? How much of the river needs to be given room to move in? Then stop banks in the lower areas, which, very fortunately, in this event, held up really well, but they were tested to their absolute maximum.
"There'll be a lot of difficult discussions to have over the months and years ahead."
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