Auckland families face tough choices in flood buy-out scheme
Two and a half years have passed since the Auckland Anniversary floods which claimed four lives and impacted thousands more.
Much progress has been made to recover from the events of that fateful weekend in January 2023 but many families are
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1News
14-07-2025
- 1News
More slip troubles in Muriwai: 'We need to know how did this happen'
A landslip in Auckland's west coast settlement of Muriwai has residents reliving the devastating landslides of two years ago. Muriwai was hit badly during the 2023 Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle, with large slips making some areas unliveable. The community was struck by another slip at the weekend on Motutara Rd. Fire and Emergency evacuated properties in the immediate area after Saturday's slip as a precaution. No one was injured, but the slip restricted the roads into town to one lane, and one resident says it has stirred bad memories. ADVERTISEMENT Longtime Muriwai resident Delwyn Shepherd told RNZ that the storms kept the community on edge. "I think for everyone in the community, whether you were part of the landslide zones one to five, or whether you just live within the community, there is a sense of anticipation, and definitely stress," she said. "I think you relive the event mentally, even though you know that you've moved forward." She wanted Auckland Council to do better with how it used data to warn west coast residents ahead of dangerous weather events. "As a local, I'm really disappointed, because our council is just reactive, they're not being proactive," Shepherd said. "There are plenty of smart people with good knowledge that could stop all these triggering events for people and their well-being." The latest landslip to hit Muriwai. (Source: ADVERTISEMENT Shepherd said the storms left Muriwai with an uncertain future. "There'll be more and more people, probably in the retired age, that no longer want the stress of it, that may end up selling before they intended to sell and move to a place that is not in any sort of landslide, hazard, or flooding zone." Another resident Clare Bradley said the weekend's slip happened on land that was categorised as safe to live on. "I guess the question that is upper-most in most people's minds is - the family who live in this property were thankfully away, but their home is damaged, and is the extent of the damage sufficient to have made it unsafe for them to have been living there?" she asked. "I guess that's a question that the council geo-tech team, and GHD who did the study report, will have to address to allay fears in the community that the rest of us who are living, and working, and spending our time in our category one homes are safe in the event of a future severe weather event." She said there were questions that needed answering. "We need to know how did this happen, was it avoidable, is there anything we should be doing or anything that council should be doing in order to improve stormwater runoff?" ADVERTISEMENT Auckland Council chief engineer Ross Roberts told Midday Report they were continuing their response from the 2023 storms, including moving residents out of worst-affected areas. "Along with that comes other community planning that's going on, and we're looking at what we can do in terms of infrastructure as well, but community planning and ensure that people have the understanding of the hazards and the ability to manage them is really what makes the difference here," he said. Auckland Council said the closed lane on Motutara Rd would reopen when it was determined safe to do so and once geotechnical assessments were completed.
Scoop
10-07-2025
- Scoop
Taskforce Kiwi Deploys To The Tasman Region To Provide Flood Relief
Taskforce Kiwi has deployed a disaster relief team to the Tasman Region to provide direct assistance to those impacted by the severe weather experienced by the region on the 27th of June. Taskforce Kiwi deployed community engagement teams into the region last week, and over the weekend began moving people, vehicles and equipment from both the South and North Island into the region to launch relief operations. This activity has been enabled by support volunteers based around Aotearoa. A team of 17 skilled volunteers is currently based out of the Riwaka Rugby Club, and have already completed work on eight impacted properties in the Motueka Valley, with a focus on the area around Ngātīmoti. A steady stream of support requests continues to be received, indicating the need that remains in the region. Many of those tasks have been received via the Rural Support Trust, who are actively supporting those impacted in the area. Tasks have primarily involved debris clearance tasks, removing flood debris by hand, tools, or chainsaw. Many of these tasks have been in support of those who do not have the ability to undertake those tasks themselves, due to the scale of the damage. About Taskforce Kiwi Taskforce Kiwi is an entirely voluntary charity organisation that exists to bridge the gap in disaster relief, providing skilled, organised volunteers to provide direct support to impacted communities before, during and after disasters. Founded in July 2022, Taskforce Kiwi has since recruited 720 volunteers nationwide, the majority of who have already serve their country and communities in the defence force or one of the emergency services, and as a result have the ideal skill and experience required for disaster relief work. Over the past three years volunteers have contributed over 14,000 hours of skilled work in the field, carrying out 19 operations. The majority of our work has been at home, including in response to the Auckland Anniversary flood, Cyclone Gabrielle, the 2024 Wairoa flood, bushfires and floods in Canterbury, and the Mangawhai tornado. Taskforce Kiwi volunteers have also deployed internationally, providing support to impacted communities in Australia, the US, Canada, Morocco, Vanuatu, PNG and Thailand. Taskforce Kiwi relies on the support of businesses, trusts and individuals to operate. For example, Mitsubishi Motors NZ and TR Group provide vehicles, Mitre10 supplies equipment, and the Rata Foundation provided the funding to get initial boots on the ground in Tasman.
NZ Herald
06-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Takapuna Golf Course: Auckland Council unveils new flood prevention proposal
Auckland Council officials have come up with a new proposal for a large 'flood-detention sink' for the Milford-Wairau Valley, with implications for the future of Takapuna Golf Club. The area suffered two deaths and the worst damage of any part of the city, during the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods
