/news/emergency/rss ob体育接口 Keep up with the latest breaking news across New Zealand with Newstalk ob体育接口. Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:17:03 Z en /news/emergency/crash-near-christchurch-kills-two-and-third-person-taken-to-hospital/ /news/emergency/crash-near-christchurch-kills-two-and-third-person-taken-to-hospital/ Two people have died in an overnight crash just north of Christchurch. Emergency teams rushed to the crash on Butchers Rd, Clarkville, at about 12.10am today. They found two people dead at the scene, while a third was taken to hospital with minor injuries, police said. Butchers Rd is expected to remain closed between Moodys Rd and Christmas Rd for much of the day, while repairs to a power pole take place. Emergency teams are also currently responding to a serious crash in the North Island near Whanganui. That crash happened on State Highway 3, near Blueskin Rd, Westmere, at around 10.15am, police said. The Serious Crash Unit has been told about the incident, while SH3 remains blocked with diversions in place at Blueskin Rd and Western Line. Motorists are advised to take an alternate route, police said. Fri, 10 Jan 2025 23:41:51 Z /news/emergency/state-highway-3-crash-at-mokau-waitomo-leaves-one-person-in-moderate-condition/ /news/emergency/state-highway-3-crash-at-mokau-waitomo-leaves-one-person-in-moderate-condition/ One person is in moderate condition after a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 3, in the Waitomo area. A New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahialert said “all emergency services are en route” to the incident. A police spokespersonsaid the crash was reported at 10.50am. The crash happened on SH3 at Mokau, Waitomo. One person is in moderate condition after the incident. “There are partial blocks on the road,” the spokesperson said. Motorists were advised to expect delays. SH3 MOKAU, WAIKATO - CRASH - 11:25AM, FRI 3 JAN DELAYS are present on SH3 north of Mokau township, near the intersection with Ye Old Mill Rd, following a crash. All emergency services are en route. Delays are likely. Allow additional time for travel through the area. pic.twitter.com/SeuxBCkfIG— NZ Transport Agency - Waikato & Bay of Plenty (@nztawbop) January 2, 2025 According to a social media alert issued by NZ Transport Agency, delays were present north of Mokau township, near the intersection of SH3 and Ye Old Mill Rd. “Allow additional time for travel through the area.” Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times. Thu, 02 Jan 2025 23:26:44 Z /news/emergency/police-responding-to-critical-incident-on-remote-coromandel-road-westpac-choppers-scramble-to-scene/ /news/emergency/police-responding-to-critical-incident-on-remote-coromandel-road-westpac-choppers-scramble-to-scene/ A witness says one person has been killed and another injured after a shooting on a remote Coromandel road. A large number of emergency services are at the scene on The 309 Rd on Friday afternoon in what police have described as a “critical” incident. The owner of nearby tourist attraction Waterworks, who wished to be know as Jeff, said about 2pm a person ran onto his property saying a person was lying on the floor near the road. Jeff said the person was “shot in the chest” and was pronounced dead at the scene. “I ran out with my first aid kit and put him into the recovery position... I gave him CPR for 15 minutes before the Westpac Helicopters arrived.” He said a second person was lying on the ground in close proximity, who he believed had been shot in the shoulder. Jeff said the pair had been shot by a third person. “They didn’t shoot each other.” Two Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopters are in attendance at The 309 Rd, which has been closed by emergency services. “Crew are transporting a patient to Auckland City Hospital from the Coromandel following a shooting incident this afternoon,” an Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter spokesperson said. Crew are transporting a patient to Auckland City Hospital from the Coromandel following a shooting incident this afternoon. Image please credit: Auckland Rescue Hato Hone St John said it was notified of an incident in Waiau at 1:56pm today. “One ambulance, one first responders unit, and two helicopters attended,” a spokesperson said. “One patient in a serious condition is being airlifted to Auckland City Hospital.” Graphic / ob体育接口 A police spokesperson said they were responding to a “critical incident” in Waiau this afternoon. “The 309 Rd is currently closed and members of the public are advised to avoid the area. “More information will be released when we are in a position to do so.” The 309 Rd is a 22km gravel road between the towns of Coromandel and Whitianga. “Don’t go 309 Road this arvo,” a local warned on Facebook. Another said they had seen “heaps of police cars” speeding past on nearby Tararu Rd. More to come Fri, 13 Dec 2024 02:15:22 Z /news/emergency/nz-bravery-awards-police-officer-thought-i-d-lost-everybody-during-cyclone-gabrielle-rescue/ /news/emergency/nz-bravery-awards-police-officer-thought-i-d-lost-everybody-during-cyclone-gabrielle-rescue/ By Bill Hickman of RNZ A police officer involved in the dramatic rescue of seven people during Cyclone Gabrielle had a moment where he thought he had “lost everybody” in the floodwaters. Detective Constable Patrick Noiseux is among 38 people being honoured with the New Zealand Bravery Awards – the most since the awards began in 1999. Members of emergency services are being lauded – alongside civilians – for their responses to events such as the Christchurch mosque attacks, armed assaults in Auckland and Dunedin, and the floods of early 2023. On February 14 last year, Noiseux – alongside fellow award recipients constables Mark Bancroft and Kurtis Maney – were sent to help people evacuate after the cyclone hit near Pakowhai Rd, Hastings. Moving through floodwaters on foot, the three officers came across seven people clinging to a pole in chest-deep water. As the three officers struggled to reach the people, the strong currents swept them all under water. Noiseux was separated from the group and when he resurfaced, he was initially unable to see anyone else. “What went through my mind was that I’d lost everybody. I thought I’d lost the seven civilians plus my two mates, so I was not in a good place,” he said. “You think ‘what do I do now’, and then [Bancroft’s] face popped out from the trees and the relief was incredible. Now problem two – ‘how do I get them out of there’?” A chance encounter saves lives At a crucial moment, Noiseux spotted a truck carrying a digger and a four-wheel-drive approaching the stricken group. “I had to get in the way for him to stop. He did not want to stop because I guess the truck could’ve choked at any time because of the water. I went ‘we need your digger’. “I’m not religious, but it was a moment when you say ‘I need help’ and then that truck came along and I’m like ‘thank you’.” Residents stranded in Pakowhai awaiting a rooftop rescue during Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Dee Southall Noiseux leapt into the digger bucket and was piloted towards the group by the truck driver’s son. They began to lift the stranded people up from the waters while Bancroft and Maney helped from below. “I had to get them in the water – holding on to them to make sure they are not getting swept away – to drag them around the scoop and the whole time I’m standing in the lip of the scoop, so if I miss, I slip and then we’re all gone. “The sheer current under us ... there was a lot of swirl, there was a lot of things in the water. I’ve been in swift water before, but that was different because of the debris. “There’s no room for mistakes and even though you’re only 4m away, it might as well be China because of the things in the water.” One by one, the stricken civilians were ferried to the truck. Bancroft and Maney were the last to be plucked from the water. A wall of water Once loaded aboard the truck the group headed towards Chesterhope Bridge, but the stopbank of the nearby Ngaruroro River breached and a wall of water rushed towards them. The water about them rose 2.5m in about 15 minutes and stranded the group once again. The rescuers and their passengers were forced to climb on to the cab of the truck and the roof of the Land Cruiser it was carrying to stay clear of the water. The officers called the police emergency communication centre and an inflatable rescue boat was sent to ferry the group to safety. Noiseux said even when perched atop the Land Cruiser that had been loaded on to the truck’s bed, their feet were submerged. “So we’re dead in the water, literally. It was quite stressful because we had to wait our turn. The helicopter was directing the IRB to rooftops and other places, so we’re not the only customer there. It was a bit of a moment until we got picked up,” he said. The officers’ efforts slowed to an agonising crawl as the boat punctured, limiting their cargo to one person a trip. The constables remained on the submerged truck roof until all others had been rescued before being picked up in the IRB, one by one. ‘So many people have done amazing things’ Noiseux said he was thrilled to hear so many people had been recognised in this year’s awards. “So many people have done amazing things. To have the opportunity to be there for people to get them out of it and to be recognised for that. It’s just the cherry on top. It’s incredible.” Detective Jaime Stewart (then detective constable) and her colleague braved the surging waters to rescue five people, including a 4-year-old child and a baby, in Pakowhai during the cyclone. “We had to go over the Pakowhai River, which was absolutely chocka full – it had water from the top of the stopbank to the other side of the stopbank. The bridge that we had to cross was lapping with water,” Stewart said. “We honestly had no idea when or if the stopbanks were going to burst, but we knew there was a family there that needed rescuing.” Stewart helped pluck the 4-year-old and baby from the roof of their shed as floodwaters rose around them. Moments after bringing the young family to safety, the two officers plunged back into the waters to rescue an elderly couple struggling to stay afloat. ‘A deafening crack’ Stewart said there was a sudden moment when the two officers shared a realisation of the danger they were placing themselves in. “We’d just passed this iron fence and we heard this deafening crack and something in the water that was raging through had hit it and the whole fence had wiped out – just where we had been. “That was the first moment of ‘okay, this is really serious and this is life-threatening and we really need to push this and get in and out as fast as we can’,” she said. Stewart said receiving the Bravery Award was a humbling and surreal experience. “I believe wholeheartedly that any officer that went into that situation – the same way that I did – would have done the same thing. It just happened to be me and my colleague. We were the people there at the time and we just did what we needed to do. But it is amazing to be recognised.” PM grateful for recipients’ courage Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was grateful to each of the honourees who “showed their willingness to step up when members of their community were at great risk”. “I would like to convey my gratitude to each of the New Zealand Bravery Award recipients,” he said. “I would also like to make special note of the many police officers who are amongst [them]. Men and women who put their lives in danger every single day in order to protect New Zealand’s people. We owe you our deep thanks for your service.” Fri, 06 Dec 2024 00:47:52 Z /news/emergency/hawke-s-bay-s-evacuees-and-flood-victims-from-3am-police-door-knocks-to-ladders-over-the-fence/ /news/emergency/hawke-s-bay-s-evacuees-and-flood-victims-from-3am-police-door-knocks-to-ladders-over-the-fence/ Swelling seas and a bursting river forced more than 100 Hawke’s Bay residents from their homes as water crept over amidst a storm that pelted the North Island’s east coast. A State of Emergency was declared on Wednesday morning in Wairoa and Heretaunga, with 115 people evacuated from Wairoa as of 10.30am and 44 people in the evacuation centre at Haumoana School as of 11am. Evacuations began around 3am in Haumoana, while many Wairoa residents started evacuating around 7am and 8am as high tide approached. Below are the stories of some of those people. Wairoa: ‘Never, never been anywhere near this before’ Paul Toothill, a Wairoa stock buyer and president of the Wairoa Racing Club, lives in Kopu Rd on the northern side of the Wairoa River and said he had never seen the river come up over the road. “Not in Cyclone Bola, not in Cyclone Gabrielle. On Wednesday morning, he watched its waters come up the road and reach his letterbox. “I’ve evacuated the family this morning, and I’ve got a ladder over the back fence to get out if I have to,” he said at the time. The peak was around the 8.45am high tide. “I blame the regional council,” he said. “The bar is blocked.” Toothill added: “The water came right up to my doorstep, it was lapping over the concrete, I’m very lucky it didn’t come any further. Speaking about three hours after the high tide, and concerned the river bar at the mouth had not opened, he reiterated: “I’ve been here more than 30 years, it’s never, never been anywhere near this before.” It had, however, receded quickly with the lowering of the tide – “so quickly you’d hardly know now”. Wairoa resident Carol Goldsmith was torn between staying at her Kowhai Pl home or evacuating as floodwaters crept in. “The water is continuously rising,” Goldsmith said at 9.15am. “It has filled up our carport, our back lawn is like a lake, [at] the front it is almost through our fence and I think the people on our street are evacuating now.” She was in two minds about whether to stay or leave her home. “I know I need to get out. It is very hard, it is almost at the front door of my house,” she said. “I don’t know how bad it is going to get, but I don’t want to wait until then.” She said the flooding in her area was worse than in Cyclone Gabrielle and she felt more could have been done with the emergency response. “We got the Civil Defence alert this morning, but that is about it. We don’t really know what else is going on.” Flooding at Kowhai Pl, several streets away from the Wairoa River banks, on Wednesday morning. Photo / Carol Goldsmith Waiora resident Vevean Pao said at 8.30am she expected her home on Kopu Rd to be flooded very soon. When she woke up at 6am, she immediately moved her belongings to a higher place and had evacuated by 7am. “I looked at the window and I just knew [I was going to be flooded]... the river was running down the driveway soon after.” Pao said they are sheltering at her daughter’s home 7km out of the township on higher ground. Her daughter survived Cyclone Gabrielle last year and “was fully prepared”. Poa had only recently moved from Australia and was thankful for her daughter’s help. “Our house got flooded… we were prepared this time,” Pao’s daughter said. Haumoana: Woken at 3.30am by police banging on the door Haumoana resident James Ostergren has spent the morning at the Haumoana School evacuation centre with his family, after they were asked to evacuate at 3.30am on Wednesday from their Holden Ave home, close to the Haumoana shops. “We were just happily sleeping in bed and all of a sudden there was a bang, bang, bang on the door and the police officer said that there was a good chance that the ocean might come over and there was a flood risk and that we should evacuate “He said that we should evacuate within half an hour and either get to Hastings or up here to the school.” He said Cyclone Gabrielle felt worse. “We got a bit of flooding through the garage and almost into the house in the cyclone, so we are always a bit anxious when the rain is coming down like it was. “I didn’t feel too bad [this morning] because with the cyclone the house was really shaking. It felt quite different. “With the cyclone, we were worried about the river whereas this time it is more about the ocean.” When he left his house, with his wife and two children and their dog, he said the flooding was not too bad near his home. He said the team at the evacuation staff had been amazing. “It is great here. They had the mats set out and people here have been really good with information. “It is nice and warm and you get a little bit of a feeling like we had with the cyclone and afterwards where the community came together and chipped in. So there is that positive vibe.” Haumoana resident James Ostergren has spent the morning at the Haumoana School evacuation centre with his family, after being asked to evacuate at 3.30am on Wednesday from their Holden Ave home, close to the Haumoana shops. Photo / Gary Hamilton-Irvine Friends Chelsea Tallnash-Pitt and Lucy Evans arrived in Hawke’s Bay on Tuesday and were only just settling into the freedom camping site at Haumoana when they were evacuated at 8.30pm. “I was making noodles and there was a knock on the door asking us to evacuate,” Evans said. She said firefighters were there soon after the women evacuated the campsite and the sea was “wild”. “When we first arrived there were puddles forming but when we left it was getting progressively worse,” Tallnash-Pitt said. They were told to head to Haumoana School and spent the night there in their campervan. Friends Chelsea Tallnash-Pitt and Lucy Evans arrived in Hawke's Bay on Tuesday and were just settling into the freedom camping site at Haumoana when they were evacuated at 8.30pm. Photo / Gary Hamilton-Irvine Haumoana resident Julia Hughes lives on Beach Rd and could see the waves surging over the “crest” along the shoreline from her lounge at high tide around 8.30am. Hughes was not evacuated because her home was on higher ground, but Fire and Emergency New Zealand visited about 7am. “They just gave us information about where things were at and just letting us know they had closed the roads to incoming traffic to Haumoana,” Hughes said. She said there were concerns the Haumoana Playcentre could flood as it did during Cyclone Gabrielle last year. “We are lucky that everyone from the council and Fenz and Civil Defence are all out here making sure we have the best information and are prepared,” she said. “We are prepared to go if it comes to that, but we are happy to stay put for now.” Wed, 26 Jun 2024 01:41:09 Z /news/emergency/weather-extremes-state-of-emergency-declared-in-gore-due-to-flooding-warm-in-the-north/ /news/emergency/weather-extremes-state-of-emergency-declared-in-gore-due-to-flooding-warm-in-the-north/ A state of emergency has been declared in the Gore District after heavy rain - but in the North Island record spring temperatures could be broken. Gore District Mayor Ben Bell said about 72mm of rain fell this morning, causing “significant surface flooding”. In Gore and Mataura the stormwater and wastewater network has been overwhelmedand water is threatening homes. No one has had to be evacuated but Bell urged people to stay inside and avoid travel. Council staff were protecting property with sandbags or by pumping water. ”However, this is a time-consuming process so we ask people to be patient and kind,” Bell said. He advised people to monitor their radios and the council’s Facebook page and website for updates. The council has been told consistent rain was expected until at least 5pm. Emergency Management Southland group controller Simon Mapp said floodwater is affecting town and rural roads. ”Please also don’t walk through floodwaters as there could be debris and uneven surfaces that can’t be seen, and the water may be contaminated.” The active front moving northwards up the South Island continues to wreak havoc, with 14 severe weather warnings and watches currently in place. Westland, Fiordland, Southland, Canterbury and Otago can expect up to 300mm of rain, on top of what has already fallen, throughout Thursday night. MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor says rainfall totals in Fiordland have exceeded 100mm of rain in 12 hours. Meanwhile, Canterbury and northern Otago farmers in the middle of lambing and calving season have been warned of a significant snow event from Thursday night, with accumulations of around 10cm above 200 metres, and 20-40cm for areas above 400 metres expected. “We’re not just looking at alpine areas of the South Island, the snow level could be as low as 300 metres in Otago and down to 200 metres over the Canterbury Plains. This is a significant event, and particularly impactful for the rural community given the time of the year,” said O’Connor. Temperatures around these areas will plummet in line with the snow and will be particularly noticeable because of the balmy temperatures of late in the east of the South Island. In South Canterbury, Fairlie hit 25C midday yesterday, but can only expect to reach 10C on Friday. Similarly, Alexandra reached 24C, but will see a daytime high of 11C on Friday and just 2C overnight into Saturday. “These colder temperatures will cause the snow to stick around, and travel disruptions are expected in the alpine passes not only during the event but for the days following also,” O’Connor said. MetService says the weather event coincides with a time when many kiwis will be travelling and urges everyone to stay up to date with the latest weather watches and warnings, along with road information from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. Additionally, strong wind warnings are in effect for the Canterbury High Country and Otago until this evening, as severe gale northwesterlies bring damaging gusts of up to 140 km/h in exposed places. According to MetService, as of 9am on Thursday, 2501 lightning strikes had been reported over the South Island since 4pm on Wednesday. Meanwhile, in the North Island the weather is a scorcher. That includes Wairoa, where it was nearing 30C mid-afternoon. But after welcoming scorching temperatures for the first time in months, the North Island is set to take a turn for the worst, as school holidays are forecast to kick off on a wet and wintry note. MetService has already issued heavy rain watches for Mt Taranaki and the Tararua Ranges, beginning on Saturday, with additional watches and warnings expected further north over the coming days. The alert comes after Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay recorded a new all-time September temperature for the whole North Island at 2pm on Thursday at 29.6C. It surpassed the previous record of 27.7˚C in Hastings in September 1955. Auckland looks to welcome the worst of the front on Saturday, with heavy rain expected. “The heaviest rain is expected in the second half of Saturday and Sunday morning, likely disrupting travel on what will no doubt be a busy weekend on the roads,” said MetService’s O’Connor. She says significant and widespread impacts are possible for the North Island. By Sunday night, the front moves to the northeast of the North Island and becomes slow-moving. Thu, 21 Sept 2023 02:11:39 Z /news/emergency/serious-injuries-in-west-coast-crash-as-helicopter-dispatched/ /news/emergency/serious-injuries-in-west-coast-crash-as-helicopter-dispatched/ Police have confirmed they’re responding to a crash on the West Coast where it’s understood there are “serious injuries”. The collision occurred on State Highway 6 on Lower Buller Gorge Rd. While emergency services are still assessing the scene, police said the initial indications are there are serious injuries. A helicopter has also been dispatched to the scene. It’s understood the road will be closed for some time on State Highway 6 between Heaphys and Meadow Rd. “Motorists are advised to expect delays and use alternative routes,” a police spokesperson said.     Mon, 31 Jul 2023 03:13:25 Z /news/emergency/police-confirm-three-fatalities-including-shooter-in-auckland-cbd-incident/ /news/emergency/police-confirm-three-fatalities-including-shooter-in-auckland-cbd-incident/ Two people are dead after a gunman stormed an Auckland CBD building being renovated near Britomart. The shooter is also dead, police have confirmed. There are other “multiple injuries” reported. The 24-year-old gunman - who was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet - had entered the building site in lower Queen St and opened fire. St John ambulance says six people are confirmed injured so far, three seriously. Acting Superintendent Sunny Patel said the gunman entered the construction site at 7.22am today. “The offender has moved through the building site and continued to discharge his firearm. Upon reaching the upper levels of the building, the male has contained himself within the elevator shaft and our staff have attempted to engage with him. “Further shots were fired from the male and he was located deceased a short time later.” Patel said the shooting was not being treated as a national security risk. A police officer was among those hurt but was able to walk to an ambulance, assisted by colleagues. A distressed construction worker told the Herald he encountered the gunman on the stairs of a property under development at about 7.20am. A volley of gun shots were also heard near the scene at 8.08am. Several workers at a building site could be seen crouching behind piles of building materials near where armed police are gathering. It is understood the drama was centred at 1 Queen St, a Precinct Properties building which L.T. McGuinness is working on. Matt McGuinness confirmed to the Herald it was his site the suspected gunman was on. “I’m from South Africa … we left there not to have this,” one construction worker said. Several roads are closed in the CBD including sections of Lower Hobson St, Quay St, Queen St, and Lower Albert St. Earlier today members of the public were being told to seek shelter at the HSBC Tower. Fullers said all ferry services suspended until further notice. Police are asking the public to “move on” and stop crowding around the scene. A woman watching the scene said she was evacuated from Commercial Bay. Police are telling people to go home, “you won’t be going back in there”. Train services are still running and customers can still exit Britomart via the Takutai exit located towards the tunnel end of each platform. Commuters are told to expect major delays to all public transport. Wed, 19 Jul 2023 21:22:34 Z /news/emergency/cyclone-gabrielle-some-muriwai-residents-still-living-in-campgrounds-months-after-storms/ /news/emergency/cyclone-gabrielle-some-muriwai-residents-still-living-in-campgrounds-months-after-storms/ By RNZ Some Muriwai residents are still living in the local campground four-and-a-half months after Cyclone Gabrielle tore through their homes. The popular West Auckland surf beach reopened to the public on 16 June after months out of action. While some locals appreciated the fresh energy visitors brought to town, the tragedy of Cyclone Gabrielle also remained fresh in their minds. For many of the residents displaced from their homes, it was impossible to move on. To the untrained eye it could appear that life in Muriwai was back to normal. Some visitors who walked along the beach were unaware it was ever closed. However, when they turned to face the cliffs, the landslides that claimed the lives of two firefighters still showed as scars through the vegetation. The cordon at the top of Waitea Rd had been lifted for more than a week but down at the campground, co-owner Cheryll Beatty said out-of-towners did not immediately hurry back. Muriwai residents were forced to evacuate from their homes during Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Zoe McIntosh “The first weekend wasn’t particularly good weather, so it wasn’t a huge rush but I think a lot of people are also keeping away - there’s still the messaging to keep away from Muriwai.” Last weekend’s easterly breezes may have brought some surfers out, though not much business for the campground. Winter was normally quiet, but not this quiet; bookings were down about 70 per cent on previous years. Only one of the two main entries to the beach was open, with security guards remaining in town to block off the badly hit Motutara Rd and Domain Cres. Beatty said this limited access had put some visitors off, while others were hesitating out of respect for the residents who were still displaced from their homes. “The messaging we’ve got is that we have to wait until the end of August, but then the council also said that people have to be prepared that there’s a considerable process to go after that, but they haven’t explained what that process is. “We understand that they’re in talks with the government and treasury about the buyout process but there’s all sorts of things swirling around about whether the council’s going to spot some of their land so people can stay in the community - how would that work? “That would all take a long time to resolve, and people don’t have the time to wait for that.” At a community meeting on 15 June, then-Minister for Auckland Michael Wood said the government and councils were beginning discussions about buyouts and would be working at pace with a desire to wrap up negotiations as quickly as possible. Auckland Council group recovery manager Mat Tucker said the buyout scheme should be finalised well in advance of Muriwai’s geotechnical work concluding. This work was due for completion in late August. A landslip in Muriwai after Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Zoe McIntosh While residents waited to hear more about potential buyout offers on the table, some were stuck in a state of limbo and struggling to pay mortgages on the houses they had to evacuate. Beatty said about 10 groups - some with children - had no choice but to stay at the campground. “It can be testing, obviously, in the weather, in a caravan. But they’re just having to get on with it, unfortunately. “Again, it comes down to that fact of just having to wait and wait and wait.” Since the cordon was lifted. Sand Dunz Beach Cafe had experienced a bump in business after months of only loyal locals propping it up. Jillian and Peter Airey had not been able to call in since the cyclone. “We tried several times, but the roads were shut, and they weren’t letting anyone in that wasn’t a local,” Peter said. “Which is hard on the local businesses that exist on the weekend traffic and visitors coming to walk their dog or go surfing.” While wandering around with their dog Rosie, they said it was easy to forget the extent of the devastation. “On the beach today, if you didn’t look behind you, you’d be oblivious of the damage,” Jillian said. “It’s quite surreal, really. Then you turn around and you see - there’s a slip, there’s a slip.” Surfer Sam was rearing to go as soon as the cordon lifted. Since early May he had been able to whet his appetite on Piha’s waves, with the cordon there lifting earlier. But he said there was nothing quite like Muriwai. “It’s just raw. Everybody loves it because you can have beautiful offshore days like this and then it can get real punchy and gnarly out here as well.” Sam was loving getting back to his morning surfs before work. But he was mindful of the struggle locals were still going through as they waited to hear the fate of their homes. “I know everybody’s been doing it really tough since the cyclone and it feels good to come back and spend a bit of time out here and give back to the locals at the local cafe.” More than 100 red-stickered Muriwai residents remained unable to enter their homes, with a further 54 yellow-stickered. They were now waiting to learn which risk category they would fall into, and importantly, whether this meant they would receive a buyout. With geotechnical drilling of the hills they once lived in yet to begin, this risk assessment may take some time yet. Auckland Council said drilling would commence on Thursday and end in late July. Contractors would drill nine holes on public land on Oaia Road, Motutara Rd and Domain Cres. Each site would take about a week to drill, install a sensor, and backfill. Steel tubes would be left in the holes to allow access to the sensors and the data they provided. The council said the geotechnical programme would be finalised in late August. Wed, 28 Jun 2023 21:46:22 Z /news/emergency/pike-river-mine-disaster-further-human-remains-found/ /news/emergency/pike-river-mine-disaster-further-human-remains-found/ Police have found more human remains inside Pike River Mine - with 12 of the 29 men who died in the 2010 disaster now having been located. Police and mining experts have been drilling holes deep into the underground coal mine on the West Coast of the South Island, searching for more clues in the ongoing criminal probe into the disaster. The remains of two, possibly three, miners were located in the “crib room area” during the final stages of the second borehole drilling programme, police confirmed today. All 10 boreholes have now been drilled, imaged and resealed. Detective Superintendent Darryl Sweeney, the current officer in charge of the police investigation, said, however, that police are not able to say who the men might be. “Previously, police have been able to narrow down the possibilities based on information about where the miners were working prior to the first explosion,” he said today. “Unfortunately, in this case, we’re not able to do that.” More human remains have been found inside the Pike River Mine, nearly 13 years since explosions killed 29 men, police have said. Photo / George Heard The families of all 29 miners were notified of the discovery on Wednesday. ‘The remains that have been seen are the fellas I worked with’ - father Rowdy Durbridge who worked at Pike River and lost his boy Dan in the explosion said the recovery of images from inside the mine has been haunting and informing. “The remains that have been seen are the fellas I worked with, they may even be my boy,” he said. “Everyone knows 29 men died in that shithole of a mine but to know they have been seen is somehow different. “I can take some heart in the fact that what’s been seen confirms they fell where they stood and didn’t spend days trapped in there alive like some people have tried to claim.” Two missing drift runners — vehicles used to transport miners and materials underground — were also found in the same area, Sweeney said. “We recognise this process is extremely difficult for the families and we are committed to keeping them up to date on our investigation into the first explosion at the mine in November 2010,” he said. “The completion of the borehole programme means we are now focusing on other aspects of the investigation. “This includes working through witness statements and re-interviewing some of those involved.” Today, the Pike River Family Reference Group said the end of evidence gathering at the mine signals a new chapter in the fight for truth and justice. Anna Osborne who lost her husband Milton in the disaster believes the re-entry of Pike River and the subsequent investigation has returned some honour to New Zealand. “The effort that this government and now the police have put into getting back into Pike and then investigating the trove of evidence that has produced has gone a long way to putting right some of the injustices and lies Pike families have faced since that awful day in 2010,” she said. “Justice is being done and I am confident it will end in accountability for those responsible.” Pike River Mine family members Anna Osborne, left, and Sonya Rockhouse are among those still pushing for a criminal prosecution. Photo / ob体育接口 Sonya Rockhouse’s son Ben died in the explosion and her son Daniel was one of two men who managed to escape after the explosion. She said that New Zealanders should be pleased that justice is being done. “There’s a lot of frankly upsetting and harmful conspiracy theories that get spread about Pike River but we family members have been at the heart of the recovery and have been keeping a close eye on the investigation,” Rockhouse said. “I can tell you first-hand that justice is getting done.” All equipment was removed from the remote West Coast site last week and a blessing was held on Monday. Sweeney expressed his thanks to all those who worked on the borehole programme. “This was an extremely unique and complex task that required everyone involved to constantly adapt and innovate,” he said. “Much of the equipment was custom-built or modified to overcome the challenges of working in a dark, volatile environment that’s otherwise inaccessible. “The quality of the images obtained is world-class and a testament to the hard work of many police staff and external experts. I’m grateful for their knowledge, skills, and experience.” A total of 18 boreholes have been drilled and 20 imaged during the police investigation – eight drilled and 10 imaged during the first drilling programme in 2021/2022 and 10 drilled and imaged this year. On Friday, November 19, 2010, at about 3.44pm, an explosion ripped through the Pike River underground coal mine, followed by subsequent explosions. Two men made it out alive but another 29 were unaccounted for. Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine tragedy found that the “immediate cause of the first explosion was the ignition of a substantial volume of methane gas”, but could only speculate on what might have triggered ignition. “The mine was new and the owner, Pike River Coal Ltd (Pike), had not completed the systems and infrastructure necessary to safely produce coal. Its health and safety systems were inadequate,” the commission’s report said. WorkSafe laid charges against former Pike River boss Peter Whittall in 2013, but the case was dropped after a $3.4 million settlement was paid – a deal the Supreme Court later said was unlawful. The money was split between the two survivors and the families of the 29 missing, a total of $110,000 for each man who had been down the mine that day. Australian company VLI Drilling, which employed three of the men who died, also pleaded guilty to health and safety charges and was fined $46,800. The Pike River Recovery Agency (PRRA) completed its $50m re-entry of the mine’s access tunnel to try to recover remains and find any forensic clues in 2021. It had been due to permanently seal the mine while police were partway through their borehole investigations. But some Pike River families who lost loved ones, and had fought for years to try and get authorities to try and find their bodies, launched legal action to try and stop it from happening. Some of the families remain hopeful that a criminal prosecution is still possible. * Kurt Bayer is a South Island correspondent based in Christchurch. He is a senior journalist who joined the Herald in 2011. Fri, 23 Jun 2023 00:45:47 Z /news/emergency/telecommunications-not-treated-as-major-priority-during-cyclone-gabrielle-new-report/ /news/emergency/telecommunications-not-treated-as-major-priority-during-cyclone-gabrielle-new-report/ By RNZ Critical equipment for fixing telecommunications was unloaded from aircraft and replaced with other gear, on flights into regions cut off by Cyclone Gabrielle. “Decisions were made about other items being [more] essential,” according to a new Telecommunications Forum report into the stop-start emergency response, which said telecommunications should have been the top priority. This “was not properly understood by the people coordinating the emergency response, nor was it built into the framework for dealing with emergencies”. It gave three other examples of this: “Our technicians and the vehicles [including helicopters] carrying them were not considered essential, so had restricted access or were sometimes denied access to affected regions to repair infrastructure.” “Some regions did not get small mobile cell sites on wheels… because a frigate left earlier than advised.” “There were no clear formalised processes, eg, to prioritise electricity restoration to key telecommunications sites.” Only two cell sites were actually damaged by the storm, but 1600 others across Northland, Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne went dark due to the power cuts, a second summary report from the company-run Telecommunications Forum said. The two reports were part of a patchwork of reviews into the cyclone response, resilience and what to do now. At the cyclone epicentre on February 14, with mains power lost, the Napier communications hub was relying on generators to keep two entire networks going. But fuel began running low, spurring a plea - revealed in OIA documents - from the Telecommunications Forum: “We urgently need the fuel plan from NEMA [the National Emergency Management Agency].” “The lack of prioritisation for telecommunications by NEMA and Lifelines caused major issues for telcos trying to coordinate transport of equipment into affected areas, access into areas and access to fuel,” the new report said. The companies got together and began fixing things in the first five days “without a lot of coordination via NEMA” - but with lots of “distraction” due to requests for updates from the government in ‘the bunker’ at the Beehive. “At times it was difficult to understand where power restoration was being prioritised.” NEMA said it was “undertaking a review into its own actions” and not “currently in a position to reflect in detail on the response as it is important we first let the review process run its course”. Demand to do better The Telecommunications Forum report into improving resilience listed several ways the industry and government could do better. Just how tenuous things were is attested to here: “Network outages resulted in all [fibre optic] north-to-south traffic being reliant on the Western Core fibre route via New Plymouth. This was a considerable risk.” RNZ has reported on other documents that show the lifeline services - telecoms, water, power, roads - have hardly any resilience standards imposed on them by regulation. One of the few rules is that Chorus must spread its “points of failure” so that no one failure can take out more than 4000 connections at once. The 20-year-old Civil Defence law was of “limited” use, officials have told ministers. It required lifelines to be “‘able to function to the fullest possible extent, even though this may be at a reduced level, during and after an emergency”, but lacked monitoring and other powers. The replacement law now before Parliament has an aim of “modernising the treatment of lifeline utilities, including renaming to critical infrastructure and clearly setting out the roles and responsibilities of critical infrastructure sectors and entities”, but is contentious, with MBIE raising doubts the raft of reforms around infrastructure would return enough benefits. Who pays for disaster-proofing critical national infrastructure has become a big question following Gabrielle. Spark has expressed its desire to see co-investment options with government explored more. The Telecommunications Forum has a major vested interest in this. Its new report said companies already “invested heavily” in disaster-preparedness. However, it also had many suggestions about what more to do, including during a disaster: identify key cellphone towers to restore prioritise: “We would like to hear government views about services that need priority (eg emergency services, hospitals...)” standardise data reporting, sharing of staff and resources, and communications with government agencies improve ways for getting spare parts. And before a disaster: co-invest with government in back-up power supply for crucial communication hubs co-invest in duplicate fibre links in low-population areas - “We have an initial list of regions to discuss.” lay secondary fibre-optic and other cables on different roads into major centres using Transpower pylons for cables, not bridges update engineering standards, including for river crossings put fibre under the sea - “While this ‘blue skies’ option could have the most impact, it is likely to be very high-cost.” The forum’s case is based on telecommunications being number one to restore from the start. “Being able to get emergency assistance, to understand what was happening or who was affected, and to find out if loved ones were safe was essential for people in affected areas and for those trying to help them,” its report said. “By day two or three the priority was still communications: to be able to use electronic payment systems to buy food or fuel, and to coordinate restoration work.” Moves being made already to improve resilience include: more satellite connectivity for cellphones if mobile networks are down - but power cuts took out this backup, too extending roaming beyond 111 calls only storing generators in high-risk locations - “We have a lot of generators - there is now a question about where to store them and how to keep them maintained.” The “gold standard’” for resilience simply was not commercially viable in some areas, the report said. “It is not commercially viable to build redundant cellular coverage in areas where it will not be used often.” Wed, 21 Jun 2023 23:02:01 Z /news/emergency/traffic-delays-after-crash-on-hewletts-rd-in-mount-maunganui/ /news/emergency/traffic-delays-after-crash-on-hewletts-rd-in-mount-maunganui/ A crash involving a school bus and a tanker is causing delays in Mount Maunganui. A police spokeswoman said police were responding to a crash between a truck and a bus on State Highway 2 around 7.50am. A Tauranga City Council spokesman said the crash was at the intersection of Hewletts Rd and Totara St. The road is currently blocked while the scene is cleared and motorists are advised to expect delays. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman said a school bus had crashed into a fuel truck. She said the school bus door had jammed and firefighters helped open the doors. Tue, 06 Jun 2023 20:47:29 Z /news/emergency/container-ship-shiling-puts-out-mayday-listing-off-coast-days-after-being-cleared-to-sail/ /news/emergency/container-ship-shiling-puts-out-mayday-listing-off-coast-days-after-being-cleared-to-sail/ A container ship which spent weeks detained in Wellington harbour following a breakdown has put out a mayday call as it lists in “rolling seas” off the coast of the South Island. Multiple helicopters and a Defence Force Hercules have been sent to the site after the Shiling lost power 22 nautical miles from Farewell Spit. “The Shiling container ship is drifting in rolling seas after losing power,” said a New Zealand Defence Force spokesperson. “At the request of the Rescue Coordination Centre, a C-130 Hercules aircraft has been diverted from an exercise to assess the situation off Farewell Spit. “An NZDF liaison officer is providing assistance to the Rescue Coordination Centre, and an RNZAF NH90 helicopter is on standby prepared to respond if requested.” Maritime NZ’s Rescue Coordination Centre is responding to a mayday request from the Singaporean cargo vessel Shiling, a spokesman confirmed. “It put out the mayday call about 11am, May 12. It initially put a request through for assistance at 8.27am,” Maritime NZ said in a statement. “The vessel is situated 22 nautical miles north northwest of Farewell Spit.” They are in communication with the vessel and an ocean-going tug from Port Taranaki has been dispatched to tow the ship to a safe location. Container ship the Shiling has put out a mayday call as it lists off the coast of the South Island. Photo / MarineTraffic.com The tug is expected to reach the Shiling’s location by 4pm today. “Due to where the vessel is, there is no risk of it running aground prior to the arrival of the ocean-going tug.” There are 24 crew members on board the ship. Maritime NZ’s Rescue Coordination Centre has Police, Coastguard, and St John Airdesk on standby and will be using them as required. The Shiling recently broke down in Wellington’s main shipping channel, making it the third incident involving the same vessel in less than a year. The cargo ship had been departing Wellington for Napier when it had a power failure and began drifting, having to drop two anchors to come to a stop. When the breakdown happened mid-April, Maritime NZ imposed conditions on the Shiling prohibiting it from leaving Wellington Harbour until all power generators and the main engine were fully operational to the satisfaction of the vessel’s Classification Society. The Singapore-registered ship was finally able to leave Wellington this past Wednesday, but just days later has broken down again. A Transport Accident Investigation Commission [TAIC] spokesman said they were aware of the incident. They were “gathering further information to inform a decision on whether to investigate”, spokesman Simon Pleasants said. TAIC chief commissioner Jane Meares said she was not aware of a mayday being issued, but was aware the Shilling had encountered an issue. “We’ve certainly had a reported incident. We’re monitoring the situation and seeing if it’s more appropriate to investigate. Chief investigator of accidents Naveen Kozhuppakalam said the vessel was listing after encountering some type of problem 20 nautical miles off the coast. On July 4 last year the ship suffered engine failure in Wellington Harbour. Maritime NZ imposed conditions preventing its departure until repairs were carried out. And on February 11 this year it had a brief engine stoppage in Wellington Harbour. Wellington regional harbourmaster Grant Nalder raised concerns with Maritime New Zealand about the Shiling after its third breakdown. “This is the third time, which I’m not happy about and they are looking very carefully at the ship. “I understand she hasn’t had any problems in any other New Zealand ports but I’m concerned that this has happened again.” The latest breakdowns come as Cook Strait ferry operators Interislander and Bluebridge recover from a disastrous summer, with multiple breakdowns, engine problems and cancellations. Interislander’s Kaitaki ferry resumed passenger services last month after effectively being out of action for more than two months. On January 28, the ship declared a Mayday with 864 people on board when it lost power in Cook Strait and started drifting towards Wellington’s south coast. After being given the all-clear to take passengers again for the first time in five weeks, Kaitaki was back sailing for less than 24 hours before a problem with its gearbox was discovered on March 4. Interislander executive general manager Walter Rushbrook said the gearbox repair has gone well. “The Kaitaki repair was complicated, requiring a particular type of metal for the gearbox that was manufactured and shipped from Germany, along with specialist technical support from the Netherlands. The gearbox failure was a surprise, given it was overhauled late last year in drydock.” Two new mega-ferries are being built at Hyundai-Mipo Dockyard in South Korea to replace the increasingly unreliable Interislander fleet. They are due to arrive in 2025 and 2026. - Melissa Nightingale and Vita Molyneux, NZH Fri, 12 May 2023 00:32:23 Z /news/emergency/auckland-flooding-the-front-page-can-we-get-better-at-forecasting-severe-downpours/ /news/emergency/auckland-flooding-the-front-page-can-we-get-better-at-forecasting-severe-downpours/ A state of emergency was again declared across Auckland as the North Island was hit by a severe downpour. Once again, Aucklanders did not expect the impact to be this intense and our infrastructure failed to hold up against the intense rain. So why does this keep happening? And is there any way to become better at predicting where the areas most likely to be affected by severe rainfall? New research out of the University of Canterbury suggests that our predictions of heavy rainfall could be improved. PHD researcher Cameron McErlich joined The Front Page podcast to explain how his research could help to ensure people in at-risk regions are better prepared for heavy rainfall.  “Through the research, we discovered that if you know how often it rains annually in one place you can make a strong prediction of the size and likelihood of extreme rainfall in that place,” McErlich says. “By watching changes in rainfall occurrence, we can use our findings to understand regions where extremes might change. The findings are important because currently weather and climate research treats these things separately.” This research has important implications for how rainfall patterns might change and where extreme rainfall could occur. It’s also important in the context of climate science, which strongly suggests an increase in the likelihood of intense weather events. “In the future, you’re going to get a larger frequency of rain, and because this research shows a connection between frequency and intensity, it also means in the future there’s going to be more and more heavy rainfall.” City planners in at-risk areas could also use this research to inform the decisions they make when building key infrastructure, such as stormwater systems. Cities with a higher likelihood of extreme rainfall events will need to be built differently than those with lower risks. So how else could this research be used? Could it be applied internationally? And are there any plans to elaborate further on these findings?   Tue, 09 May 2023 02:49:04 Z /news/emergency/auckland-flooding-significant-delays-as-commuters-battle-motorway-gridlock-to-get-home/ /news/emergency/auckland-flooding-significant-delays-as-commuters-battle-motorway-gridlock-to-get-home/ There are massive delays across Auckland’s flood-affected motorway network, some ferry services have been cancelled and trains from Britomart have been suspended until further notice. The council is now urging motorists to delay travel, warning the only train services running are on the Southern and Eastern Lines between Papakura and Otahuhu and Manukau and Otahuhu. Several buses have also been detoured due to flooding and public transport users are being asked to check the AT mobile app for updates. “We urge Aucklanders to take extreme care when travelling, with heavy rainfall already causing surface flooding across Auckland. Please stay clear of floodwaters and don’t drive through them as this poses a serious risk to your safety.” A state of local emergency has been declared in Auckland as flooding swamps the region as a MetService meteorologist warns the most intense rainfall is yet to come. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, who is in Sydney, has delegated his powers to deputy mayor Desley Simpson. Driving conditions are treacherous and the Northern Motorway is closed between Northcote Rd and Esdmonde Rd in both directions. Streams and rivers have burst their banks in parts of the region and schools and daycares across Auckland are evacuating. State Highway 1 at Dome Valley and the Brynderwyn Hills are closed due to flooding, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says. Auckland Transport has started to replace some ferry services with shuttles due to the weather conditions. At 1:20 the agency said all remaining Pine Harbour Services had been cancelled for the rest of the day. “Replacement buses will be operating from Queens Wharf at 16:00, 17:00 and 18:00. Expect delays due to heavy congestion across the network.” Up North, the Brynderwyns have suffered another fleeting reopening as heavy downpours have forced the closure of the vital State Highway 1 link - again. SH1 Brynderwyn Hills to Waipū and SH1 Dome Valley are now closed due to surface flooding and slips. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said crews are closely monitoring the roads and will reassess “once safe to do so”. Detours for light vehicles are currently in place via Mangawhai and Waipū, and for heavy vehicles via SH12 and SH14. However, Waka Kotahi has advised people to check the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner before they head out as the situation is changing rapidly. The closure is a blow for motorists who only on Monday last week were able to rejoice that the state highway had been reinstated. Tue, 09 May 2023 02:02:52 Z /news/emergency/piha-residents-brace-for-more-damage-as-torrential-rain-sparks-fresh-flooding/ /news/emergency/piha-residents-brace-for-more-damage-as-torrential-rain-sparks-fresh-flooding/ An isolated West Auckland beach community devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle is bracing for further damage today after torrential rain sparked fresh flooding. Peter McNally’s North Piha house was red-stickered after the cliff face behind his property gave way during the intense February storm. McNally said Piha was flooding again today after torrential rain this morning smashed Auckland, causing widespread chaos and triggering a local state of emergency. ”It’s a bloody nightmare. ”The rivers are running like mad. Nothing’s swamped yet but if it goes again like this tonight, anything could happen.” He said North Piha Rd - where floodwaters submerged cars during Cyclone Gabrielle - was now flooded again and pumps were being used to drain the water. Brown water from swollen rivers flowing down from Waitākere Ranges Regional Park was visible about 1km out to sea. Brown mud from swollen rivers is visible about 1km out to sea after more torrential rain hit the settlement of Piha on Tuesday. Photo / Peter McNally The Piha community was smashed by the cyclone, with many properties swamped by floodwaters and other homes destroyed by huge slips. The only road in and out of Piha was blocked by landslides and the settlement was shut off to non-residents until last week. McNally said he and other affected homeowners were still waiting for confirmation about the fate of their properties, months on the from the cyclone. ”We’ve been virtually ignored.” A huge slip at North Piha Beach triggered by Cyclone Gabrielle left Peter McNally's home badly damaged and red-stickered. Photo / Peter McNally He and other residents were also concerned about a car-size boulder which was “teetering” from a cliff face above Piha Rd, and had alerted Auckland Transport to the potential risk. “If that rocks gets dislodged, oh man. I don’t know who will take responsibility for it.” Meanwhile, Auckland Council is warning that properties next to, above or below properties affected by existing landslides may be at increased risk of further landslides. The council’s head of engineering resilience Ross Roberts said today’s rain may see further damage. ”In many areas, clifftop properties with existing landslides may encounter further damage. ”If your house has a red ‘entry prohibited’ placard, ensure you’re following the requirement to stay out. ”If your house has a yellow ‘restricted access’ placard, follow the restrictions given on the placard and seriously consider avoiding any entry for the duration of the event. ”If your house is next to a property with a placard, or if you see any signs of instability, or if you are concerned about the stability of the land around your house, we recommend you are extra cautious during this likely severe weather event and you may want to consider finding alternative accommodation during heavy rain,” Roberts said. Tue, 09 May 2023 01:45:42 Z /news/emergency/wild-weather-bop-civil-defence-warns-flooding-slips-and-fallen-trees-real-possibility-in-bay-of-plenty/ /news/emergency/wild-weather-bop-civil-defence-warns-flooding-slips-and-fallen-trees-real-possibility-in-bay-of-plenty/ Slips, fallen trees and flooding are “a real possibility” with more heavy rain set to hit the region. A state of local emergency has been declared in Auckland as flooding swamps the region and a MetService meteorologist warns the most intense rainfall is yet to come. An orange heavy rain warning is in place for the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel Peninsula. The warning is in place for the Bay of Plenty, including Rotorua, from 3pm today to 3am Wednesday. Locals can expect heavy rain with possible thunderstorms, with 80 to 100mm possible. Rainfall rates of 10 to 15mm per hour are likely, but could possibly be 15 to 25mm per hour during thunderstorms, MetService said. The orange heavy rain warning for the Coromandel Peninsula was in place from 9am today to midnight. A severe thunderstorm watch is also in force for the peninsula with warnings of “a slight chance of a damaging tornado”. Bay of Plenty Civil Defence said slips, fallen trees and flooding were “a real possibility” following the amounts of recent rain.  “There is nowhere really for more rain to drain away, so please take extreme care on the roads and keep an eye on flood-prone and slip-prone areas.” It urged people to make sure phones were fully charged in case of power outages, and to use the car radio if they didn’t have a battery-powered radio. It said that all councils in the region were keeping a close eye on roads, surface flooding, and unstable land, and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council would be monitoring river levels and stop banks. Rotorua Lakes Council asked that any issues and hazards were reported to the council on 07 348 4199. Whakatāne District Council warned Eastern Bay of Plenty residents slips continued to come down across the rohe due to the ground saturated from last week’s events. “If you live or work near cliffs and steep slopes (escarpments) keep an eye out for any instability. “This includes movements of trees or the slope, cracks in the earth, ground slumpage, or dislodged boulders suspended in vegetation on the cliff face. “If you feel unsafe, bunk down with friends or whānau until you feel safe to return.” The council said they were still cleaning up slips, surface flooding and potholes, and were expecting more. “Be sure to drive with caution when moving around the district. ”Our wastewater system could be put under pressure. We’ll let you know if we need you to limit use of your loo, washing machine, dishwasher and shower.”     Tue, 09 May 2023 01:41:29 Z /news/emergency/auckland-flooding-wild-weather-what-does-a-state-of-emergency-mean/ /news/emergency/auckland-flooding-wild-weather-what-does-a-state-of-emergency-mean/ Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson has today declared a state of local emergency as a deluge has hit Tāmaki Makaurau and other parts of the North Island. Firefighters have responded to 88 calls for help, 22 of which were urgent, across flood-affected Auckland and Northland. Driving conditions are treacherous and the Northern Motorway is closed between Northcote Rd and Esdmonde Rd in both directions. “This morning, at my request, the Deputy Mayor and I received an urgent phone briefing from Auckland Emergency Management Civil Defence,” Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said in a statement.  “After carefully considering the advice of the Duty Controller I have decided to declare a precautionary State of Local Emergency. The decision is based on the lessons we learnt from the Anniversary Auckland floods. “While I am assured that emergency services are coping with the volume of call outs at the moment, and that they do not require emergency powers, I consider it is necessary to communicate to the public that this is something to take seriously. “As I am in Sydney on Council business, I have delegated my responsibilities and powers to Desley Simpson, who is now Acting Mayor until I return,” Brown said. So what does that mean for you? For the most part, the state of emergency does not affect daily life. Schools can open if they are not already and people can go to work as usual. The state of emergency simply means agencies are able to access some powers they usually do not have. It means council staff are able to enter buildings at any time during working hours to assess the safety, evacuate people and prohibit the use of the building if it is deemed unsafe - and police have the power to support them in doing that. Flooding on the Northwestern Motorway in Auckland. Photo / Jason Oxenham The state of emergency also means that the Civil Defence Emergency Management Group have powers relating to the provision of the relief of distress including emergency food, clothing and shelter. It allows Fire and Emergency New Zealand to enter any properties and shore up or pull down structures that have been damaged and provide a danger to life or property. ‘We recommend you are extra cautious’ Auckland Council is warning properties next to, above or below properties affected by existing landslides may be at increased risk of further landslides. The council’s head of engineering resilience Ross Roberts said today’s rain may see further damage. “In many areas, clifftop properties with existing landslides may encounter further damage. “If your house has a red ‘entry prohibited’ placard, ensure you’re following the requirement to stay out. “If your house has a yellow ‘restricted access’ placard, follow the restrictions given on the placard and seriously consider avoiding any entry for the duration of the event. “If your house is next to a property with a placard, or if you see any signs of instability, or if you are concerned about the stability of the land around your house, we recommend you are extra cautious during this likely severe weather event and you may want to consider finding alternative accommodation during heavy rain.” Tue, 09 May 2023 01:37:25 Z /news/emergency/northland-weather-sh1-over-brynderwyns-closed-by-heavy-downpours/ /news/emergency/northland-weather-sh1-over-brynderwyns-closed-by-heavy-downpours/ The Brynderwyns have suffered another fleeting reopening as heavy downpours have forced the closure of the vital State Highway 1 link - again. SH1 Brynderwyn Hills to Waipū and SH1 Dome Valley are now closed due to surface flooding and slips.  Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said crews are closely monitoring the roads and will reassess “once safe to do so”. Detours for light vehicles are currently in place via Mangawhai and Waipū, and for heavy vehicles via SH12 and SH14. However, Waka Kotahi has advised people to check the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner before they head out as the situation is changing rapidly. The closure is a blow for motorists who only on Monday last week were able to rejoice that the state highway had been reinstated. Contractors have been working hard over the past few months to clear slips from the Brynderwyns, which have again closed. MetService has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Kaipara and Whangārei valid until around 1.30pm today. Earlier the weather forecaster predicted thunderstorms may bring localised torrential rain in excess of 40 mm/h, damaging wind gusts of greater than 110 km/h, and a slight chance of a damaging tornado. Downpours were expected to last until 7pm with 70 to 90mm of rain expected to fall over the course of the day. Civil Defence Northland has received reports of heavy falls and surface flooding in the Far North and along the west coast. “The rain is moving through our region quickly but with high - intensity in places - with 35mm in one hour recorded just south of Kaitāia.” Floodwaters have closed SH10 as well as the alternative route for the Mangamukas through Herekino and Broadwood. “Flooding on roads remains the current key concern. If you are out on the roads, please be extra vigilant and watch out for hazards,” Civil Defence said. “If you aren’t on the roads, please delay your travel and avoid any non-essential trips. “And remember if you see rising water, do not wait for official warnings. Head for higher ground and always stay away from floodwater. If life or property is in immediate danger phone 111.” Fire and Emergency New Zealand had responded to 88 calls for help related to the weather in Northland and Auckland, between 9am and 12pm. Brad Mosby, on-call Commander for Tāmaki Makaurau said most were from Auckland. “These call-outs mostly include flooding that had entered buildings. However, some slips and fallen trees have been recorded with one tree catching fire due to lightning. “The calls vary in severity with 22 being classed as urgent and the rest being classed as non-urgent.” Shortly after 9am, the Mangonui Volunteer Fire Brigade were called to a flooded home in Cable Bay. Firefighters worked with shovels to clear drains and culverts, eventually putting barricades in place to stop more water entering the property. SH10 between Ngati Kahu Rd and Taipa View Rd is down to one lane due to surface flooding. Oruru Rd is impassable as a large slip has covered both lanes. Ash Yakas and Samm Wilson have lived at their property at Taipa off Oruru Rd for around five years and said it was the worst flooding they’d seen since moving to the area. ”Our driveway as we got home went under in like 30 minutes,” Wilson said. ”That was in the time I drove to Cooper’s Beach and back to get gas bottles.” Wilson described how they usually couldn’t see Taipa River from their property but this morning she could see it rising through the valley. By 10.30am, however, she said it had started to subside again. Vehicles are being turned around on Parapara Rd, near SH10, as the river is bursting its banks preventing motorists from passing through. Traffic management is in place on SH10 near Duncan Rd due to surface flooding and slips. Far North District Council said Koronae Rd in Waipapa was closed until around 8.30am due to a fallen tree. Civil Defence Northland encouraged motorists to drive to the conditions and watch for hazards. “Allow extra time for travel and avoid any unnecessary trips.” The Advocate understands a number of schools around the region either closed or are closing their doors due to the severe weather. Although the bus services for some schools that are still open have been cancelled. The Whangārei District Council has reported no weather-related disruptions as of 9.30am. However, a home is believed to have flooded on Whangārei Heads Rd. In Kaipara, a motorist had to flee their vehicle on Morgan Rd in Titoki after it became stuck in floodwaters. Large boulders have also reportedly fallen onto SH12 in Ruawai near a blind corner close to Tokatoka Rd. Tauraroa Area School principal Grant Burns said his staff made a call at about 11am to close the school due to the closure of roads. “We couldn’t send the younger ones home unless we knew adults were at home, so we contacted the parents and found other ways to get the students home safely.” By lunch, he said 90 per cent of the students had left school and he acknowledged Ritchies that sent buses to the school before the scheduled pick-up time so students were not stranded. He said the Waiotira area appeared to be the worst affected by the rain. Despite heavy rain and extreme wind gusts that brought down trees in the Kerikeri area around 11am, only one power outage is currently being reported in the Far North district. That is in the Waimate North area where lines company Top Energy reported 33 households were without power as of 11am. There were no outages in the Whangārei-Kaipara districts served by Northpower.   Sixteen roads are closed in the Far North District. Closed roads: Bell Road, Kaitāia - surface flooding Clough Road, Kaitāia - surface flooding Diggers Valley Road, Kaitāia - surface flooding Fairburn Road, Fairburn - over slip Inland Road, Whatuwhiwhi - surface flooding Iwitaua Road, Mangamuka - surface flooding Kaitāia-Awaroa Road, Kaitāia (past Roma Road Heading to Herekino) - surface flooding Mangatoetoe Road, Kaitāia - surface flooding Miro Place, Kaitāia - passable with 4WD - surface flooding Oruru Road, Peria - over slip Peria Road, Peria - surface flooding Peria Valley Road, Peria - surface flooding Sand Hills Road, Ahipara - surface flooding Taumata Road, Taipa - surface flooding Whangape Road, Herekino - surface flooding Wireless Road, Kaitāia - surface flooding   Tue, 09 May 2023 01:30:25 Z /news/emergency/northland-weather-whang%C4%81rei-boys-high-school-student-missing-at-abbey-caves-in-whang%C4%81rei/ /news/emergency/northland-weather-whang%C4%81rei-boys-high-school-student-missing-at-abbey-caves-in-whang%C4%81rei/ The principal of a Northland school responsible for a class trip in which a student was swept away inside a cave has promised a full investigation into the ordeal. Whangārei Boys’ High School principal Karen Gilbert-Smith has spoken out five hours after the Year 11 student went missing at Abbey Caves in Whangārei amid torrential weather. The student is yet to be found despite a large-scale search and rescue operation. Questions about why the school went out despite weather warnings still remain unanswered. Gilbert-Smith said described the event as “hugely upsetting” for her school. Emergency services at Abbey Caves in Whangārei, where a student is still missing. Photo / Michael Cunningham An inflatable rescue boat has been brought in to help with the search for the missing student. Photo / Michael Cunningham She said an Outdoor Education class was on a caving trip when they “encountered a severe weather event”. Police earlier confirmed the group, believed to involve 15 students and two teachers, got into difficulty around 10.35am. “A full and comprehensive investigation of this situation will occur,” Gilbert-Smith said.  “But for now I have asked the WBHS community to stay united and provide support where required.” Gilbert-Smith said the current focus was on supporting whānau, staff and students involved as well as the wider school community with help from iwi and other agencies. “My thoughts and aroha are with all concerned, especially the whānau of the young person who is missing.” An aunt of the boy still missing has called for prayers from the community to help find her “lost” nephew. The boy’s father was earlier seen today arriving at the caves, looking visibly upset. Another person there thought to be whānau, comforted him with a lengthy hug. Parents of other students not involved in today’s ordeal, have shared their outrage online about the school trip going ahead despite well-publicised weather warnings. “Absolutely insane that the school went ahead with this with all the warnings and rain forecast! Those poor parents, I’d be beside myself,” one wrote. The chairman of the school’s board, Andrew Carvell, told Stuff Gilbert-Smith had notified him about the incident this morning and the school’s thoughts were with the family. ”It’s a very traumatic situation for [those] involved. We’re hoping for a positive outcome ... We anticipate there are going to be questions. I think those questions are reasonable questions to ask.” Northland District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill said the incident was “still very much developing”. Abbey Caves is prone to flash flooding, according to the Whangārei District Council website. Today’s rainfall has flooded the area, turning small streams into rivers. To access Organ Cave, people must climb down some large rocks and boulders and a torch is needed to be able to see within its limestone walls. A specialist cave rescue team and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) have been brought in by Police Land Search and Rescue as well as a police dog handler. Cordons are in place on both sides of Abbey Caves Rd to stop people from accessing the site. Ambulances and firefighters were also at the caves. Students from the Outdoor Education class were taken back to school where they received further medical treatment and were reunited with anxious parents waiting outside the main building. Police and school staff earlier stopped motorists at the Western Hills Dr entrance and turned anyone away without a legitimate reason for being on site. A small group of people believed to be parents of the students involved were gathered outside the main building, where the atmosphere appeared tense. Very little was said between the group. The group were in Organ Cave at Abbey Caves, pictured, when they got into trouble. Photo / File Gilbert-Smith said her school would be open on Wednesday to help maintain a sense of routine for staff and students, for whom support would be available Mon, 08 May 2023 23:48:17 Z /news/emergency/four-injured-two-seriously-in-taup%C5%8D-crash-involving-campervan/ /news/emergency/four-injured-two-seriously-in-taup%C5%8D-crash-involving-campervan/ A crash north of Taupō has injured four people, two of them seriously, after the cars collided. Police confirmed the incident occurred on State Highway 1 just north of the central North Island township on the East Taupō Arterial near Centennial Drive, at Rotokawa. The authorities were alerted to the incident around 2.20pm. It’s understood four people were injured in the crash and the Serious Crash Unit has been notified of the event. At least one of the cars involved in the collision was towing a campervan, police said. Traffic management is in place and motorists should expect delays while the road is cleared. Sat, 29 Apr 2023 03:17:35 Z /news/emergency/emergency-crews-search-sea-after-report-of-smoking-plane-near-nelson-but-find-a-crop-duster-doing-their-job/ /news/emergency/emergency-crews-search-sea-after-report-of-smoking-plane-near-nelson-but-find-a-crop-duster-doing-their-job/ Emergency services rushed to search Delaware Bay near Nelson after a local thought they saw a small plane, with smoke, over the water. However, upon further investigation, they found “a crop duster plane doing their job”. Fire Emergency NZ (FENZ), Police and Coastguard all responded to the potential emergency. An RNZAF aircraft also assisted with the search. A police spokesperson said: “Upon further inquiries, it appears to have been a crop duster plane doing their job. It doesn’t appear any plane crashed.” A FENZ spokesperson said a number of crews are at the scene but they have “not found anything of that nature”. The spokesperson said they have not had any other calls about this.     Wed, 08 Mar 2023 03:43:18 Z /news/emergency/auckland-southern-motorway-truck-fire-explosions-residents-evacuated/ /news/emergency/auckland-southern-motorway-truck-fire-explosions-residents-evacuated/ Witnesses have described explosions like “gunfire” and flames as high as 50 metres as a massive fire engulfed a chemical truck on Auckland’s Southern Motorway early today, forcing the closure of the motorway and evacuation of nearby homes. Northbound lanes have just reopened after being closed for nearly seven hours, creating gridlock for commuters - but the fire has been extinguished after an hours-long battle by emergency services. About 15 homes and up to 30 residents were evacuated. Mainfreight’s managing director Don Braid said the Chemcouriers truck was carrying cans of aerosol paint from Rotorua to Auckland. The driver had escaped unharmed and the cause of the explosion was under investigation. Traffic has also slowed this morning around the Northbound Waterview Tunnel, which was temporarily closed due to a potential overheight vehicle. The tunnel soon reopened but Waka Kotahi warned motorists to expect delays. Motorists coming from the North Shore into the CBD can also expect delays, as a breakdown - now cleared - blocked the third southbound lane on the Harbour Bridge. Papakura resident Steven Shortt said he was woken by several explosions just before 3am, after the truck caught fire in a northbound lane, just north of the Papakura on-ramp - and near his house. “Some of the explosions were massive... flying fire projectiles were getting thrown into our front lawn. Cars are covered in ash across the whole front. There were burning embers across our front lawn. It was pretty crazy, man. The burning truck on the Southern Motorway. Photo / Steven Shortt of ShorttDrift “I’ve never in my life seen anything like that before. The whole upstairs of the house is hot as against the windows. The explosions you could feel from across the road, the heat and the impact. It was like a war scene.” Shortt said the rear carriage of the truck had been destroyed in about 10 minutes and the rest of the truck about 20 minutes later, amid repeated explosions.  “With chemicals, we evacuated. We grabbed the dogs and animals, went across the road and watched the explosions and fires from a safer distance. Some of those explosions were well above power lines, 50-odd metres (high).” Another resident told the Herald that the “fire was massive with ongoing, non-stop explosions for over half an hour”. A Papakura resident living 3km from the blaze said she was awoken by the sounds of the fire shortly after 3am. “I thought it was gunfire,” she said. “The explosions were crazy.” Firefighters at the scene of the massive truck fire on Auckland's Southern Motorway. No one was injured. It is understood the truck driver ran from the fire and later made himself known to emergency services. Mainfreight’s managing director Don Braid said the driver of the Chemcouriers truck which went up in flames on Auckland’s Southern Motorway this morning is shaken up but is fine. ”He attempted to disconnect the trailer but the trailer was alight by the time he managed to try and disconnect and had to move away from the vehicle as quickly as he could,” said Braid. ”He’s fine and a little bit shaken up.” Braid said the truck fire is under an internal investigation. ”We think either mechanical or electrical (cause of fire) but we have to get that investigation completed before we can confirm one or another.” Braid said the truck was carrying a full load of aerosol cans of paint from a client in Rotoura. The load was due to be delivered in Auckland. The fire had been contained by 6am but the motorway remains closed northbound between Papakura and Takanini and people have been warned to avoid the area. Traffic has also slowed this morning around the Northbound Waterview Tunnel, which was temporarily closed due to a potential overheight vehicle. The tunnel soon reopened but Waka Kotahi warned motorists to expect delays. Police said the truck was carrying “highly flammable gas in canisters and these have exploded over all of the northbound lanes and into the bush on the side of the road. “The motorway is blocked but thankfully, no one was injured. Around 15 homes were evacuated as a precaution but have since been allowed to return home. “The Southern Motorway remains closed northbound and is not expected to open for some time. There is a significant amount of debris to clean up off the road and the fire is still burning out.” “There are diversions in place but as commuters will understand, this is going to cause significant delays and we would strongly advise people to avoid travelling this morning if they don’t need to.” Up to 12 fire crews were at the scene at the height of the blaze. Fire and Emergency northern shift manager Carren Larking said six fire engines remained at the scene. Kristina Pham was driving with her partner and children from Drury at 3am, making their way to the airport when they spotted thick black smoke coming from afar further down the motorway. ”Then we saw the flames and big explosions and when we got closer on the motorway - we saw the truck on fire,” she told the Herald. ”I didn’t want to drive past it as the fire was raging and so close and could explode right beside us. Cars in front of us, including trucks, were doing u-turns on the motorway so we followed them.” The burning truck that has forced the evacuation of homes near a section of Auckland's Southern Motorway. Photo / Hayden Woodward As Pham’s partner continued to drive away, sirens began to blare from all directions. “[There were] fire trucks everywhere and police everywhere. It was unreal.” Newstalk ob体育接口 sports broadcaster Andrew Alderson found himself trapped in gridlocked traffic in downtown Papakura following the chemical blaze. ”It’s mayhem at the moment,” he said, describing the “complete and utter gridlock” on south Auckland roads. ”All you can see are red tail lights in every direction, I’ve never seen downtown Papakura like this before.” A distance away from where the truck fire sparked, Alderson said a dozen emergency service vehicles were still parked up on the southern motorway. ”It’s wall-to-wall gridlock, people are trying to snake their way through [the traffic], but good luck.” A Shelter In Place notification has been issued for homes on Harbourside Drive, adjacent to the motorway, with residents being advised to remain inside their homes. Tue, 07 Mar 2023 18:00:47 Z /news/emergency/man-58-dies-in-wanaka-event/ /news/emergency/man-58-dies-in-wanaka-event/ A 58-year-old man has died at an event in Wanaka today. Police were notified about 9.30am, and part of Motatapu Rd in Glendhu Bay was closed for a short period of time. The death has been referred to the Coroner. It has not been confirmed what event the 58-year-old has died at. However, the Motatapu annual off-road race for runners and mountain bikers began today. MORE TO COME Sat, 04 Mar 2023 03:18:03 Z /news/emergency/firefighter-describes-battle-to-contain-grain-plant-fire-in-flood-ravaged-gisborne-it-took-all-our-resources/ /news/emergency/firefighter-describes-battle-to-contain-grain-plant-fire-in-flood-ravaged-gisborne-it-took-all-our-resources/ A firefighter has described the three-hour-long battle to contain an inferno which claimed a three-storey grain-processing plant in Elgin, Gisborne. Fire and Emergency received reports of a well-involved building fire on Cochrane St about 7pm. A spokesperson said a third alarm was transmitted in the next hour and crews were able to control it by 10pm. A firefighter who was at the scene told the Herald when he got there flames had taken over all floors of the building. “It took all our resources,” he said. “Police did some evacuations for people living in the houses around it due to the smoke.” Fumes coming out of a grain-processing plant in Elgin, Gisborne. Photo / Jim Reed The building is located in Elgin. It is a processing plant for locally grown grains such as maize and corn, and was a big employer for the community. The firefighter said in Gisborne they had one appliance which could go out immediately with volunteers and paid staff. “It takes a while to get a second truck. Our resources are extremely stretched. We had a substantial house fire in the middle of floods as well and we did not have communication at that time.” The firefighter said an investigator was at the scene today to establish the cause. A fire at a grain-processing plant in Gisborne prompted residents' evacuation. Photo / Jim Reed James Reed, who lives on the street adjacent to the plant on Chalmers Rd, said he heard banging and explosions. “I saw everyone was out front and I saw huge fumes coming out of the plant. Fire engines were parked there. “Police closed off the roads from either end and pushed us far away because of the explosions. “I took my car and went to my daughter’s, I stayed there until 11pm.” Reed said he was worried about the fire because the plant was a “pretty old complex”. “It was quite the fight for the time I saw it; firefighters did a brilliant job.” Reed said the fire had added to the stress and anxiety many in the city were facing. “We are stressed enough as it is, now there is even more anxiety.” Police had a scene guard at the location overnight, a spokesperson said. The cordons had been stood down and residents had returned to their homes last night. Thu, 02 Mar 2023 21:51:18 Z /news/emergency/temporary-bridges-rolled-out-across-six-cyclone-gabrielle-struck-north-island-sites-to-re-link-regions/ /news/emergency/temporary-bridges-rolled-out-across-six-cyclone-gabrielle-struck-north-island-sites-to-re-link-regions/ Temporary, single-lane bridges are being deployed across six North island sites to re-link regions hit by last month's weather disasters. Transport Minister Michael Wood delivered the update from Hawke's Bay. The bridges are being used as an interim measure, enabled by the Government's $250 million top-up of the National Land transport fund. Wood says three have been installed, with works underway on the other three. He says they're just one short-term tool being used, with other options like single-lane access, and speed or weight restrictions being considered.   Thu, 02 Mar 2023 01:11:27 Z /news/emergency/emergency-unfolding-on-lincoln-rd-in-henderson-west-auckland/ /news/emergency/emergency-unfolding-on-lincoln-rd-in-henderson-west-auckland/ An elderly woman has been taken to hospital in a critical condition after being struck by a car on a major West Auckland road. A pedestrian was hit at the intersection of Universal Dr and Lincoln Rd in Henderson just before 11am, a spokesperson for police said. Police cordoned the road off as the incident unfolded. Traffic is being diverted at the intersection of Universal Dr and Lincoln Rd on to Pomaria and Rathgar Rds, including bus route 146. - More to come Tue, 28 Feb 2023 23:22:44 Z /news/emergency/hawke-s-bay-what-civil-defence-need-you-to-know-wednesday/ /news/emergency/hawke-s-bay-what-civil-defence-need-you-to-know-wednesday/ Here’s the fresh information Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management needs you to know in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. This information will be updated daily. Cleaning up silt: Take precautions when you are cleaning up silt to avoid breathing airborne dust and direct contact with your skin. Wear a facemask Wear gloves, clothing that covers your arms and legs, and boots or sturdy closed shoes Wash and dry your hands afterwards, or use hand sanitiser Where to go if you need help Several civil defence centres and community hubs are open for anyone in town who needs help. Here’s where to go: Civil Defence Centres Centennial Hall, Napier Flaxmere Community Centre Community Hubs Napier: Kings Church Bay View Hotel What Ever It Takes Hastings Cook Islands Centre Te Aranga Marae Ex Scout Hall Ascend Global Church Waipatu Marae Malamalama Centre – EFKS Flaxmere Central Hawkes Bay Pōrangahau Town Hall Isolated communities: Civil Defence and NZ Defence Force are working together to drop supplies into our isolated rural communities. This includes food, water, fuel, and medicine. Medical staff are also being flown into isolated communities to run pop-up clinics. Wairoa If you’re in Wairoa: SH2 Wairoa-Gisborne is OPEN, though SH2 Napier-Wairoa is still CLOSED. New World supermarket is open and so are the Z and GAS petrol stations. A boil water notice is in place for the Tuai water scheme. Supplies are being provided to communities without road access by Civil Defence and the New Zealand Defence Force. Internet and phone connectivity continues to improve. Some rural people are still isolated and emergency services have carried out welfare checks throughout the district by road or air. How you can help Hawke’s Bay people are SO generous. Civil defence is reminding everyone that they do not need any more blankets, clothes, household goods or small amounts of food. What they do need is LARGE AMOUNTS OF NON-PERISHABLE GOODS but only in bulk – that’s by the truckload or in pallets. So if you are a supplier and want to contribute, get in touch with the logistics team by emailing logistics@hbemergency.govt.nz. If you would like to offer support in a different way, please register with Volunteering Hawkes Bay – their website is www.volunteeringhb.org.nz Otherwise please consider donating money to one of the official funds – there is a list on the HB Civil Defence Emergency Management Group’s Facebook page. Power: The latest from Unison is that they are working hard to restore power to just under 4000 customers in rural areas still without electricity (as at 12pm Wednesday). The network has suffered extensive damage and in some places Unison is looking to bring in generators to rural substations. Unison is asking everyone who has power restored to please conserve electricity. And if you still have no power, now is the time to check all your appliances are switched off – particularly stoves, ovens and heaters – to reduce the risk of fire when the power comes back on. Roads: Road crews are working hard so please keep checking the Waka Kotahi website for updated information on state highways and your local council for local roads. Please be patient and allow extra time for your trip Mental health: It continues to be an immensely challenging time for many of us. It’s okay to not be okay. Going through a natural disaster can take a significant toll on our wellbeing, but everyone will respond differently to the shock. You might notice your feelings are changing day to day, or even hour to hour. Once the adrenaline starts wearing off, you could be experiencing a range of physical reactions too – feeling shaky, queasy, having no appetite, or struggling to concentrate. This is all completely normal and understandable. Whatever you’re going through, rest assured you’re not alone. If you’re struggling to cope, visit the All Right? website, free call or text 1737, or text Youthline on 234, or call Lifeline on 0800 543354. Let’s take it day by day, step by step.   Wed, 22 Feb 2023 01:55:15 Z /news/emergency/cyclone-gabrielle-anzac-response-in-hawke-s-bay-as-australian-firefighters-join-search-effort/ /news/emergency/cyclone-gabrielle-anzac-response-in-hawke-s-bay-as-australian-firefighters-join-search-effort/ Queensland Fire and Emergency Services’ AUS-1 Disaster Assistance Response Team (Dart) answered New Zealand’s call for help and jumped on a number of commercial flights to get to cyclone-ravaged Hawke’s Bay as quickly as possible. AUS-1 Dart is made up of firefighters, paramedics, communications, mechanics as well as volunteer doctors, engineers and canine handlers and their dogs. They regularly deal with floods, fires and other natural disasters throughout Australia and the rest of the world. While Dart team leader Graeme Hall has seen his fair share of devastating disasters, he said the destruction in Esk Valley was something completely different. Specialist QFES firefighters have been helping New Zealand search and rescue teams in a harrowing recovery effort. Photo / QFES Flights from Australia to New Zealand were very full said Hall, so his team of 25 came out on three different flights, bringing with them communication equipment, PPE and other equipment to use in the field, because they knew there was a good command centre set up on the ground in Hawke’s Bay. This made it easier for the Queensland team to get here so quickly, he said. The first team flew in and got straight to work with a few people, which Hall says gave his wider team some situational awareness and team capability from that point on. Dart deployed with the New Zealand search and rescue teams into Esk Valley, immediately conducting search activities and damage assessments, as the first priority was to try to determine where people were likely to be trapped. Graeme Hall (right) meeting with Fire and Emergency New Zealand Commander Russell Woods and his team. Photo / QFES Providing situational awareness for the team and continuing operations for finding missing people was and continued to be the team’s biggest priority. When asked about how these floods compared to anything he had seen before Hall said, “being from Queensland we get flooding almost every year as well as other natural disasters, but this is different”. Hall explained while Australia does have some runoff from some valleys during floods that will damage a few houses, “for most of ours the water comes up then goes back down and it causes damage and silt, but people can usually wash their houses out and in one to six months they can move back in. “With this flooding, the devastation is such where I don’t think a large number of houses they will ever move back to quite frankly because of the damage and devastation,” said Hall. The AUS-1 Disaster Assistance Response Team has been doing what it does best and leading a hand in some of Hawke’s Bays’ most devastated areas after Cyclone Gabrielle’s destruction. Photo / QFES “This is such an extraordinary weather event,” said the team leader. AUS-1 Dart has been deployed for 14 days and will be in the country until March 2 and 3. They are currently staying at Mitre 10 sports park with some of the NZ Search and Rescue team. Hall wanted to make sure everyone knew his team don’t drive the operations, the operations are driven by New Zealand Search and Rescue, as well as Civil Defence and a handful of other organisations. “Our role is to assist with the search and rescue operations so that is what we are doing, we are working really closely with so much closer than we are now integrating our teams,” he said. Specialist firefighters from QFES have been calling the Mitre 10 park in Hasting their home base while helping with the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / QFES They have been calling the integrated search groups Anzac teams. Since arriving last Thursday AUS-1 Dart has been sent out to Esk Valley, Bay View and Pakowhai. The team has been working from 8am to 7pm each day and, having trained for many years, they have been enjoying putting their skill set to good use, Hall said. Being out in the field helping the community is their their passion, he said. Tue, 21 Feb 2023 02:36:32 Z /news/emergency/cyclone-gabrielle-live-updates-on-auckland-emergency-mt-eden-shot-tower-to-be-demolished/ /news/emergency/cyclone-gabrielle-live-updates-on-auckland-emergency-mt-eden-shot-tower-to-be-demolished/ Auckland Council has blasted body corporates who tried to obstruct the process to demolish a historic tower in central Auckland threatening to topple after Cyclone Gabrielle. About 50 residents in apartment blocks near the Mt Eden shot tower were evacuated last Monday as the cyclone approached the city and are expected to be out of their homes for at least another week while the work is carried out. Auckland Council’s Director Regulatory Services Craig Hobbs says the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has approved the demolition of Mt Eden’s shot tower. ”We have been advised by MBIE that Minister Megan Woods has given approval for the shot tower to be demolished,” he said.  “Work will begin tomorrow (Tuesday) and our contractors expect it will take approximately seven days to complete.” At today’s Auckland Emergency Management update, Hobbs called out body corporates for resisting the process. “They’ve done their residents no favours,” Hobbs said. In Auckland, 356 houses have been red-stickered following the city’s Anniversary Weekend flooding and 202 after Cyclone Gabrielle. Residents who were evacuated as Cyclone Gabrielle hit Auckland last Monday won’t be able to move back into their homes until the works are finished, Hobbs said. Residents near the Shot Tower on Normanby Rd in Mt Eden are frustrated by delays in getting back into their homes. Photo / George Heard Families with nowhere to go Syliva Duda is one of the evacuated residents. She told the Herald last week she had to move out to her parents’ home with her partner and six-month-old baby. She understood many others were doing it tougher, but said it was frustrating the Government had known about the problems with the tower for a long time and done nothing. She feared hundreds of dollars worth of food in her freezer could have perished and said her husband had evacuated with just one pair of pants. Others from the complex were less fortunate. “There’s a lot of families and a lot of immigrants who don’t have families here that they can stay with,” Duda said. One neighbour with a three-month-old baby had been forced to stay on the floor at a friend’s house, she said. However, there was no room for her husband to stay at the same house. “So, families are being separated,” Duda said. She also said one of her neighbours was crying during a group Zoom call with residents last week, claiming Auckland Council staff had gone into her bedroom, picked up her baby and put it into a capsule to speed up the evacuation process. However, the council’s Hobbs denied this. He said there was only one occasion in which staff entered an apartment during the evacuation. He said the staff member was not a compliance officer but a trained welfare person, and they only entered at the request of a resident asking for help. Hobbs said he was ultimately unhappy with the approach taken by two of the apartment complexes’ body corporate contractors. “I’m really upset about the way that they’ve approached this - not working with Council, but working against us,” he said. He acknowledged the council’s communication could have been better, but said his team had also busy dealing with more than 2000 significantly damaged homes across the city.   Mon, 20 Feb 2023 01:05:56 Z