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Severe weather effects - 4/5 June

The Whakatāne District is experiencing widespread effects to a period of intense rain and strong winds. 
Read below for updates on road closures, and flooding.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council advisory

The Regional Council is advising that stock on low-lying land immediately beside the Rangitāiki River, and particularly in areas upstream from Te Teko, be moved to higher ground due to a risk of flooding.

This warning DOES NOT apply to areas protected by stopbanks and the Regional Council stresses that there is no risk of flooding in Edgecumbe or the Rangitāiki Plains area.

Significant rainfall has been recorded in the Rangitāiki catchment over the past 24 hours. As a result, current river inflows into the Matahina Dam exceed generation capacity and Manawa Energy have advised that water will be spilled from the dam. The increased river flow means that floodwater could cover land immediately beside the Rangitāiki River.

 Key information

Keep an eye on updates at www.metservice.com

Seen something concerning? Let us know:

For anything urgent, please call us at 07 306 0500. For non-urgent issues, please use our Fix It and Report a Problem form.

 Stay up to date

We will be updating the information on our website as the situation evolves, you can also get the latest updates and guidance from these channels:

For media enquiries email media@whakatane.govt.nz.

 Here's how the roads are looking

Driving conditions are hazardous, please take care or stay off the roads if at all possible. 

⛔️ Closed  ✅ Open ⚠️ Caution

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UPDATE 4pm Thursday

⛔️ Tāneatua Road - Remains CLOSED between Te Tahi St & Tāneatua Squash Club - flooding

⛔️ Reid Road - CLOSED - flooding

⛔️ Awahou Road - CLOSED - flooding

⛔️ Rewatu Road - CLOSED - flooding

✅  Waka Kotahi NZTA SH2 Waimana Gorge - OPEN

✅ Waka Kotahi NZTA SH2 @ Pekatahi - OPEN

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UPDATE 1pm Thursday

⛔️ Tāneatua Road - CLOSED between Te Tahi St & Tāneatua Squash Club


⛔️ Waka Kotahi NZTA SH2 Waimana Gorge - CLOSED between Tāneatua and Kutarere due to flooding


✅ Waka Kotahi NZTA SH2 @ Pekatahi - Remains open at this stage


⛔️ Te Tawa Road - CLOSED tree down, not passable at this stage

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UPDATE 9:30am Thursday

⛔️ Reid Road - CLOSED - flooding


⛔️⚠️ Awahou Road - PASSABLE 4WD ONLY - flooding


⛔️ Matahi Valley Road - CLOSED - Slips and trees down


⚠️ Whirinaki Road - One lane only - Trees down


⛔️⚠️ Stanley Road (between markets 10 + 11 - PASSABLE 4WD ONLY - Slips


✅ Division Street, Matatā - Cleared
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UPDATE 7:30am - Thursday 5 June

⛔️ Herepuru Road - Tree down near #717. Road currently blocked + crews on the way. 

⚠️ There are pockets of flooding in multiple areas across the district and trees / debris on many of our roads around the district. Our crews are sorting these issues as quick as they can. Please drive with caution.

⚠️ Flooding at Waimana. Will update shortly re any road closures.

⚠️ Tahuna Road - Down to one lane - Our crews have cleared a slip and tree during the night. Clean up to continue today. 

⚠️ Trees down on Galatea Road, Ngamotu Road and in Waiohau.

⛔️Braemar Road - Tree(s) down before springs

⚠️ Manawahe Road - Tree(s) / debris across road (passable with caution)

⚠️Kaingaroa - Tree on road a few kilometres before Kaingaroa Straight

🚗💦 Drive with care as you move about today - the roads will be slippery.

Potholes can appear quickly following heavy rain.

For the wider network please visit NZ Transport Agency - Road and Traffic Information »

 Important information for residents living or working close to cliffs or steep slopes (escarpments)

Whakatāne and Ōhope residents living or working close to escarpments should always remain alert for any signs of escarpment instability.

We are working closely with MetService New Zealand and actively monitoring the current severe weather warning for heavy rain and the strong wind watch in place for parts of our district.

With the ground already saturated from recent rain, and more heavy downpours and strong north-westerly winds forecast, we’re urging residents to take a precautionary approach - especially around landslide-prone areas like cliffs and steep slopes (escarpments).

Be alert for warning signs of instability, including:

  • Cracks in the ground
  • Ground slumping
  • Trees or vegetation moving unexpectedly
  • Boulders dislodged or suspended in vegetation

If you live near an escarpment, please follow these safety steps:

  • If your home is at the base of an escarpment, avoid using ground-floor rooms at the rear of the property until 24 hours after heavy rain has ended.
  • Sleep in a room located on the opposite side from the escarpment.
  • If you’re at the top of an escarpment, check for ground cracks or signs of tree instability near the edge and contact Council if you notice anything concerning.
  • If you feel unsafe or notice signs of instability, consider self-evacuating to a location without landslide risk.

Most of the heavy rain is expected overnight. If you see or hear signs of soil movement or unstable trees, move away from the area immediately and call Whakatāne District Council on 07 306 0500 (24/7) with the location so we can investigate.

Find out more »

 Get prepared | Me takatū

  • The GetReady website is a great resource for people to check out, with lots of information and tips for how people can prepare for a storm. Think about your family members, pets and belongings – be prepared to leave if you need to, and have enough supplies to sustain yourself for up to three days. If you are reliant on prescription medication, it is worth ensuring you have enough supplies to get you through next week.

Visit getready.govt.nz »

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Operative District Plan - 2017 »

Long Term Plan 2024-34 »

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