Cyclone Gabrielle Updates

Information for Friday 17 February

This page will be updated live as changes happen.

Civil Defence Centres

All closed except Tairua: St Francis Church, 24B Main Road.

Find out about our Council's emergency management unit including hazards information, community response plans and more.

Community Led Centres

All closed except:

Pāuanui Sports and Rec Club, 31 Sheppard Ave - closing at noon 16 Feb

Colville Hall, Colville Road - remains open.

Welfare Support

Check out our handy information leaflet about where and how to access welfare services(DOCX, 138KB) . 

If you need welfare assistance during this time, such as food, fuel or medicine, please contact “Here to Help U”. Phone: 0800 568 273 or Heretohelpu.nz

Ministry of Social Development support: Call on 0800 400 100. Open 7am–5pm Monday to Friday, 8am-5pm Saturday, and 8am-1pm Sunday. 

If you have health questions, phone Healthline on 0800 611 116. Healthline is staffed by experienced registered nurses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Roading

Up to date information on local roads and a summary of State Highways can be found on our Roads and Highway Conditions page. 

For full details on State Highway closures, consult the Waka Kotahi website. 

Water Treatment Plants

Our Water Treatment Plants were under intense pressure during the storm. We are pleased to advise that the 'Conserve Water Notices' issued have now been lifted and water supplies are adequate. We thank residents of Thames-Coromandel communities for their support during this period.

The power supply to the Pāuanui and Tairua water treatment plants has been knocked out so reservoir levels are running low and some neighbourhoods will have low pressure. Portable generators are now at the plants but it will still take some time for the water levels in the reservoirs and the pressure in the network to be reestablished. In the meantime, please conserve water.

Matatoki, Puriri and Omahu Water Supplies

The high rainfall has affected the intakes on these water supplies. Major slips on tracks and roads have limited our ability to get to the intakes up in the bush. There is a water tanker stationed at Puriri for residents of these communities to refill water containers. We hope to have the regular water supply restored by the weekend.

Wastewater 

Our Council's wastewater pump stations in the areas listed below have become inaccessible and inoperable due to heavy localised flooding. As a result, there have been overflows of diluted wastewater from wastewater pump stations into areas already experiencing localised stormwater flooding.

The currently affected areas are: Matarangi, Whitianga, Cooks Beach, Pāuanui, Tairua and Whangamatā.

We ask all residents that should you enter a flooded area that you treat the water as being contaminated with wastewater and ensure you follow good health practice by washing yourself and all clothes afterwards.

We will attempt to access the pump station sites as soon as possible. However, this is dependent on conditions at each pump station site and the weather.

Power outages

Please consult the Powerco website for a list of power outages.

Kerbside Pick-up

There are no scheduled Kerbside services today, Friday 17 February.

Kerbside schedules here. 

Refuse Transfer Stations

All of our sites are open Friday 17 February. 

 Please see the list below.

Coromandel Town – Open from 9:30am
Matarangi – Open from 12:30pm
Pāuanui – Open from 12:30pm
Tairua – Open from 9:00am
Thames – Open from 8:30am
Whitianga – Open from 8:30am
Whangamatā – Open from 8:30am

We encourage our customers to please also share this information with friends, family and neighbours so they are also aware.

Council Offices

Today we have the four offices (Whangamatā, Whitianga, Coromandel Town and Thames) open and available to the public.

Libraries

Our three district libraries, Thames, Tairua and Mercury Bay are open.

Pool

Thames Centennial Pool is open.

Council Airfields

Thames (Sir Keith Park Memorial Airfield) - closed to fixed wing aircraft. Status to be re-assessed on Friday morning

Pāuanui - status can't be confirmed due to flooded roads but no issues reported to Council

Tararū Historic Cemetery, Thames

Closed - there is damage to the accessway, with landslip debris across this and the staircase leading to the cemetery. There is windblown tree damage in the cemetery itself and some evidence of frittering of the Waka Kotahi land below the cemetery. Security fencing is being installed to prevent access until the debris can be cleared and it is safe to enter.

What to do with flood-contaminated household goods?

Take them to your local Refuse Transfer Station. Ask where to put used sandbags. They can be re-used by roading crews.

Do not strip building elements (walls, roofs etc). Insurance assessors need to check this material before it is stripped out. Take photos and record lists of items being disposed of to support your insurance claim.

Harbours and rivers unsuitable for swimming

Due to the heavy rains over recent days, the water in the Pāuanui Harbour is considered “unsuitable for swimming/fishing/shellfish gathering” due to the possibility of bacterial contamination. As a precaution, our Council advises no recreational or commercial use of the area until Tuesday 21 February for the Tairua River and Pāuanui Harbour. The area affected is from Pāuanui Waterways to Royal Billy Point Reserve and the full length of the beach down to South End Reserve.

Dr Richard Wall, Te Whatu Ora Medical Officer of Health for Waikato, recommends that where Public Health warnings are in place, the water should be avoided for all recreational use.

“If you do use the water for recreational purposes when a warning is in place, then you are potentially exposing yourself to harmful pathogens that can cause illnesses including gastroenteritis (diarrhoea and vomiting), respiratory illnesses, skin infections and ear infections,” Dr Wall says.

Land Air Water Aotearoa (LAWA) have issued warnings that coastal areas, including the Coromandel, are unsuitable for swimming for two to three days following the heavy rain. 

Wastewater treatment plants were dealt a heavy blow during the storm and may have discharged partially treated wastewater into harbours and river outlets. Council advises you do not fish or gather shellfish during this time.

Find out more here.