News stories

Far North District Council’s response to last week’s damaging storm will continue over the Easter holiday weekend with operations focusing more and more on recovery.

Drivers are being warned to be cautious when traveling along State Highway 12 near Whirinaki in the Hokianga, as residents and Civil Defence staff continue the clean up from last week’s storm.

Far North District Council Mayor Kahika Moko Tepania, alongside Kohepu Chicky Rudkin, Cr Arohanui Allen, Cr Davina Smolders, and FNDC staff, met today (31 March) with Taupō Bay residents to discuss the removal of beach access steps and to outline potential pathways forward.

The scale of damage from last week’s storm is now becoming clear as data collected by Far North District Council Rapid Response Teams, welfare teams, and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is collated.

Efforts to save water by residents and businesses are being credited with preventing taps running dry in Kaikohe on Friday night, and similar supply issues occurring in Rāwene and Ōmanaia over the weekend.

An Incident Management Team has been set up in Whirinaki after reports of damage to multiple houses in the Hokianga following heavy rainfall overnight compounding the impact of severe weather last week.

Te Tahawai Track in Kerikeri is closed for the rest of the year while construction work is carried out nearby. The track is one of a network of popular paths that link rivers and waterfalls in the Kerikeri area.

Residents in Rāwene and Ōmanaia are being asked to conserve water over the next 48 hours as the Ōmanaia Water Treatment Plant recovers from operational issues caused by recent heavy rain.

** UPDATE – as of 12 pm, 28 March. All MetService weather warnings have been lifted. Far North residents should continue to avoid floodwaters, areas of known landslides, and stay away from steep slopes. Go here for road closure updates.