Roads open and clean-up begins

22 September, Date/time: 9.30am

Gisborne residents affected by flooding yesterday have begun to clean up their silt-laden properties next to the Waimata and Taruheru rivers in the city.

River levels have continued to drop back to normal levels.

State Highway 2 and Gladstone Road Bridge are again open to traffic but the city bridge will be closed for six hours from 6.30pm tonight to enable contractors to remove woody debris embedded in the mud below.

Gisborne District Council’s environmental health team and Hauora Tairawhiti’s public health team will advise residents about the clean-up.

Gisborne Civil Defence Emergency Manager Louise Bennett said this morning the number of people affected by inundation is still unknown.

“We are relying on the information given to us by people ringing Council but we realise there will be many who have not rung in as yet. We would like to hear from them.

“We need to know the properties affected by sewage contamination and river inundation.”

Council staff want to inspect the level floodwater reached at these properties and advise on the best ways to clean up contaminated silt and water.

Wastewater discharge valves remain open and probably will for the rest of the day. Top priority will be given to helping clean and disinfect backyards where sewage overflowed.

Contractors opened State Highway 2 near Te Karaka at about 10.30pm last night but a lot of sludge remains in the drains and potholes had developed in some places.

Civil Defence advises drivers to take care on the roads around the district.

The structure of Gladstone Road Bridge was inspected last night at 6pm and again this morning.

Tairawhiti Roads journey manager Helen Harris said woody debris had clogged the Gladstone Road and Puha bridges.

The worst-affected local road still closed, the Glenroy Road, has been closed about 6km from State Highway 35.

For further updates, see gdc.govt.nz

ENDS

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