Napier flooding clean-up keeps early learning centres closed

Ashridge Road Playcentre in Napier South might be closed for another month or more. Photo / Paul Taylor

The flooding clean-up is continuing for some Napier early-learning services that are still closed until next week at the very least.

While Henry Hill School in Pirimai was the only Napier school still shut on Friday, there were five early learning centres yet to open by the end of the week.

One of those is Ashridge Road Playcentre, which might have to remain shut for another month or longer depending on an assessment from their insurers.

Centre member Carolyn Morris, who lives on the same street and was one of the first people on the scene when the flooding started on Monday evening, said the insurers need to check the walls of their building as well as vinyl flooring, which may need to be pulled up.

"At this stage we're ever hopeful, we're always positive," she said.

Morris said water got through cracks in the vinyl, wetting the surface underneath, so they are in limbo until the assessor determines whether it needs to be pulled up.

"Then we can move forward, which will be great," she said.

Morris said she reached the centre about 45 minutes before water got into the building, and they managed to get almost everything off the floors.

The flooding at Ashridge Road Playcentre on Tuesday morning. Photo / Supplied

But the carpets were all ruined and they also lost a lot of shelving, cabinets and play equipment.

She said the community had been gathering around to help out, and they have been running outdoor sessions for the children at places like Spriggs Park.

"We're really resilient, and we'll bounce back and have a better centre for it," Morris said.

Sunny Days Licensed Early Childhood Centre in Marewa was also closed on Friday, but manager Cathy Grigsby said they were hopeful of opening on Monday.

"We've got some artificial floor covering in our courtyard that has to be uplifted and replaced," she said.

"And quite a big job will be replacing our two sandpits. Because of the dirty water that was flowing through, it's not safe for children because children put things in their mouths."

Grigsby said there was water "a couple of feet" up the side of the building's exterior when she arrived on Tuesday morning.

Manager Cathy Grigsby is hopeful Sunny Days Licensed Early Childhood Centre in Marewa will be able to open again on Monday. Photo / Paul Taylor

"We met the insurance people here on Wednesday morning, and we were really worried that we were going to walk into a huge mess," she said.

There was rubbish and debris everywhere outside, but Grigsby said she was hugely relieved to walk through the door to limited interior damage.

"I know there's a lot of places far worse off than we are, we've been so lucky," she said.

According to the Ministry of Education, the other three early learning services still closed on Friday were Little Magpies Childcare Centre, Te Kōhanga Reo o E Tipu E Rea Taraia, Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Kūpenga o Te Mātauranga, which is situated onsite at Henry Hill School.