Bay of Plenty residents face daunting clean-up

A scene of amazing devastation greeted residents and emergency services as they began the huge clean-up in the BOP township Matata. Picture / Alan Gibson

The state of emergency in Tauranga was lifted this morning as residents of the flood-ravaged Bay of Plenty faced the daunting prospect of moving into clean-up mode as the full extent of the devastation becomes clear.

Civil defence emergencies remain in place in Matata, near Whakatane, but this will be assessed as the day continues.

The chaos began on Wednesday afternoon when a deluge of rain hit the region -- destroying houses, swamping farms and forcing hundreds to be evacuated from their homes.

A total of 186 people were evacuated from homes in the Tauranga district, and 74 remain out of their homes today.

In Matata 297 people, more than half the town's population, were evacuated from their homes, Whakatane District Council spokeswoman Mary Hermanson told NZPA.

Of these, 121 spent last night at the War Memorial Hall in Whakatane, she said.

Up to 20 homes had been destroyed in the town, and another 50 had minimal to substantial damage, she said.

"There's 14 vehicles in the lagoon and there's a house and some cars washed onto the railway lines which have to be removed," she said.

"The big priority is really getting the equipment and resources needed to remove all the debris from Matata and establishing a dump site for it."

Ms Hermanson said some huge rocks had been swept onto properties.

"I've seen some pictures and it's pretty horrific."

Evacuees were being briefed on the state of their homes this morning and it was hoped they could have some access to their homes to salvage property and meet insurance assessors.

"Whether these people will be staying there is another story."

State Highway 2 was still closed around Matata, and a freight train that had been stranded since the flooding would be recovered tomorrow afternoon, she said.

Power and water had been restored to Matata but residents were advised to boil water.

It was overcast in Matata this morning but more rain was forecast for this morning, she said.

The town remained closed to all but emergency services.

Whakatane District Mayor Colin Holmes told National Radio today people in Matata were holding together remarkably well.

"They're in good spirits, although last evening they saw on a video and on the news, of course, just what devastation there is out there," he said.

"Many of them who were evacuated a little bit earlier perhaps didn't appreciate the full extent of it, but I think they're standing up to it remarkably well."

Videos taken from a helicopter gave a good overview of the devastation, he said.

"At least they now understand what the real situation is and appreciate that it's going to take a long time to sort it out totally."

It was hoped that some of the evacuees could move back into their homes today. Others would have more permanent accommodation found for them.

Mr Holmes said suspicions there may have been a fatality in the town had been put to rest by civil defence and there had been no reports of any injuries.

Meanwhile in Tauranga it was getting back to "business as usual", despite the daunting clean-up ahead, Western Bay of Plenty District Council spokesman Peter Hennessey told NZPA.

A decision was made at a civil defence briefing this morning to lift the state of emergency in Tauranga at 9am, Mr Hennessy said.

"This means we are moving into the formal part of the recovery phase."

Analysis of the damage to houses would continue today, with 22 houses evacuated due to major structural damage from the flooding, and five houses that would need to be demolished, he said.

"Those people that have been evacuated from houses that are looking structurally dodgy won't be allowed to go back because of safety risks."

There was still surface water on the ground in some areas, particularly in Papamoa he said.

"But theoretically business as usual really -- all schools should be back, all businesses should be operating but again people just need to travel with caution because of the major damage to infrastructure, roading and so on."

It was hoped the state of emergency would be lifted today.

"At this stage it's not raining and the weather forecast is looking good," he said.

- NZPA