Sodden Bay of Plenty spared threatened overnight rain

8.20am

Threatened rain barely eventuated in the Bay of Plenty overnight to the relief of emergency services working to recover from devastating weekend flooding and earthquakes.

Environment Bay of Plenty spokesman Bruce Fraser said the overnight rain had been "nothing that even bothered the gauges".

"That's good news."

Nevertheless, large areas of the Rangitaiki Plains -- west of Whakatane -- remained under water today.

A major effort was being made to build a roadway to a 150m breach of a stopbank on the eastern side of the Rangitaiki River above Edgecumbe.

That was not expected to be finished until late tomorrow. It was hoped filling of the breach could start on Friday, but the job would take several days to complete, Mr Fraser said.

Engineers estimated about a quarter of the water in the river was going through the breach, but most of that water was being contained in a band between the river and a parallel overflow spillway.

Earthquakes continue to hit the region, with a shake measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale at 3.09am today. It was centred 30km northeast of Rotorua and 5km deep, but Mr Fraser said so far no reports of damage had been received as a result of the latest quake.

Whakatane District Council spokeswoman Diane Turner said it was estimated at least 1500 people from throughout the district were still not able to go home last night.

Flood levels were continuing to fall and, helped by pumping, it was hoped water would be cleared today from the hard hit Whakatane suburb of Awatapu, she said.

The aim was to get people back to their homes as soon as possible.

Of 62 dwellings inspected yesterday, 54 had been cleared for people to return to, Ms Turner said.

A state of civil defence emergency was still in place in the district, and would be reassessed at noon.

Two women died and thousands of people were moved from their properties as a result of the weekend flooding and earthquakes.

On top of more than 250mm of rainfall in the towns of Whakatane, Opotiki and Edgecumbe on Saturday and Sunday, the area was hit by a swarm of over 100 earthquakes, which added to slips and other flood damage.



In Opotiki district, State Highway 35 at the Maraenui Bluffs, near the Motu River mouth about 40km along the coast northeast from Opotiki, was barricaded yesterday after geological experts declared the road unsafe.

"We're not letting anyone across there. It is simply too dangerous," Civil Defence controller Patrick Gargiulo said. The damage was likely to take months to repair.

An alternative route was being sought on the original coastal highway.

Mr Gargiulo said the state of emergency would probably remain in place in Opotiki until the council could get relief to more than 1000 people who lived east of the damaged road.

Opotiki civil defence officer Ian Castles said cracking was showing in about 300m of the road, at a point where the road was about 200m vertically above the sea.

The problem was to be discussed at a meeting at 9.30am today to be attended by Civil Defence Minister George Hawkins.

- NZPA