Marlborough District Council Mayor, Nadine Taylor, has thanked emergency response agencies, as the Marlborough Emergency Management response winds down and transitions to a recovery phase.
Mayor Taylor (pictured) said the many response agencies, working under the unified command of Marlborough Emergency Management, had done a great job.
“I’m really proud of the hundreds of people who worked selflessly on behalf of the community to keep everyone safe. Many of the people participating are volunteers. The response was very well managed and all the agencies worked seamlessly together,” she said.
“Giving an early warning to exposed communities in Spring Creek and Renwick was the right thing to do. It’s not an easy call especially when the rainfall predictions are unclear but the emergency management team took the precautionary approach.
“While there is ongoing roading damage and surface flooding, these will be addressed by individual agencies such as Council, Marlborough Roads and NZTA over the coming days and weeks. The Council’s Rivers (flood protection) team will immediately begin a project to fix the compromised stop bank at the Waihopai/Wairau rivers confluence.”
“Regarding Spring Creek, an $8.7 million construction programme was agreed with the community in May last year, which includes $3.6 million funding from Central Government. The project involves major groundwork, which will commence over the summer period from November 2025. During this period, rock and materials will be stockpiled near the site, temporary infrastructure like haul roads will be built, and other preparations made, to maximise the stop bank construction window in November 2026.”
The Civil Defence Centre at Stadium 2000 has now closed.
People are encouraged to check for updates from local authorities for the latest information, and to report any state highway faults or damage to 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49).
