NZ Engine

Source: Radio New Zealand

Temporary repairs to a washed-out bridge on Northland’s east coast have restored road access to an area largely cut off from the outside world since last Sunday.

The Ngaiotonga Bridge on Rāwhiti Road, east of Kawakawa, was reopened on Saturday after work by contractors, the Far North District Council said.

But motorists were told to only drive at a crawl over the bridge, until permanent repairs can be completed after the long weekend, a council spokesman said.

The reopening means residents of Ōakura, Punaruku and other settlements are now reconnected to the rest of Northland via Russell.

The route to Whangārei in the south, however, is still blocked by a massive slip at Helena Bay Hill, which is expected to take weeks to clear.

Much of the North Island was hit by severe storms this week, that brought heavy rain, flooding and landslides.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A body has been recovered from the Mahurangi River, police say, after a driver was swept away in a car on Wednesday morning.

Searchers, including whitewater raft teams and drone operators had been scouring the area, as several North Island regions struggled with severe rain, flooding, landslides and storms this week.

The body was recovered from the river on Saturday evening as part of the search, Waitematā Police Inspector Simon Walker said.

Formal identification was still underway, but police said they were confident it was a 47-year-old man from Kiribati who had been reported missing.

• Names of six Mt Maunganui landslide victims released by police

Fire and Emergency earlier said two people had been in the car and attempted to cross a ford through the flooded river when they got into trouble. The passenger was able to escape, and seek help.

“Family members have been informed and are being supported by police,” Walker said, and the man’s death was not believed to be suspicious.

Search teams scoured the river downstream from Falls Rd. RNZ / Finn Blackwell

The river search had been difficult, he said.

“Police would like to acknowledge and thank the many people and teams involved in the search over recent days, including Land Search and Rescue, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, other supporting agencies, and the many community members who assisted in challenging conditions.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A body has been recovered from the Mahurangi River, police say, after a man was swept away in a car on Wednesday.

Searchers, including whitewater raft teams have been scouring the area, which has been hit by heavy rain and storms this week.

The body was recovered from the river on Saturday evening as part of the search, police said.

Formal identification is still to be carried out, but police are confident it is the missing man.

More to come…

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Continued erosion at a closely-watched cliff means it is now almost touching a main sewer pipe on the Hutt River, forcing authorities into action.

After 15 years monitoring the cliff as it got worse, a $2m project has now begun to protect the pipe that carries all of Upper Hutt’s sewage south.

“We’ve reached a threshold where we’ve said we don’t want it to come any closer to the pipe now,” Wellington Water chief operating officer Charles Barker said.

The cliff had eroded to within about two metres of the pipe and just a few metres from the edge of State Highway Two at the popular Taita Rock swimming spot.

The pipe, originally buried over two metres below ground, under the cycleway at the top of the 6-7m-high cliff, was close to being exposed.

A manhole cover for the pipe was just a metre from the edge.

“The risk to the pipe is increasing, but there’s not an imminent risk that over the next year the river is going to be able to wash out that part,” Barker said.

The public “wouldn’t expect us to get to a point where there’s actually an imminent risk that the pipe is hanging by a thread before we took some action”.

A cycleway that runs above the pipe had to be moved three times, taking it closer and closer to the edge of SH2 now just 4-5m away.

Monitoring since 2010 showed slow erosion, and not big floods, was the threat to the pipe in the first place, but also the cycleway and highway.

Since 2022, the two local city councils, regional council and NZTA had been discussing what to do.

“All of these assets are affected, but while we’ve been trying to figure out how we come to some agreement about what we should do, Wellington Water and the Hutt City and Upper councils have decided that our tolerance for this risk is reduced and we would just like to make sure that our asset, which would be the asset that impacts the quality of the water in the Hutt River, doesn’t fail,” Barker said.

‘No one’s going to thank us if our pipe breaks’

“At the end of the day, we have to take responsibility for our pipe,” Barker said.

“No one’s going to thank us if our pipe breaks and we say that wasn’t our fault. We’re never going to let ourselves be in that position.”

The two local city councils were among those that own Wellington Water, and they were paying the $2m.

Swimming – people like to jump off the rock – would be able to carry on, Barker said.

Engineers were looking at how to protect the pipe short term, such as with mesh or a small retaining wall at the top of the cliff, while a long-term fix was sought.

“We want to buy ourselves enough time to make sure that what we do in that area, which is a really sensitive area and it’s really important to iwi, is appropriate,” Barker said.

“This is one of a number of risks that we have across all our networks and we need to take a prudent risk-based approach of where we place our money to mitigate what risks.

“And what I think is really heartening is that before this risk gets to an imminent point, our councils have funded the remediation.”

The pipe at Taita Rock also carried sewage from Manor Park and about half of Stokes Valley.

Hutt City Council said about $300,000 had been spent so far looking at short and medium-term options, with another $2m for the actual work earmarked for 2026-27.

“Further funding for the long-term solution will become the responsibility of Tiaki Wai, the new council-controlled water service provider” that begins operating in July, it said.

Upper Hutt City Council did not answer a question about exactly how much it would put in now or in future but said its agreement with Lower Hutt was to cover about 30 percent of the costs of maintaining trunk sewer mains.

“Collectively both councils work together to understand in advance what costs an annual basis will be but pragmatically have to reprioritise when the unexpected happens,” chief executive Geoff Swainson said in a statement.

Last year Wellington Water had to fix the sewer main beside SH2 a few kilometres further south at Melling in a $5m project to combat corrosion.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Two Auckland teenagers, a Swedish tourist and a Morrinsville teacher are among the people who remain unaccounted for following the landslide at Mt Maunganui.

At a press conference on Saturday, police said some remains of victims had been found overnight and six people were unaccounted following the slip at a popular campground.

Police released the names of those unaccounted for:

• Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, from Morrinsville
• Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20, from Sweden
• Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, from Rotorua
• Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, from Ngongotaha
• Sharon Maccanico, 15, from Auckland
• Max Furse-Kee, 15, from Auckland

In a Facebook post Morrinsville Intermediate School identified victim Lisa Anne Maclennan as one of their staff members.

“It is with great sadness that we need to inform you that one of our staff members, Lisa Maclennan (our amazing Literacy Centre tutor), is one of the people trapped in the landslide at Mount Maunganui.”

“Our love and aroha go out to Lisa’s family; we ask that you respect their privacy at this very difficult time.”

Pakuranga College also identified both Max Furse-Kee and Sharon Maccanico were students at the school.

“Many members of the college have been deeply impacted by the news and we are working to support students and staff in the coming days and weeks.” the school said in a Facebook post.

“The wellbeing of our college community is paramount as the school year starts next week under incredibly sad circumstances.

“Parents have received an email this afternoon with advice and information for supporting their child/ren as they process this distressing event.”

Italian media reported that Sharon, was originally from a small town called Picarelli in the municipality of Avellino.

Avellino Today said the community had gathered in the town’s local church as they waited for news.

The names are only of those unaccounted for and not those who had been found as the Coroner said identifying remains of victims would be a lengthy process.

Search progresses in challenging terrain

Bay of Plenty District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson said the operation was formally handed over to police by Fire and Emergency New Zealand at 11.20am on Saturday.

“Search teams have been working through the slip layer by layer, but tragically it is now apparent that we will not be able to bring them home alive.”

He said they had informed the families of the news on Saturday morning.

Anderson said emergency services were in the early stages of investigating remains of victims and would not be releasing any information on what has been found or who they believe it could be.

“This afternoon, search teams, supported by contractors and machinery, are continuing to work through the debris, towards the amenities block.

“From what we have seen, the building suffered catastrophic damage and we are confronted with the reality that it is highly unlikely anyone would have been able to survive.

“The material that slipped from the mountain is sodden. It’s heavy and hit with massive force. The impact, movement and weight means this is an incredibly challenging scene to work through, and those involved are doing their jobs admirably and respectfully.

“This is heartbreaking news for the families and the dozens of people who have been working day and night, hoping for a positive outcome.

Coronial process

Responsibility for identifying the victims, along with other legal processes, was now passed to the Coroners Court and an internationally approved process for disaster victim identification (DVI) is being followed.

Chief Coroner Judge Anna Tutton reassured families and friends of victims that those who had died in the tragedy would treated with dignity but said the identification process could be “painstaking” and “complex” especially when people are severely injured

“Victims will be transported to the Hamilton mortuary, where any post mortem examinations required will be performed, and, with the assistance of Police and other specialists, coroners will determine the identity of the victims.

“I can’t say how long the identification process will take – but I give my absolute assurance that we will work very carefully – and as quickly as we can – to reunite families.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand