This is an official message from Emergency Management Southland.

The all-clear has now been given for swimming and shellfish collection to resume on Oreti Beach and around the New River Estuary.

Water samples collected and analysed from the beach show that E. Coli levels are low.

Last week large numbers of sea cucumbers and shellfish washed up on the beach as a result of freshwater from the floods mixing with the sea and reducing the waters salinity.

On Sunday, the bulk of the debris at Oreti Beach had been washed away or picked clean.

Water quality is monitored by Environment Southland weekly over the summer period from December to March. Results are available on the Land, Air, Water Aotearoa website (www.lawa.org.nz)

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