This is an official message from Emergency Management Southland.

The state of emergency for Southland, including Fiordland, will end tomorrow, Tuesday 18 February, at 2.20pm and be replaced by a Transition Notice.

Emergency Management Southland controller Angus McKay said it was decided at a joint committee meeting this afternoon to move to a transition notice for a 28-day period. Members of all local councils were at the meeting.

“This is a vital step in starting the transition towards long-term recovery,” Mr McKay said.

“The transition notice allows us to continue with a coordinated Civil Defence response for Southland and provides for important ongoing resourcing.”

Four key areas would remain the focus of this transition period – coordinated management of the Milford Road with regards to safe access; ongoing support for people who have had buildings inundated by floodwaters; support for the rural community; and any required emergency works for key infrastructure, including stopbanks and roading.

At the meeting, the group also moved to appoint Ken Swinney as the Recovery Manager. He will start in this role next week, taking over from Angus McKay as the lead for this event.

© Scoop Media