Update from Buller EOC
The Buller District is continuing to respond to the
flooding emergency.
2547 addresses have been assessed as part of the Rapid Impact Assessment process.
89 are
in the red category – severe or total damage
400
are in the yellow category - moderate damage
2046 are
in the green category – none or slight damage
The main
concentration of severe damage is in the area between the
racecourse and the port, an area adjacent to the domain, the
area around the Queen and Disraeli St intersection, the
Eastons Rd/Kawatiri Pl area, the Snodgrass area, and some
houses in the Colvin St area.
Residents in the red
category are not able to reside in their homes at
present.
The latest figures on the numbers in evacuation
centres are:
Westport South School – 95 –
including 45 transferred from the Salvation Army
centre
Kiwi Holiday Park – 21
Carters Beach
Top 10 Holiday Park – 37
The goal is to have people
relocated to alternative short and long term accommodation
options as soon as possible.
Financial
assistance
Extra financial support is available to people
in the Buller District affected by the
flooding.
Everyone’s situation is different. There is
a range of help available.
Civil Defence payments are
available for people who have been affected. They do not
have to be on a benefit to qualify. In most cases it
doesn’t matter what their income or what assets
are.
Payments can help
with:
· Emergency food, clothing and
bedding
· Accommodation
costs
· Loss of income because you
can’t work due to the
flooding
· Payments if you have evacuees
staying with you in places such as a private home, marae or
community centres
Resident can go to Work and Income
website at https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/ and search
for Civil Defence Payment or call Work and Income on 0800
752 102 for more information.
Depending on people’s
circumstances, there are other ways Work and Income may be
able to help with matters such as medical costs, bedding,
food, rent, power bills, repairs or replacing
appliances.
Community Information Hub
Residents
seeking assistance or information of any sort are urged to
visit the Community Information Hub at the NBS Theatre in
Lyndhurst St, Westport It is open from 9am every
day.
It’s a “one-stop shop” to give
residents a place to register their needs and get
information.
If necessary, residents will be taken
through a needs assessment to work out what help and
information they might need in both the short and
long-term. They will be allocated to appropriate agencies
following the needs assessment.
The following agencies
are now available to assist residents affected by flooding
including:
· Buller District
Council
· Homebuilders
· Age
Concern
· Public
Health
· Red Cross
· Te Ha o Kawatiri
· Buller REAP
· Number 37 Community House
· Animal Welfare
West Coast cultural
advisors and iwi advocates
A medical doctor is also on
site.
It is expected Kainga Ora and the Ministry of
Social Development, Animal Welfare will also operate out of
the hub as the week proceeds.
The Insurance Council
will be at the hub from noon on Wednesday until Sunday to
answer insurance questions.
The Community Information Hub
will have the latest public information on the flooding
emergency.
Residents are welcome to turn up for a
“cuppa and a chat”.
Rubbish collection
Perishable
items (food and scraps) in sealed rubbish bags will be
collected from the roadside throughout the
week. Residents can call 789 7999 for plain rubbish bags
or they can be picked up from the White Star clubrooms in
Lyndhurst St. It is not necessary to use the official
Buller District Council bags
Residents are asked not to
leave non-perishable items including cardboard, glass,
furniture items, whiteware and hazardous goods on the
roadside at this stage. Please keep these items inside
your property until further notice.
There will be no
recycling and glass collection this week. Residents are
asked to wait for further advice.
The Westport refuse
station will be open from Tuesday to Friday this week from
9am to 4pm.
Returning home after flood damage
Residents are reminded to take precautions before re-entering their homes.
Flood waters are sewage polluted so all items in contact with flood water should treated with caution. Small children should not be present during the clean-up phase.
Residents should not return home until they know it is electrically safe. Gas supplies need to be checked by an authorised technician.
When residents return to their property they should:
Clear
out everything which is wet
Get rid or water of mud
left behind
Do things to ensure quick and thorough
drying
Repairs and redecorating should only be carried out when the structure of the house is dry enough.
In most cases it will takes months rather than weeks before flood damaged homes can be restored.
Residents are advised to use personal protective equipment (PPE) if they handle items which have been in contact with flood water. All flood water should be treated as if it has been contaminated.