A State of Emergency will be lifted for wider Whangarei District today, but a localised state of emergency will remain in place for the Hikurangi-Coastal ward for the next seven days until 4:00pm Tuesday 3 February

Mayor Ken Couper says extending the State of Emergency is not a decision that has been made lightly.

“While the wider Whangarei District is returning to business as usual, we remain firmly in the response phase of our Civil Defence activation in the Whangaruru area. For this reason, the current district-wide State of Emergency will be lifted at 4:00pm and replaced with a localised State of Emergency for the Hikurangi–Coastal ward, which covers the worstimpacted areas in Whangaruru.

Extending the State of Emergency allows us to access additional support quickly, should it be required,” he says.

A State of Emergency enables the use of the emergency powers to protect life and property which are available under the Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Act 2002.

“The key factors informing this decision are the significant challenges around roading access into and out of the area, as well as meeting the welfare needs of the affected community,” says Mayor Couper.

“Kaiikanui Road is currently open, but it is extremely narrow in several places and requires drivers to take great care and our latest information indicates that clearing the Helena Bay slip will take approximately 12 weeks.

“We also have residents who continue to face very difficult circumstances. There are currently 90 people displaced from their homes and staying in emergency accommodation at local marae. Our teams are continuing welfare checks on the ground to build a full picture of the issues facing those in the most isolated parts of Whangaruru.

“A community hui will be held at Mōkau Marae at 5:00pm tomorrow, where we will provide the latest updates on the response and hear directly from the community about their needs. This will be followed by six dropin sessions at local marae, bringing together support agencies, insurance companies and health professionals to effectively offer a “onestop shop” for assistance so people don’t need to travel or contact multiple agencies by phone to get support.”

Full details are available on our Council website at www.wdc.govt.nz and on the Council Facebook page.

GENERAL MEDIA UPDATE – 27 January 2026 as at 12:00pm

Council continues to respond to the impacts of the 18–24 January weather events, which resulted in widespread land slips, road closures, wastewater disruptions, and localised evacuations across the district — particularly around Ōakura and the Whangaruru coastline.

Teams across Council, partner agencies, iwi, and local communities continue to restore access, support whānau, and assess damage.

Overview of current situation

Many local residents are currently receiving welfare support related to this event, including 90 people currently being housed across five marae.

Fine weather in the coming days will support ongoing repair work and outreach.

Rural Support Trust teams have also been active in affected rural communities, with outreach underway to 776 properties so far.

Roading crews have reopened 62 previously impacted routes, and managed access remains in place on Kaiikanui Road, the main detour around the Helena Bay slip. Traffic lights have been installed to manage onelane sections, and we ask the public to keep this route for light vehicles only. Heavy vehicle access is being managed, with priority given to essential supplies.

Rapid building assessments have been completed for 34 properties in the Ōakura area, with placards issued as follows:

• 19 White
• 10 Yellow
• 5 Red

Skip bins and waste services have been deployed to marae and impacted communities to support cleanup efforts.

Community meetings and Marae Recovery Hubs will run from Wednesday 28 January through Saturday 31 January, providing facetoface support and information for affected whānau.

Our key priorities moving forward are to:

• Continue identifying community needs and providing welfare support.
• Maintain safe access into impacted communities.
• Manage and monitor the Kaiikanui Road detour while longterm solutions progress for the Helena Bay slip, which will require significant time to clear.

Roading and Infrastructure

Significant slips and road damage continue to affect access in the Whangaruru/Ōakura area.

• Ngaiotonga Bridge is open, with caution advised.
• 62 road faults have now been cleared, improving access for most areas.
• Kaiikanui Road detour is open, with traffic lights installed to manage onelane sections. This route is restricted to light vehicles only. Heavy vehicle travel is being prioritised for supplies and essential services.
• Roading teams are coordinating access for waste trucks, contractors, and lifeline utilities.
• Russell Road near Helena Bay remains severely impacted, with slip clearance estimated to take 8–14 weeks.
• Mimiwhangata Road remains closed while slip clearance work continues.

Wastewater

Following earlier stormrelated damage, the Ōakura Wastewater Treatment Plant is now operating normally.

Earlier wastewater spills caused by inundation have resulted in swimming and shellfish gathering bans in affected coastal areas.

Please do not collect shellfish for at least 28 days after the last heavy rainfall (on or around 19 February) or until further test results confirm it is safe.

Building Assessments

Rapid building assessment teams have completed 34 assessments in the Ōakura area. Placards issued are:

• White: 19
• Yellow: 10
• Red: 5

A building assessor will attend Wednesday’s community hui to help residents understand their placard status and what it means for next steps.

Support Hubs and Community Meetings

A series of community hui and Marae Recovery Hubs will run this week to provide welfare support, agency advice, medical triage, and recovery planning.

Community Meeting – Wednesday 28 January

Mōkau Marae | 5pm–7:30pm 
Mōkau Marae is opening its doors to Civil Defence, Mayor Couper, Ngātiwai, and support agencies to provide updates on the mahi underway following the recent severe weather impacts, and to hear directly from affected whānau.

Everyone from the Whangaruru community is welcome. Bring your pātai — and expect kai.

Recovery Hub Support Services

Recovery Hubs will operate at:

• Ngaiotonga Marae
• Tuparehuia Marae
• Mōkau Marae
• Otetao Marae
• Ōakura Sports Complex
• Whananaki Marae

These hubs provide a safe, welcoming, and culturally grounded space where whānau can access support in one place, including help with:

• financial assistance
• accommodation
• insurance information
• wellbeing support
• general recovery information

Kai, water, and agency representatives will be available at each location.

Recovery Hub Schedule

Thursday 29 January

• Ngaiotonga Marae, 1561 Rawhiti Road, Whangaruru: 9:00am–12:00pm
• Tuparehuia Marae, 765 Whangaruru North Road, Bland Bay: 1:00pm–4:00pm

Friday 30 January

• Mōkau Marae, 2355 Russell Road, Whangaruru: 9:00am–12:00pm
• Otetao Marae, 2891 Russell Road, Bland Bay: 1:00pm–4:00pm

Saturday 31 January

• Ōakura Sports Complex, Wharua Road, Ōakura: 10:00am–1:00pm
• Whananaki Marae, 1836 Whananaki North Road: 2:00pm–4:00pm

For more information, please visit the latest update on the Whangarei District Council website: 
https://www.wdc.govt.nz/Community/Civil-Defence/Latest-updates

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