Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell has visited flood-hit parts of Canterbury as states of emergency were declared in both Selwyn District and Christchurch due to intense rainfall and rising river levels.
Mitchell arrived in Selwyn mid-afternoon and received a full briefing on the overnight situation. He said he had been in “constant contact” with Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton overnight.
“Obviously they put themselves into a local state of emergency in the earliest hours of this morning based on the information they had and the fact that they wanted to get ahead of it — make sure that they’re making decisions early,” he said.
The Minister said it was important to be on the ground representing central government.
“I think this is the ninth, maybe the 10th local state of emergency that I’ve been at personally. There’s a whole lot of things we can do — whether it’s topping up a mayoral relief fund, whether it’s surging more support in here if they need it, and obviously identifying what we need to do and how we can assist with the recovery.
“Although we’re in a response phase at the moment, the recovery phase is already underway, and that is just what happens in these local states.”
Christchurch City Council also declared a local state of emergency, following continued heavy rainfall and concerns about surface flooding and river levels.
“The forecast is showing that the rain should start to ease up,” Mitchell said, “but as you’ve seen, we’ve just seen Christchurch City Council put themselves into a local state of emergency. And the reality of it is, although the forecast — the MetService do an outstanding job of trying to forecast weather — nothing is 100 percent, and certainly around the intensity of it.”
He said quick decision-making from local, regional, and central government was critical. “That’s the best thing that we can do in terms of mitigating and making sure that we get a response.”
The Minister said he would also be travelling to Waimakariri District for an update on conditions there.
“This event is obviously still developing,” he said.
Looking ahead to the next 24 hours, Mitchell said officials would continue to monitor the rainfall and its impacts.
“There’s a whole lot of considerations. This is a rural community as well. So you’ve got cows that are still being milked. They’re going to be trying to dry them off probably in the next week. There’s a whole lot of issues the council has to be across and deal with — and things that us at central government level can help and support with.”
He said he hoped there would be no further deterioration but added, “It’s very difficult to anticipate the intensity of it, and that’s why it’s so important in terms of response to see what’s exactly happened here — the leadership have made decisions early, they’ve stood things up.”
He said residents understandably felt frustrated about road closures and disruptions.
“There’s always frustration, and there’s always disruption when we’re dealing with these events. Every single decision that is taken is taken around safety and making sure that people remain safe.”
Mitchell encouraged people to stay informed via council and NEMA websites and praised communities for taking responsibility during emergencies.
“Generally speaking, most of the communities are outstanding. They understand. They take a bit of ownership themselves in terms of preparation, and they realise they don’t want to put anyone else in unintended danger.
“Our first responders are out there trying to respond and help them and provide the support. And generally speaking, it’s always a very good response in terms of cooperation — with the council, with our council officers, with our first responders, with the people out there trying to help.”
Mitchell concluded by acknowledging the efforts of those working in difficult conditions. “Thanks to everybody who’s been working hard in the rain today.”
