The state of emergency remains in effect for Christchurch and Banks Peninsula, with Mayor Phil Mauger confirming today the declaration will continue for now and be reviewed again tomorrow.

Speaking at a joint media briefing alongside Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell, Mauger said while the rain had largely stopped, risks remained—particularly in Banks Peninsula.

“The retention basins were full—probably over full in some respects—so it’s a relief the rain has stopped,” Mauger said. “Now that the Heathcote River is dropping, we’re able to slowly release those basins. If we had another heavy rain event, we would have been in deep strife.”

Mauger praised the coordination between council, emergency services and community groups, saying communication during the weather event had been “the best we’ve seen in some time.”

Minister Mitchell tours affected areas

Minister Mitchell toured parts of Canterbury on Thursday, flying over the Selwyn District and visiting flood-isolated Little River.

“There’s a lot of surface flooding in Selwyn, which is to be expected given the amount of rain over the last 48 hours,” he said. “We visited Little River, and I have to say the community there has been extremely resilient. There is now controlled access in and out of the area.”

Mitchell acknowledged the efforts of first responders and residents across the region, calling it a “whole of community response.”

Calls for accountability over lake management

When asked whether Environment Canterbury moved fast enough to lower levels in Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora to prevent flooding, Mitchell said those decisions are always finely balanced—and contentious.

“I want to understand those concerns,” he said. “I met with Environment Canterbury, the Selwyn District Council, and mana whenua today. It’s clear there was a lot of discussion around lake management, and a request to widen the lake outlet was made.”

Mitchell said local leaders, including mana whenua and ECan representatives, were united in the belief they had made the right call based on the information available at the time.

“These decisions are always sensitive. Just because a local state of emergency wasn’t declared in some areas doesn’t mean there wasn’t a proactive response,” he said. “From what I’ve seen, councils like Selwyn and Waimakariri stood up their emergency operations centres early and acted quickly.”

Mayor Mauger defended the timing of Christchurch’s emergency declaration, which was made late Wednesday afternoon.

“At first we thought the weather might ease, but by about 3pm it was clear that wasn’t happening,” he said. “We declared while there was still daylight, to give people assurance that help was ready if they needed it.”

He said it was particularly important for areas along the Heathcote River where emergency access could have been cut off during the night.

Infrastructure and water management under pressure

The mayor said Christchurch’s major investment in stormwater infrastructure had paid off, particularly in the upper Heathcote catchment.

“We’ve spent over $100 million on retention basins—and they’ve worked extremely well,” Mauger said. “But if the rain had continued, we would’ve been in trouble. Thankfully, it didn’t.”

He acknowledged drainage issues in Little River, saying the system struggled to get water off the road and into Lake Forsyth due to the elevation difference. He said culvert sizes and maintenance schedules may need to be reviewed.

While many arterial routes held up well, both Mauger and Mitchell said damage to local roads, culverts, and riverbanks would take time to fully assess. Geotechnical inspections are underway in key areas.

Mitchell said central government support will be available where needed.

“There will be conversations in the coming days between local leaders and central government about what support is required. And we’ll be there.”

Chris Lynch Media has approached Environment Canterbury for comment.