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Thousands still without power after another night of flooding, evacuations
Tens of thousands of households are still without power after gale force winds toppled poles and brought down lines in parts of the country on Thursday.
Lines companies are warning electricity could be out for days, and some Southlanders have been urged to conserve water.
As conditions ease, the clean up is kicking in across the motu after trees were ripped clean from the ground, roofs lifted off, and fences and sheds were sent flying.
In Canterbury, hundreds of people in Kairaki and The Pines near the Waimakariri River, and in Rakaia Huts near the Rakaia River, were asked to evacuate on Thursday night due to the risk of flooding.
MetService said while the weather was settling for now, more rain and gales were forecast on Monday.
Power cuts could continue for days
With the strongest gusts recorded at more than 200 kilometres an hour, it was far too dangerous for many crews to be out fixing broken poles and lines on Thursday.
It was hoped calmer conditions on Friday would allow them to crack on with repairs, but the damage was widespread and some areas were hard to reach, with poles and lines still blocking roads.
The largest power cuts were in Tararua, Wairarapa, Canterbury, Otago and Southland.
In Otago and Southland, Powernet said tens of thousands of properties were affected.
“Our crews are focussed on making damaged infrastructure like downed lines and poles safe, then restoring electricity to lifeline utilities like water supplies and water treatment plants,” it said.
“It is possible that some customers may be without power well into the weekend, or longer, as the extent of the damage becomes clear.”
A massive tree brought down by winds in Culverden. Photo: RNZ/Stanley McFerrier
Water supplies affected
Power cuts were also impacting drinking and waste water plants in Southland – which was a particular problem for the townships of Tuatapere, Ohai, Nightcaps and Otautau.
Residents have been asked not to flush, bathe or run taps.
Mayor Rob Scott urged people to conserve water.
“We do have generators across some of our plants, but there’s a shortage of generators around the traps at the moment,” he said.
“We’re doing what we can and we’re actively monitoring, but it’s just important that people to conserve water where they can.”
A Greymouth water treatment plant was struck by lightning on Thursday, leaving the district with critically low water reserves.
People were asked to boil any tap water they did have, while water was brought in from supermarkets in Westport and Hokitika, and a water tanker.
Grey District Council said water began to flow again last night, but the precautionary boil water notice would remain in place over the weekend, and people were still asked to conserve water.
South Island roads still closed
A number of state highways in Canterbury, the West Coast, Otago and Southland were closed overnight, Waka Kotahi said.
Trees and power lines were strewn across roads, and there was flooding in some places.
The closures would be reassessed on Friday morning, and people should check the transport agency’s website for the latest updates.
Contractors clear debris from Pine Avenue in Upper Hutt. Photo: Samuel Rillstone
Clean up begins
With the wind and rain abating, many communities would be assessing the damage and beginning to pick up the pieces on Friday.
Invercargill Mayor Tom Campbell said he’d never seen anything like the weather in Southland on Thursday.
Huge numbers of trees had been taken out, he said.
“We are counting the blessings because we’ve had no reports of any serious injuries up to this point, which is miraculous,” he said.
“Property can always be fixed, but so far, it looks as though nobody’s been hurt.”
Campbell said the clean up had already started with people dragging fallen trees out of the way and cutting them up.
Conditions ease but ramp back up on Labour Day
MetService meteorologist David Miller said the weather would be fairly settled for most of the country on Friday, apart from some brief heavy rain for western parts of the South Island.
The west of both islands, and parts of Otago and Southland would see some showers during the weekend, but it would not be too bad: “It’s not a write off over the weekend,” he said.
However, there would be a new weather system to watch out for on Labour Day, Miller said.
“There is the possibility of some more northwesterly gales and heavy rain for parts of the country on Monday.
“Western parts of the South Island could be in the firing line for some heavy rain, as well as parts of the the North Island, especially central North Island, and those northwesterly gales could be picking up about much of the North Island as well.”
rnz
The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
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