State of emergency ends in Bluecliffs

Rapid erosion from the sea and Waiau River threatened properties in Bluecliffs last month, with three metres of land lost in a day.

Earlier this month, residents were told to evacuate so an old dump site that potentially contained explosives could be cleared.

A state of emergency had been in place since 8 February, but expired on Sunday.

Southland District Council Mayor Rob Scott signed a ‘transition to recovery’ declaration on the same day, saying they were in a good position to develop longer-term solutions with the community.

“The decision to take this step into the recovery phase provides a minimum of a 28-day period where Emergency Management Southland and the councils will continue to support the community,” he said.

A recovery manager would be appointed to look at managing the erosion risk in the longer-term, Scott said. They will have the power to direct and coordinate workers and resources as part of the recovery efforts.

“We have progressed the two key pieces of work we set out to as part of this state of emergency, and we have a lot more information available to us. This puts us in a good position to develop solutions, alongside the community, that are focused on the longer-term.”

They included clearing the old community dump before more of it eroded into the sea. About 1100 tonnes of material, including asbestos, was removed over four days.

No explosives have been found, but the one-kilometre exclusion zone remained in place at the dump.

The second project was an attempt to ease the pressure off the land in front of houses by shifting the opening of the Waiau River mouth. It took roughly two weeks to create an opening, but the success was short-lived as sea swells pushed the gravel back into place.

That work was under review, and officials were considering their next steps before speaking to the community in the next few weeks, he said.

“The community’s ideas for the opening will be considered alongside this independent advice, and we’ll discuss the next steps with the community before moving forward.”

He thanked the community for their patience and encouraged them to reach out for support if needed and to continue preparing for their future.

“I know some residents had started planning to move homes to the front of their properties or away from the area entirely. This is a positive move, and they should continue to finalise these plans while the work to clear the dump material is underway.”

The government has earmarked $1.35 million to help Environment Southland and Southland District Council clear the dump site.