It comes as the council has struggled to maintain the critical piece of infrastructure in the West Coast town.
New Zealand
Fri, Jun 5
Lightning has already lit up the skies over Nelson overnight, with severe thunderstorms and heavy rain now threatening large parts of the upper North Island.
Heavy rain and strong winds are battering large parts of the country, with Golden Bay in Tasman already recording nearly 280mm in 24 hours and more to come.
Mon, Jun 1
The tiny town of Reefton, on the South Island's West Coast, has decided to take matters into its own hands after losing a critical residential healthcare unit in 2022.
Health
Sun, May 31
A trough embedded in a humid northerly flow was forecast to bring prolonged heavy rain to the top of the South before moving north in the coming days.
Transport accident investigators have urged all passengers on board to come forward as they gather evidence from Saturday's incident.
A Tasman low is set to end one of the driest Mays on record, bringing rain, strong winds and unseasonably warm nights to much of the country.
Fri, May 29
The Education Review Office found that Gloriavale parents were not meeting legal homeschooling requirements.
Wed, May 27
Paul Finlay, a well-known Grey district personality, drowned after being pulled into the water.
Environment
Fri, May 22
Tenants face steep increases as Buller District Council shifts to market-aligned rents, forcing some to sell belongings and cut back on basics.
Wed, May 13
Police said the upturned vehicle was located in the Ōtūtū/Rough River at Ikamatua about 10.45am.
Fri, May 8
Strong wind watches expand and heavy rain hits West Coast and upper South Island, with more disruption expected as system moves east.
Warnings extended into the North Island and deeper south as a rapidly intensifying storm system approaches, with damaging winds, flooding rain and more alerts likely.
Thu, May 7
MetService has issued multiple warnings and watches for parts of the South Island, some of which begin later today.
Wed, May 6
Vigilant Standtrue was convicted of seven charges involving four boys aged as young as eight, assaulted with sticks, pipes and farm tools over more than a decade.
Crime and Justice
Tue, May 5
Up to 250mm of rain is forecast for parts of the West Coast from Wednesday, with further heavy rain, strong winds and large swells likely later in the week.
Local agencies strongly advocating for the return of Bailey bridge components to the West Coast after much of the South Island supply was taken north for road repairs.
Mon, May 4
Emergency responders received a 111 call at 3.45pm, with ambulance staff attending to a person before they were airlifted to Dunedin Hospital.
The species was first found at Banks Peninsula in 1951.
Fri, May 1
"This quantity can only be described as commercial," police said about the recovered taonga.
Te Ao Māori
Wed, Apr 22
More than two dozen homes have been evacuated and key state highways closed for a period as intense downpours overwhelmed parts of the region today.
Sat, Apr 18
MetService warns a complex trough will bring heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms to parts of the country this weekend, with Saturday shaping as the wettest day.
Fri, Apr 17
The clean-up has begun after a subtropical storm brought large downpours and strong winds to much for the country, with States of Emergency declared for the Far North District and Whangārei District.
Fri, Mar 27
MetService says more watches and warnings are likely as a moisture‑laden subtropical system brings heavy rain, severe easterly gales and large seas from Wednesday through to Friday.
Mon, Mar 23
"We've said to NZTA, don't even bring it at us, because we ain't going to do it, and it'd be a cold day in hell if it happened," says Wairoa's mayor.
Sun, Mar 22
