The threat of heavy rainfall and flooding still looms for the Elsthorpe community as the Hawke's Bay Regional Council works to fix the damaged Makara Dam.
A sinkhole was found on the face of the flood detention dam on May 31. Without heavy rainfall the dam is empty and has no risk of failure, although the community remains susceptible to flooding.
The dam is one of five constructed in the 1980s. They were constructed to temporarily hold excess flood water in a ponding area. In normal weather the dam is empty, with in-flowing water exiting through a pipe in the face of the dam. During storms, the capacity of the pipe is exceeded and water builds up behind the dam.
Makara liaison committee member James Thomsen said the dam had been reduced in height by 60 per cent.
"The situation hasn't changed as far as I'm aware," he said. "There is still the same issues, and I believe that the dam has been reduced in height by 60 per cent.