NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Horowhenua Chronicle

Foxton Beach threatened by floodwaters and huge tides

Paul Williams
By Paul Williams
Journalist·Horowhenua Chronicle·
13 Jun, 2022 10:54 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌

Subscriber benefit

The ability to gift paywall-free articles is a subscriber only benefit. See more offers by clicking the button below.

Already a subscriber?  Sign in here
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

The entrance to Foxton Beach at high tide on Tuesday morning.
The entrance to Foxton Beach at high tide on Tuesday morning.

The entrance to Foxton Beach at high tide on Tuesday morning.

Several homes at Foxton Beach had a narrow escape last night as a swollen Manawatū River and huge Tasman Sea tides threatened to send a mixture of sea and river water through their front doors.

Huge waves riding the high tide were blown up the river mouth by strong westerly squalls that clashed with raging floodwaters heading out to sea.

High tide arrived in darkness around 8.30pm. By the time it began to recede, just two homes reported flood damage, while the Manawatū Marine Boating Club near the wharf had also taken in water.

The Manawatū River boat ramp was under water this morning.
The Manawatū River boat ramp was under water this morning.

Foxton Beach fire chief Rodney Caldow said if the floodwaters had risen half a metre or more, it could have been a far different story.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We planned for the worst while hoping for best," he said.

Keep up to date with the day's biggest stories

Sign up to our daily curated newsletter for the day's top stories straight to your inbox.
Please email me competitions, offers and other updates. You can stop these at any time.
By signing up for this newsletter, you agree to NZME’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Homes near the Manawatū River mouth at Foxton Beach took to sandbagging their properties, faced with the threat of flood.
Homes near the Manawatū River mouth at Foxton Beach took to sandbagging their properties, faced with the threat of flood.

That included installing a preventative flood protection barrier across Hartley St and placing more than 500 sandbags in front of the lowest-lying properties.

The preventative flood barrier sock made of thick grey PVC blown up with water went some way to protecting properties along Hartley and Dawson Sts from further flood damage.

Caldow said the barrier was stored at the boat club and until now had only been used in annual practice drills.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Moutua Floodgates, monitored by Horizons Regional Council, were opened around 10.30pm to ease pressure on the lower reaches of the Manawatū River.

A large inflatable sandbag was put up near the Manawatū River mouth in an effort to prevent flood damage.
A large inflatable sandbag was put up near the Manawatū River mouth in an effort to prevent flood damage.

Caldow said although the narrative suggested this kind of weather happens once every 50 or 100 years, it was the second time in the past six years that houses at the beach were threatened by flood.

Discover more

Deadline for Mayoral Relief Fund extended

13 Jun 02:29 AM

Break a leg: Walking stick for injured actor

12 Jun 11:11 PM

Housing help for tornado homeless

02 Jun 08:52 PM

Beach bowling club to rise from ashes

06 Jun 09:29 PM

Mayor of Horowhenua Bernie Wanden praised the efforts of those who put the barriers and sandbags in place.

"Our emergency services partners, contractors, lines people and council's Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) team have worked effectively and collaboratively over the past few days," he said.

Civil Defence Emergency Management continued to monitor the situation this morning, concerned that the 8.48am high tide at Foxton Beach could cause further flooding.

The river breached the boat ramp and flooded the car park at the Manawatū Marine Boating Club, although the water was not as high as 12 hours earlier.

Horowhenua CDEM Controller Lisa Slade said they hoped the worst was over.

Geese enjoying the puddles that the heavy rain brought to Foxton Beach.
Geese enjoying the puddles that the heavy rain brought to Foxton Beach.

"We still have a strong wind watch and heavy swell warning for the area, but it's promising to see that the heavy rain and severe thunderstorm warnings have now ended for our rohe," she said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Providing the weather calms down, we expect to move from an Emergency Management response to normal operations later today, while still monitoring for any weather-related effects."

The wild weather and high rainfall and wind in the past week had put pressure on HDC infrastructure, although the district's five water treatment plants were now back up and running.

Horizons Regional Council emergency management controller Ged Shirley said while river levels were decreasing across the region, the situation would continue to be monitored today.

"Most of our rivers have peaked and all rivers have been contained in their channels overnight. Our river management staff will be inspecting Horizons' flood protection assets once it's daylight to determine if there are any repairs or maintenance required," he said.

"Metservice has forecasted low intensity rain over the next 24 hours for most of the region, with some concentrated patches in the Tararua Ranges and lower Whanganui catchment.

The entrance to Foxton Beach at high tide on Tuesday morning.
The entrance to Foxton Beach at high tide on Tuesday morning.

"There is also a strong wind watch in place for the entire region, and a strong wind warning for the Tararua district.

"At this stage we are not anticipating any issues as a result of this rain, however our rivers are full and will respond relatively quickly to additional rain so we will continue to monitor today and tonight."

Shirley says a decision on the flood barriers at Foxton Beach and Kowhai Park in Whanganui will be made today.

"The storm surge impact didn't end up being much in both of these locations as the wind dropped during the night. However, we will wait until high tide passes before making the call to remove them.

"The Makino floodgates will cease operation this morning once river management staff have checked for debris, so Pharazyn Rd near Feilding will be open again."

He said as daylight arrives people can expect to see a fair amount of water around.

"In addition to full rivers and streams, there is likely to be surface flooding in places. Saturated soils combined with wind also means we may see landslips, erosion, fallen trees and debris.

"We encourage people to contact their city or district council if they have any concerns about trees or surface flooding on their properties and us if there are any river or erosion concerns."

Houses near the Manawatū River mouth were sandbagged.
Houses near the Manawatū River mouth were sandbagged.

Meanwhile, stormwater and wastewater pump stations are running as normal, although the Levin Wastewater Treatment plant continues to process a significant inflow of stormwater.

Power issues at Foxton Wastewater Treatment plant are being rectified by electricity contractor Electra.

A gas flare that extracts and dispels gas from the Levin Landfill had stopped working in high winds and was still offline.

Specialist contractors, gasfitters and Envirowaste staff were trying to fix it.

Paranui Rd near Foxton was closed because of trees blocking the road. Contractors were on site now clearing debris.

Subscriber benefit

The ability to gift paywall-free articles is a subscriber only benefit. See more offers by clicking the button below.

Already a subscriber?  Sign in here
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Horowhenua Chronicle

Horowhenua Chronicle

Third murder charge laid after man found dead at Levin park

18 Dec 10:16 PM
Horowhenua Chronicle

Celebrating community and history as we say farewell

18 Dec 09:00 PM
Horowhenua Chronicle

From Foxton with love: Gazza’s pop-up cards bring joy

17 Dec 07:33 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
Mt Eden prison murder-accused, victim both known to mental health services
Crime

Mt Eden prison murder-accused, victim both known to mental health services

08 Jul 07:15 PM
Wimbledon line technology fails again; seeds move into semifinals
Tennis

Wimbledon line technology fails again; seeds move into semifinals

08 Jul 07:04 PM
How an engineer's introduction to underworld poker games led to $1m Watercare fraud
Crime

How an engineer's introduction to underworld poker games led to $1m Watercare fraud

08 Jul 07:00 PM
'Frustrating': Junior Tall Blacks' $5000 barrier to compete at World Cup
Basketball

'Frustrating': Junior Tall Blacks' $5000 barrier to compete at World Cup

08 Jul 07:00 PM
Man dies after being sucked into plane engine at Italian airport
World

Man dies after being sucked into plane engine at Italian airport

08 Jul 06:53 PM

Latest from Horowhenua Chronicle

Third murder charge laid after man found dead at Levin park

Third murder charge laid after man found dead at Levin park

18 Dec 10:16 PM

There have now been three men charged with murder.

Celebrating community and history as we say farewell

Celebrating community and history as we say farewell

18 Dec 09:00 PM
From Foxton with love: Gazza’s pop-up cards bring joy

From Foxton with love: Gazza’s pop-up cards bring joy

17 Dec 07:33 PM
Vicki says goodbye to local paper

Vicki says goodbye to local paper

17 Dec 07:23 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Horowhenua Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search