A slip on Gallagher Drive, Tairua, after heavy rain battered the North Island on Wednesday. Photo / Tom Eley
Weather-impacted communities around the country, including the Coromandel and Hauraki districts, are picking up the pieces after last week’s storm and torrential rain.
Thames-Coromandel District Council and Hauraki District Council teams are working to assess local damage, reopen roads where it’s safe, and support residents who have been affected most.
Thames-Coromandel District’s state of emergency ended on Wednesday, with the council saying it would now transition “into a 28-day recovery period”.
The council officially assessed 78 homes across the Thames-Coromandel, with nine of them red-stickered.
The red placards mean a building is unsafe, but the council also issues yellow placards for restricted use and white or green placards, which signal the building is safe to occupy.
Properties issued with red placards will be exempt from paying rates, and the council said it will work with affected residents to help find alternative accommodation.
Thames-Coromandel District Mayor Peter Revell said while the district was far from back to normal, he reiterated the Coromandel was “open for business”.
“We are in a state of heightened readiness.”
However, he warned visitors and residents to expect ongoing disruption.
While the Tucks Bay Reserve track in Coromandel Town is open again, the Department of Conservation’s Cathedral Cove track and their northern Coromandel campgrounds remain closed.
DoC is arranging for expert geotechnical advice on Mautohe Cathedral Cove, Opera Pt at Whangapoua, and Waimata Gemstone Bay at Hahei.
There’s no target date for reopening the tracks to Cathedral Cove, but DoC is expecting initial advice on next steps early next week.
The cove can still be viewed or accessed from the sea.
Revell said some local roads were still lacking safety barriers and the risk of slips and ground movement remained high in parts of the peninsula.
Land movement, including slips and subsidence, remained one of the council’s biggest concerns as damage assessments continued.
“We have helicopters assessing the area now,” Revell said.
He said the scale of the damage was still becoming clear, and some impacts would take years to fully address.
Despite the widespread damage, Revell said lessons learned from Cyclone Gabrielle had helped limit the worst impacts, with improved preparedness and response proving critical.
He also praised the resilience and community spirit shown in the days following the storm, saying it was typical of Coromandel communities to step up in times of crisis.
“We are used to this type of weather.”
Meanwhile, Hauraki district faces a similar recovery period.
The council has 150 properties on its outreach list that may have been impacted and seven properties have been yellow‑stickered.
Hauraki District Mayor Toby Adams said the council was now focused on getting “all our ducks in a row” for the next steps.
“So that we can apply for Government funding where required, particularly for our road infrastructre that’s had some damage.
“[And] just making sure we haven’t left any stone unturned out there and that anybody that needed some help in some way or another ... has had any from council.”
On social media, Hauraki District Council thanked the community for “the sensible decisions made”.
“Thank you again for looking out for one another and for the way our community has come together.”
In a video, Adams also acknowledged other districts that were impacted by the recent weather event.
“We just want to take our hats off to those other councils that ... are still going through that ... and in particular those families that are still waiting for their loved ones over in Tauranga.”
Hauraki and Thames-Coromandel opened Mayoral Disaster Relief Funds to collect donations and provide additional financial support to those affected.
Revell said the Thames-Coromandel fund had already received a significant early contribution.
“We’re extremely grateful to Suncorp, the owner of Vero Insurance, which has stepped forward with a generous $50,000 donation to the fund,” he said.
“This kind of leadership and commitment to our communities makes a real difference, and we encourage other organisations to consider how they might also support people doing it tough.”
The fund is available to residents, ratepayers, small business owners, marae and community organisations impacted by the storm, and Revell said it would play an important role alongside government assistance.
The Government has announced $2.2 million in initial funding for storm-affected regions, including Northland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, and Tairāwhiti.
The funding is aimed at supporting residents, ratepayers, small business owners, marae and not-for-profit organisations affected by last week’s weather event.
Of that total, $1.2 million has been set aside for mayoral disaster relief funds across five districts, with $1 million earmarked specifically for marae.
The portion allocated to Thames-Coromandel has yet to be confirmed.
Tom Eley is a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. He previously worked for the Weekend Sun and Sunlive.