More evacuations in flood ravaged Bay of Plenty

As evacuations continue in flood-ravaged Bay of Plenty, others are beginning to count the cost of the devastation, expected to be tens of millions of dollars.

Civil defence emergencies were declared in parts of the region yesterday afternoon after flooding and slips destroyed houses in Tauranga and Matata, closed roads and schools, and forced hundreds to be evacuated from t heir homes.

The army was this morning evacuating a motor camp in Papamoa, 19km south-east of Tauranga, with up to 100 residents affected, Western Bay of Plenty District Council spokesman Peter Hennessy said in a statement.

A further five houses in Papamoa were evacuated this morning, bringing the total number of households evacuated there to more than 40.

About 60 people had already been evacuated from homes in Tauranga.

Council staff were checking all evacuated houses to see if they were safe, Mr Hennessy said.

Safety and security concerns meant people who had been evacuated could not return until they are given the all-clear.

Evacuees who stayed overnight at BayPark stadium or the Armitage Hotel have been returned to their homes by bus, he said.

Fifteen houses in Tauranga had been badly affected by slips, with four "written off".

Geotechnical teams were in the field surveying properties for structural damage.

Mr Hennessy said four slips around the base of Mount Maunganui had closed the walking track and broken a major water main.

He said the floodwaters were decreasing in most urban areas but further heavy rain was forecast for the Bay of Plenty, with up to 40mm possible.

Roads were still treacherous and residents were still being asked to conserve water, he said.

He thanked the community for its cooperation during the chaos.

"We've heard some great stories about people helping their neighbours. Community spirit is alive and well in Tauranga."

Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby told National Radio water supply was an issue. It was not contaminated, but a reservoir had been hit by a slip.

"The only issues at the moment, in terms of essential services, are both water supply -- so we're asking people to conserve as best they can -- and our roading network which is pretty fragile at the moment," he said.

Mr Crosby said in the past 36 hours about 400mm of rain had fallen, about a third of the year's natural rainfall.

"That might give people some idea of the extent of the events that have happened here."

Engineers were assessing the houses teetering on the edge of slips, but the main priority at the moment was safety, he said.

In Matata, near Whakatane, 144 people were evacuated and taken by bus to Whakatane War Memorial Hall and several homes destroyed.

Rotorua District Council has sent two specialist rescue teams to help the flood ravaged community after an urgent request from Whakatane Civil Defence last night.

"They requested a rescue team to help them get access to a vehicle, with headlights still on, that had been sighted partly buried under a land slip," community services director Charles Roberts said.

The teams will also help check on residents at damaged or at risk homes.

Mr Hennessy said a centralised helpline has been set up to provide information for those affected by the flooding. It is freephone 0800 779 997 and is for queries about housing, Work and Income, Inland Revenue, general insurance information and for general support.

Civil Defence Minister George Hawkins arrived in Tauranga this morning and was briefed by emergency management staff , Mr Hennessy said.

Meanwhile, 34 army personnel, and 10 Unimog trucks remain on standby to provide further assistance in Bay of Plenty today, Defence Force spokeswoman Major Denise Mackay said in a statement.

In the past 24 hours the army had assisted police at check-points set up in Tauranga suburbs, used four Unimogs to evacuate people from Papamoa, and supplied sleeping bags, blankets and stretchers to a temporary evacuation centre, she said.

Army liaison officers were at Civil Defence headquarters in Tauranga and Whakatane.

INSURANCE COUNCIL ESTIMATES DAMAGE

Meanwhile, the Insurance Council is estimating the cost of the flood damage to reach tens of millions of dollars.

Council chief executive Chris Ryan said hundreds of claims had already been received and insurers had sent large teams of claims assessors to the affected areas.

The council urged residents to lodge claims as soon as possible.

"We will process the claims as soon as possible and ask people to be patient in the knowledge that we are applying maximum priority and resources to the claims knowing people are fearful, wet and cold, Mr Ryan said.

The Tauranga floods were likely to be the most significant flood event so far this year, he said.

Last year the insurance industry paid out claims worth over $1.3 billion. About $145 million of that was in just two flood-related claims -- the February floods in Manawatu and the Whakatane floods some months later.

"Climate changes are working against many properties in low lying areas of the country and this is just the beginning of winter floods," Mr Ryan said.

- NZPA and Newstalk ZB