Work underway to get flood-affected Eastern Bay students back to school

Work is underway to make arrangements for school students affected by flooding in the Eastern Bay. Photo/File

The Ministry of Education is working to get students in flood-affected areas of the Eastern Bay of Plenty back to school.

Ministry representatives are in Awakeri, Whakatane and Kawerau tomorrow to support parents with school and school holiday arrangements.

They will be located at the Civil Defence Centres operating at the Whakatane War Memorial Hall, Rautahi Marae in Kawerau and Awakeri School. The centres will be open from 9am to 5pm and parents have been invited to come down and discuss their needs.

The Whakatane Emergency Response team was working closely with the Ministry and could offer support for parents wanting their children to return to school this week.

They could also help with alternate arrangements for parents returning to work but keeping their children out of school, and with school holiday arrangements.

A local state of civil emergency remains in place in Whakatane and many Eastern Bay schools were affected by the Edgecumbe flood.

With the cordon still in place, Edgecumbe schools were unlikely to be assessed until Monday at the earliest.

Early signs were that the schools hadn't been badly damaged because they were on higher ground, but they would be affected by lack of services.

For a full list of schools and early childhood closures visit the Ministry of Education's website.

The breach in the Rangataiki River floodwall had been plugged and was working well. Water was no longer flowing from the river into Edgecumbe and construction work was continuing today.

The water was now naturally receding but because of the volume more will need to be pumped out. The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has begun pumping and this could take seven to 10 days to complete.