Rotorua floods: Council urges residents to get help if they need it

The Rotorua Lakes Council is urging residents who are battling flood damage on their own to let authorities know.

Civil Defence Rotorua controller Bruce Horne has issued a message to locals trying to cope with flood damage that staff will get to them as soon as they can but it is important people suffering let the council know.

In a video posted on the Rotorua Lakes Council Facebook page this morning, Horne said the council was still trying to build a picture of how bad the flood had impacted the district.

"At the moment every day we are finding new things, new bits of damage that we weren't are of.

"We are coming across people who are boxing on on their own that shouldn't be and really need some help and are in a bad way."

He urged those people to ring the council.

He said the council team was putting drones in the air particularly in the rural areas to literally get a clear picture of the damage which would help planners make decisions.

Staff working on the ground still had a lot of people registered they still needed to make contact with.

"We have a really good system in place in terms of mapping that and the requests for service ... Although it is a huge task we are making our way through it."

He said out of town help was arriving today and the council was engaging with other agencies including the Ministry of Social Development and the Insurance Council to make sure they were aware of what was going on.

Horne said he wanted to reiterate the "rock solid" commitment of the council in supporting the community.

"I'm really impressed about the commitment (of council staff) and the passion to make a difference."

He said most of those helping grew up in Rotorua and were part of the community.

"I understand the frustration when you're waiting for the help and waiting for the advice but please be patient and please be assured that there is a really strong commitment that people want to help and we will do the very best we can for you."

If you've been affected or know of people who haven't had support, ring the council on (07) 348 4199 and register the issues.