Bridges open, but slips close rural roads

All bridges across the Whanganui River have re-opened and the clean up continues in and around Wanganui after the weekend's record amount of rain.

A few roads in the urban and rural areas remain closed.

SH4 between Wanganui and Raetihi is still closed because of multiple slips, and is likely to be impassable for at least a week. There has been a major slip and washout on the Wanganui end of the Whanganui River Rd.

Business owners in the Taupo Quay area were allowed into their properties for just an hour yesterday. Council building inspectors were assessing buildings within the cordoned off areas to establish status of liveability. Until properties are inspected, they are treated as contaminated and uninhabitable.

Inspectors were using coloured stickers to categorise buildings.

All but six houses now have water restored, and those houses have been supplied with water. All drinking water in Wanganui is safe. Power has been re-connected to most places, but is still out in Ahu Ahu, Ngamatapouri, Paparangi and parts of Waitotara.

Waitotara residents who had been evacuated were allowed back today and the clean-up of the township is well underway. The Silver Fern Farms Waitotara meatworks will not open on June 29 as planned because of the bridge collapse on Waiinu Beach Rd. It is hoped the plant will be open by the end of July.

Around 100 households are still isolated in the Waitotara Valley, and are likely to remain that way for a month. Most are coping, but six families with urgent needs received food, water, medication and baby food yesterday.

The state of emergency was lifted in Rangitikei, but remains in Wanganui and Taranaki.

Residents in Hunterville have been told to boil water because of potential contamination, however there is no longer a need to conserve water in Marton. Marton and Bulls transfer stations are accepting flood damaged items for free.

Most schools are now operating as normal. Whanganui UCOL is opening again today.