Welcome to Egdecumbe, New Zealand
While in Edgecumbe, check out the following businesses:
- Rangitaiki Home Kills
- King Farm Services
- Bay Veterinary Group Ltd
- East Bay Hire & Secure Storage
- Edgecumbe Pharmacy
Click here for the Rangitaiki River Scheme Review Final Report
Information on the Edgecumbe Floods, assistance for those affected & more...
On 6 April 2017 Cyclone Debbie struck the EBOP. After much rainfall, the Rangitaiki river burst the stop bank at Edgecumbe and flooded the town.
There are many people that have been seriously affected by the floods. A number of relief efforts, clean ups and funds have been made available to help make life easier for the local community. See the links below to find out more.
Images courtesy of Frontier Helicopters
Edgecumbe Back in Business
Edgecumbe is back in business and ready to serve the Bay of Plenty community. Many businesses were affected by the floods. Some businesses have relocated, some are in the process of re-opening. Keep up to date with Edgecumbe businesses and their opening progress at the website www.edgecumbebackinbusiness.co.nz.
Visit these Edgecumbe business listings on Whakatane.Info:
Findings of the independent review into Rangitaiki River Scheme
Sir Michael Cullen presented the findings of the independent review of the Rangitāiki River Scheme to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council on Tuesday 3 October 2017.
On 6 April during ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie, there was a breach in the floodwall at College Road in Edgecumbe causing the destruction of 15 homes and extensive damage to a further 250.
Sir Michael said that while it was fortunate that no loss of life occurred, the disruption to the lives of many residents was of major significance and continues to this day.
The review examined the operation of the Rangitāiki River Scheme, with a specific focus on the operation of Matahina Dam, the Reid’s Floodway and Spillway, and the College Road floodwall.
The Panel concluded the reasons for the floodwall failing at College Road are complex. They relate less to the design of the concrete wall itself and more to the fact that water found its way through the material beneath the wall. This caused water pressure to rise in the ground underneath the concrete wall which eventually forced the cribwall inland. This then led to the foundations under the concrete wall giving way and the concrete wall sliding inland under the pressure of the river.
“A number of factors combined to allow this buildup of pressure to occur. These included the way in which the foundation material may have been placed prior to the construction of the first wall in 1973. Damage to the wall foundations during the 1987 earthquake may have also been a contributing factor. Finally, it seems likely that the concrete pad laid in 2012 adjacent to the concrete wall increased the buildup of pressure which led to the initial failure of the crib wall,” Sir Michael said.
The Panel also looked at whether the breach could have been avoided and what role Matahina Dam, and Reid’s Floodway played.
“We have found that the actions taken to manage the lake levels and outflow of the Matahina Dam helped reduce the flood level downstream of the dam from a one-in-200 year event to a less than one-in-100 year event. It is concluded that it is unlikely that lowering the lake level further or filling it more would have prevented the failure,” said Sir Michael.
“We have also found that the fact that Reid’s Floodway and Spillway were not completed meant that it was unable to play a substantial role in diverting floodwater away from Edgecumbe. If the upgrade had been completed it would have reduced the pressure on the floodwall and may have prevented the failure. However, the Panel notes that the original designs for the proposed floodway upgrade and spillway were less than optimal and it is now a matter of urgency to agree on the final design and complete the works,” Sir Michael said.
The Panel is concerned that there has been insufficient attention paid to the risks faced by the Edgecumbe community particularly while the Rangitāiki River Scheme was being upgraded or to planning for evacuation in the case of overtopping or stopbank failure. Further there is little evidence of Regional Council maintaining awareness of the community through statutory and evacuation planning. It also appears that many of the residents of Edgecumbe, for whatever reasons, were insufficiently aware of the risks of serious flooding in the township.
The Panel has provided detailed recommendations to the Council to improve current flood hazard management planning and the geotechnical elements of the scheme as well as advice on sustainable flood risk management solutions in the long term.
“I am confident that the findings of this review will provide the community the answers they need and our recommendations will help reduce the risk of this happening in the future,” Sir Michael said.
Click here to view the full report.
Source: Bay Of Plenty Regional Council
Further Information
Click here for further information from the Bay Of Plenty Regional Council.
Edgecumbe Support Information
Te Tari Āwhina Community Hub
If anyone would like assistance from Navigators, Residential Advisory services (help with insurance claims), or any other assistance, please contact the Council on 07 306 0500 and ask for the Recovery Office, or call-in to Te Tari Āwhina (now located in the old Plunket rooms) on Tuesday mornings, between 10 am and 12 pm.
Phone Numbers
Healthline on 0800 611 116.
Temporary accommodation 0508 754 163.
DHB Mental Health & Addiction Services – adult, 0800 774545, child and youth – 0800 486947
Ngati Awa Social & Health Services – 07 306 0096
Tu Wharetoa Ki Kawerau Health & Social Services – 027 435 4994
Te Puna Ora O Mataatua – 0800 294 462
Tuhoe Hauora – 07 312 9874
Rural Support Trust – 0800 787 254
Edgecumbe Businesses
www.edgecumbebackinbusiness.co.nz - Visit this website to get updates on Edgecumbe businesses that were affected by the floods and what stage they are in getting back to business.
For information on Edgecumbe Pharmacy, Riverslea Medical Centre or Duty Doctors in Whakatane click here.
Temporary Accommodation - If you have been affected by the Edgecumbe floods and need support to find temporary accommodation. For Temporary accommodation phone 0508 754 163.
Civil Defence payments - Extra financial support is available to people affected by flooding. You don’t have to be on a benefit to be eligible. Civil Defence can help with: payments if you’re hosting evacuees (private homes, marae or community centres); accommodation costs if you’re evacuated and are staying in tourist accommodation (motels, hotels, or temporary rental accommodation); loss of livelihood (where you can’t work and have lost your income because of the floods); food, clothing and bedding (immediate needs up to a maximum amount).
Insurance and lodging an EQC claim - If your home, car or contents has been damaged by the flood, take photos before you remove or repair anything and report it to your insurance company as soon as possible.
Your insurance company will let you know what you need to do next, how to claim and how EQC works. If you need to make your home safe, sanitary, secure and weather tight, please record the work done, take photos and keep a copy of the bills paid.
You can make an EQC claim online at www.eqc.govt.nz/claims or call 0800 326 243.
Keeping children safe - If you’re worried that a child or young person you know is not safe or being cared for, or you know a child who has been separated from their parents or caregivers you can call the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki on 0508 326 459 (24 hours a day, seven days a week) or email contact@mvcot.govt.nz.
Support for rural communities - If you need help on the farm, please contact Federated Farmers on 0800 327 646. Federated Farmers can help with stock movements and feed. Rural Support Trusts have local people trained to offer assistance and support, and their help is free and confidential. Call 0800 RURAL HELP (0800 787 254) or visit www.rural-support.org.nz.
Animal welfare - If you need food, blankets or other animal supplies, please contact Whakatane SPCA on 07 308 4608 between 8.30am–11.30am. If you find a sick or injured animal, or an animal that has passed away, please call 0800 306 0500 for assistance.
Tenancy Information - If you are the tenant or landlord of a rental property, you can find information on your rights and obligations at www.tenancy.govt.nz or by calling 0800 TENANCY (0800 836 262).
Tax relief - Customers who’ve missed filing returns or making payments can ask Inland Revenue to grant relief from penalties. If you’ve been impacted by the flooding, and are struggling to deal with your tax or payments, please contact your tax agent or accountant. You can also call Inland Revenue on 0800 473 566.
For Whakatane District Council information visit the Project Edgecumbe page here.
Kohanga rebuild on TV3s The Block NZ
Edgecumbe’s Patutaatahi Kohanga Reo has received an amazing offer to help get their premises back to their preflood standard – but first they need a helping hand from the community.
Kohanga staff have been approached by TV3s The Block NZ with a generous offer to rebuild a section of playground. From June 16 – 18 June, Dyls and Dylz will lead a team of volunteers to get the work done – and all in front of the cameras.
Members of the community are being asked to come along to help and it’s definitely a case of the more the merrier. If this sounds like you, registration forms are available at the Te Teko Memorial Hall, the Edgecumbe Library and at the Edgecumbe Blue Light building (where the Kohanga is currently located).
Everyone must be registered to take part. All volunteers will be given breakfast, lunch and dinner. (On the work days, donations of baking would be appreciated; and if volunteers can BYO wheelbarrow and spade, that’s even better.)
Tradie army gets nod to save Edgecumbe's uninsured and under-insured flood-hit homes
Uninsured and under-insured homeowners in flood-damaged Edgecumbe have been thrown a lifeline.
Whakatane district councillors have unanimously approved the Liveable Home project, which will provide the labour, expertise and funding to make homes habitable again.
The Liveable Homes project team will be led by retired Whakatane builder John Pullar, who pulled together a "tradie army" in the weeks after the April 6 flood.
The army of qualified tradespeople will donate their labour and expertise to carry out the work, supported by the Ngati Awa Voluntary Army.
Property owners taking part in the project will have to sign a contract and give detailed information about their circumstances, confirming they don't have the means to repair their homes.
Council chief executive Mary Grenfell said the town risked becoming a community of "the haves and the have-nots" without the project.
"We know that if we don't take action, up to 100 homes may have to be abandoned because the owners will not have the financial means to be able to repair them," he said.
"This project will tackle that issue head-on and avoid a situation where every second or third home in the worst-affected areas is derelict and deteriorating.
"If our communities are truly going to recover from this disaster, they can't be studded with abandoned homes and overgrown sections."
Project Liveable Homes
Assistance for people who do not have the means to repair flood-damaged houses.
Anyone who needs help to repair their flood-damaged home, and who has not been contacted directly by Thursday, 4 May, is asked to call into the Project: Liveable Homes office at the Edgecumbe Library, or to ring 07 306 0500 to register their personal and property details.
