A helicopter will airlift urgent supplies to more than a hundred people stranded on Wairarapa's south coast after the recent storm.
By Sue Teodoro of Local Democracy Reporting
Those cut off included about six to eight groups of holidaymakers, as well as residents.
The airlift of food, water, urgent medical supplies and other essentials was scheduled to arrive at the coast near the small fishing village of Ngawi this afternoon, with the helicopter most likely landing at a golf course.
Donna Fenwick, the chairperson of the Cape Palliser Residents and Ratepayers Association, is one of those organising the drop of supplies into the Cape Palliser area.
She said communities cut off included Ngawi, Whatarangi, Te Kopi, Mangatoetoe and Cape Palliser itself, with the Ngawi locals group and the Cape Palliser emergency response group working together to address the crisis.
The Palliser community has been isolated by the collapse of part of the Tūranganui River bridge on Lake Ferry Rd, and by a second, coastal bridge being damaged.
The Tūranganui River bridge, just before Lake Ferry, is a key link with the township. (Source: 1News)
South Wairarapa District Council issued an urgent safety notice late on Tuesday warning people not to use the bridge crossing the Hurupi stream on Cape Palliser Rd.
"The bridge must not be used under any circumstances until it has been inspected and formally cleared by a qualified engineer," the council statement said.
Fenwick said the Hirupi bridge was structurally fragile.
"People in the community have physically driven around checking on people with no internet access, and getting numbers of people in the area.
"The holidaymakers have been using the Wi-Fi and water at the community hall."
'We are here for a while'
Ngawi had lost power for about 24 hours after the storm started on Sunday night. While the power was back on, other supplies were at risk.
"We have access to a diesel pump at Ngawi but, if people run out, there isn’t any more.
"No one has yet got through from the other side of the bridges. Things can come in by sea, but that’s a last resort.
"We are thinking the helicopter will land on the golf course, it’s a lot safer.
"People have accepted we are here for a while. Visitors want to get home, but the locals are just getting on with it.
"We are doing OK."
Fenwick said there were a few farms affected but she hadn’t heard they wanted to move stock at this stage.
"With two bridges out there isn’t much you can do."
She said Cape Palliser Rd had held up quite well, but runoff from the hills had caused much of the damage.
"Everyone should be patient and take care of each other – in times of emergency we all have to. When we have weather events like this, it's out of everyone’s control."
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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