Rural communities banding together for flood relief and cleanup

Tuesday, 1 July 2025

As floodwaters recede across the Tasman region, rural communities are rallying to support one another through the long road to recovery.

In hard-hit areas like Tapawera, Ngātīmoti, Dovedale, and the Motueka Valley, neighbours are clearing debris, repairing fences, donating supplies, and checking on isolated households — many without power or access for days.

A Facebook group, Top of the South Flood Help – Volunteers & Support, created on Friday, has quickly become a hub for grassroots co-ordination.

In just days, it gained over 1500 members and more than 90 posts, linking those in need with volunteers offering labour, food, accommodation, and equipment. Working bees have already begun on damaged properties.

Motueka Community House manager Jane Henderson said while the community response was strong, it was somewhat fragmented.

“There’s lots of little support networks going on,” she said, “but we’re lacking structure around drop-off points for goods, bedding, and food.”

She said people were eager to donate but unsure where to go. “We’ve had more requests today for food parcels … probably the most we’ve had is people wanting information.”

The centre had been directing residents to Tasman District Council and Civil Defence updates, but Henderson said not everyone knew they needed to register in order to get help. “Otherwise [Civil Defence] don’t know about them.”

In Dovedale, Brent Boyce said a regular community gathering shifted to the local hall on Sunday, with around 50 people attending what became an impromptu planning session on Sunday, nicknamed “Floody Buddies.”

“A lot of talk around, who needs what,” he said. “I’ve got a digger, my son will be around this afternoon … who needs feed … culverts missing … fences down.” Another 50 people, he said, were out cleaning up and couldn’t make the meeting.

Boyce described extensive damage: stock water pipes torn out by slips, a school bus turnaround washed away, and a 50-metre stretch of road near Sunday Creek now chest-deep at the shoulders.

“There’s a couple of guys here with a kilometre or two of fencing to do and they’re in their 80s.”

The valley was hit by 330mm of rain, with power out for 30 hours, and some homes remained inaccessible.

“The main issues are then with septic tank systems, and because some of the newer septic tank systems run on power to actually pump out, and if you can't pump out, therefore you can't use your toilets, because your tank is full.”

Rural Support Trust representatives Richard Kempthorne and Martin O’Connor visited to co-ordinate a Taskforce Green response, aiming to get “feet on the ground” by week’s end.

“The cleanup is immense,” Boyce said. “A lot of people have lost land. The fences disappeared and now stock can wander into creeks. You’re looking at 100 metres of wire dangling from where the paddock used to be.”

Ministry for Primary Industries staff also visited the area on Sunday and were “gobsmacked,” he said.

“It’s not until you’re standing in the middle of the hole where the road used to be that it really hits you.”

Tapawera Rural Support Trust trustee Evan Baigent said an emergency group had activated a contact centre to match volunteers with requests.

“We’re trying to bring everything together so one organisation isn’t chasing after another,” he said.