Environment Waikato came to the aid of its flood-ravaged neighbour in the Manawatu Wanganui region with more than just cash.

The Regional Council pledged $50,000 to support the regional disaster relief fund, and also sent specialist disaster information media and environmental monitoring staff to the area to assist Horizons Regional Council during the disaster. Within days, Environment Waikato was busy managing its own flood emergency as Lake Taupo rose and the Waipa and Waikato Rivers flooded at levels not seen since the major flood of 1998.

The recent event has reached a one-in-100-year flood in the Waikato, with houses in Turangi and Otorohanga inundated.

“Our Council has a real understanding of the situation faced by local government in the Manawatu Wanganui area having experienced similar, although not so severe, challenges in the past,” Chairman Neil Clarke said.

“This Council has always been grateful for the offers of support in times of emergencies. Environment Waikato is no stranger to flood events having experienced regular flooding since its formation in 1989 – but not on the enormous scale seen in the Manawatu.”

The Council’s donation goes to the Regional Disaster Relief Fund, managed by the Horizons Regional Council, regional Mayors, Chief Executives and the Civil Defence Emergency Management Group. It will be used to assist those who have lost property and possessions and rebuild key infrastructure destroyed or damaged by flooding.