Whatatutu Volunteer Fire Station

03/02/2026

Fire training tonight 6pm. All welcome, come down and have a chat see if there’s a role you can play.

22/01/2026

21/01/2026

🚧 ROAD UPDATE – State Highway 35 (SH35)
Uawa Civil Defence Team

✅ 5:30pm – UPDATE
SH35 Tikitiki to Gisborne is OPEN.

✅ 12:15pm – UPDATE
SH35 Pōtaka to Ōpōtiki is OPEN.

✅ 9:00am – UPDATE (22/01/26)
Kia ora whānau,
✅ State Highway 35 is OPEN from Gisborne to Tolaga Bay ONLY (as at 9:00am).

⚠️ All other sections of SH35 remain CLOSED and are still under assessment due to ongoing risks including:
• Trees down
• Minor slips
• Road dropouts

🚫 Please stay off the road outside this open section until official clearance is given.

Uawa Civil Defence Team

21/01/2026

GISBORNE - SEVERE WEATHER – UPDATE 2:15PM, WED 4FEB

SH35 remains CLOSED between Pōtaka and Te Araroa, until further notice.

CLOSED
• SH35 Pōtaka to Te Araroa

OPEN
• SH35 Te Araroa to Gisborne
• All other state highways in the Gisborne and Hawke's Bay regions remain open

For more info on the weather event please visit metservice.com/warnings

Please follow Tairāwhiti Civil Defence and Gisborne District Council for localised information.

21/01/2026

Widespread flooding has cut off towns and submerged homes.

21/01/2026

A respite with the rain, luckily for us the bridge at Puha/SH2 didn’t breach, it’s still very full with fast flowing water.
Take care with travel and drive to conditions.

21/01/2026

🚧🚧 ROAD CLOSED 🚧🚧

SH2 Whatatutu Road turn-off to Matawai is CLOSED whānau. Reassessment at firstlight.

MTT ✌️

21/01/2026

Been a wild night out there and rain is not giving up any time soon. River levels have significantly increased in volume of water. If you are in low lying areas near rivers consider evacuating. Puha bridge passable but looks like could breach the banks. Dont take risks , avoid unnecessary travel.
For all emergencies 📞 111

21/01/2026

🔴 A local State of Emergency has been declared for Tairāwhiti. The call was made to declare at 5pm to give people time to move to higher ground with friends or whānau before dark.

There are RED and Orange heavy rain warnings across the region with the worst of the rain expected to fall overnight. Anyone who feels unsafe should move.

The State of Emergency will be in place for 7 days and reviewed as required.

🔴 A state of emergency enables Civil Defence to coordinate a regional response across all emergency partners.

Phone Civil Defence 0800 653 800 if you need any assistance or to report slips, flooding or damage.
Call 111 if life or safety is at risk

Keep an eye on our website 👇
www.tairawhitiem.govt.nz
. . and MetService too 👇
https://www.metservice.com/warnings/home

21/01/2026

Update: Thu 22 Jan 11pm

State highways:

CLOSED
• SH35 Tolaga Bay to Pōtaka – Severe Weather
• SH2 Matawai to Te Karaka – Flooding and Slips

OPEN
• SH35 Okitu to Tolaga Bay
• SH35 Pōtaka to Ōpōtiki

All other state highways in the Gisborne and Hawke's Bay regions remain open.

While SH35 has reopened to Tolaga Bay, there are still numerous slips and debris, as well as surface flooding around – please avoid any unnecessary travel. If you have to drive, please do so with extreme caution and be alert for hazards.

The road will remain closed from Tolaga Bay north to Pōtaka as crews continue to assess damage from slips, flooding and debris.

----------------------------------------------------

🚧 SH35 CLOSING 9PM 🚧

SH35 will be closing at 9pm from Okitu through to Potaka, with the decision reviewed at 7am tomorrow. TEMO group controller Ben Green says the safety of the community is paramount, and keeping people off the roads in such dreadful weather is the best option. Emergency vehicles will still be able to get through should they need to.

State Highway info: www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/regions/gisborne
Local Road info: www.gdc.govt.nz/services/roads/road-information

Stay home! 🏡

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