Residents return to flood area

The cleanup operation is under way in parts of Southland as residents have begun to return home to find out the damage the flooding has caused to homes and businesses.

Southland has been in a state of emergency since Tuesday, with thousands of people in the rural towns of Gore, Mataura and Wyndham evacuated from their homes.

Gore residents were able to return to their homes at 6pm on Wednesday, and Wyndham residents were given the all-clear yesterday.

Roads began to reopen, connecting Southland with the rest of the country.

At least 30 houses are flooded and there is property damage throughout parts of the Gore district.

Gore Mayor Tracy Hicks said that while there had been no loss of life or injuries during the flooding there was damage to properties and businesses.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told she had been keeping a close eye on the extreme weather and flooding in Southland over the week and getting regular updates.

She also said something must be done to help residents in Mataura who want the ouvea premix stored in their town gone.

It is stored in an old paper mill right beside the Mataura River, which surged and roared beside the building.

If the premix gets wet, it becomes a toxic substance that releases ammonia gas.

Ardern said she was seeking advice on what could be done with the premix.

‘‘Clearly there needs to be a long-term solution found for the residents of Mataura.’’

Gore couple Kerry and Malcolm Neilson were deflated as they face a potentially long wait before they can return home.

Their property was one of the worst hit in this week’s flooding.

On Wednesday night, police escorted the couple back to their home via stopbanks to take a quick look at the damage the water had caused. What greeted them was knee-high water running through their home, which Malcolm has lived in for 15 years.

‘‘It sucks,’’ Kerry said, summing up the couple’s situation.

Kerry and Malcolm had been on their way to the Elton John concert in Dunedin on Tuesday night when a neighbour phoned to tell them that they should return home.

When they arrived back at 5.30pm they were greeted by water coming through the carpet of their home. They gathered a few possessions including one of their three cats and left.

They remain hopeful the other two cats have survived the ordeal and will still be there when they return permanently. The Neilsons’ home is one of six houses on the river side of Ontario St that are believed to be the hardest hit in Gore on the back of the flooding.

NZ Transport Agency journey manager Peter Brown said it was assessing network roads.

A significant part of State Highway 94 – the road from Te Anau into Milford Sound – would remain closed for the foreseeable future.

There was still damage to the Milford road, and the mostdamaged piece would take ‘‘some time to repair’’.

Milford road contractors were ‘‘sufficiently staffed and resourced to deal with the damage’’, Brown said.