Evacuation

When the flooding swept through Gore and Mataura, several people were forced to leave their homes — some only for a few days, but one is still displaced a year on.

Initial support was there from the community including shelter and food and

Mataura Presbyterian Church minister John Ranstead said it had been hugely challenging.

Ministry of Social Development (MSD) Invercargill and Gore teams were on the ground at the Te Anau Library and Mataura Community Hall, working alongside other agencies to provide support after the flooding.

MSD southern regional director Sue Rissman said there were 146 requests for assistance, and $83,124 in grants were approved to help cover the cost of food, clothing and

PHOTO: SUPPLIED Frustration building . . . Gore Landscape Supplies owner David Ugy built a makeshift dam to stop the water coming through a stopbank he says should never have been modified by the Gore District Council.

PHOTO: ABBEY PALMER Ongoing erosion . . . The banks of the Mataura River appeared severely eroded earlier this week.