Kia ora koutou
Holcim Site now cleared.
A key milestone was achieved this week in the Flood Recovery plan with the Holcim Site declared officially emptied of flood affected domestic waste. This was a job well done by Johnson Brothers Transport (JBT) and team.
We also would like to thank Larry Eade, Cape Foulwind Staple 1 Limited for facilitating the use of the site for this purpose.
Access to Showers
If you are struggling with access to showers or showering, please contact the Community Hub and we will try and help provide a solution for you.
Houses in Queen Street
Three more temporary houses made their way down from Napier, North Island.
The houses have been placed on BDC owned land on Queen Street. These houses will be managed by MBIE/TAS, along with the five houses in Stafford Street to provide temporary housing for people and families who have been flood affected.
Check out one of the trucks driving a house off the ferry, āue (wow) tight fit! More pics on our Facebook page here.
The houses are still to be connected to services. Finishing site works and landscaping will continue into the New Year. If the project continues to progress at pace, it is envisaged people allocated these homes will be able to move in prior Christmas.
Whakamihi (acknowledgement) to the house builders – Hawkes Bay Homes (John and Rose), the house movers/truck drivers – Britton Homes and local tradesmen GP Contracting and Sound Frame Building Solutions for the hard work that’s been completed so far.
Coming Events
There is really strong evidence that after a disaster or a significant adverse event, those who have been affected, can start to feel disconnected from others. Community events help to uplift spirits and bring people back together again. Grief and loss is shared and the burden is shouldered by many and not just one. Successes and milestones can be celebrated with others too.
“Community events create an opportunity to reconnect, enjoy the company of others, it also allows our flood affected residents to take a temporary break from what they are dealing with.” said Shayne Barry, Manager Social & Welfare Recovery, Westport Flood Recovery team.
For details about upcoming community events, visit the Flood Recovery Website, Facebook or call into the Community Hub.
Shout Out:
Westport Early Learning Centre, who were flooded and are currently in a temporary building, had some good news this week. The organisation was chosen to receive a “Mitre 10 Playground Makeover with Stan.” This work will be commencing on the 11th to 14th November.
Stan and Troy Scanlon have been working extremely hard behind the scenes with their planning and designing. This is going to be such a surprise for the children who will return to the centre once repairs have been completed.
A call for volunteers and helpers was posted on Facebook earlier this week and WELC had an overwhelming response. Just another testament to what a wonderful supportive community we live in here in the Buller. Check out the post and more details on the Westport Early Learning Centre Facebook Page.
Have your circumstances changed?
With Christmas just around the corner, it is possible that your circumstances or temporary living arrangements may need to be reconsidered. If you have been displaced by the Westport floods and are currently living with family or friends, please be assured, it’s not too late to register for assistance at the community hub.
Even if you have living arrangements currently in place, we still encourage impacted people to register with the Community Hub as we realise that personal circumstances can change and evolve quickly.
Yellow Stickered Homes Community Meeting
The Yellow Stickered Home Owners meeting was extremely well attended with well over 80 community members in attendance. We heard from a number of speakers, who represented the Flood Recovery Team and supporting agencies including:
- Bob Dickson (Project Manager Recovery)
- Jane George (Director of Allied Health)
- Darren Wright (Residential Advisory Services – RAS)
- Casey Hamilton (Temporary Accommodation Support – TAS)
- Peter Campbell (President of Rotary)
- Mary Ponder – Road of Recovery Workshops
At the end the attendees had the opportunity to ask questions of the speakers and also talk one on one to council staff, including Mayor Jamie Cleine, Rachel Townrow (Deputy Chief Executive Officer), Sean Judd (Group Manager Regulatory Services) and Richard Knudsen (Team Leader Building). A number of common themes have arisen from the Red and Yellow Sticker meetings including:
- When can I remove the yellow/red sticker from my home?
- Questions about insurance and working with loss assessors
A list of frequently asked questions has been compiled and is available on our website and in booklet form at the Community Hub.
Need help? Ph 0800 768 348
All are welcome at the Community Hub.
Whether you have been impacted directly, or are simply keen to learn more about the recovery effort, pop down to the community hub for a cuppa and a chin wag.
The Community Hub is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am-4.00pm and on Saturday between 12.00-2.00pm.
Noho ora mai
