31 October 2025
Clutha District State of Emergency extended
The Clutha District State of Emergency has been extended following the severe wind weather event last Thursday.
In extending the declaration, Clutha Mayor Jock Martin said this followed advice received from local Emergency Management controllers and officials due to ongoing support requirements. By extending the state of local emergency, PowerNet would be able to continue their emergency work to reinstate and restore power to all communities. Rural communities could also continue to be fully supported in conjunction with the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI).
“We are still very much in response mode,” Mayor Martin said. “With 1,470 properties without power, we still believe we are in a response mode more than recovery, and it is still very much an evolving situation. By staying in a state of emergency we are in a better position to provide our communities with the support they require while critical infrastructure is being reinstated.”
Extending the state of emergency by seven days gave Clutha the flexibility to lift the status if it was no longer required, he said.
The key concerns continue to be the number of properties without power, and the ongoing repair and reinstatement of critical infrastructure to support the needs of communities. The extreme wind event that began Thursday 23 October 2025 knocked out power, water and wastewater systems supplies, and communications, and caused widespread damage, with many farming and small communities remaining isolated.
The water situation was also improving, however if was expected that there would be leaks and disruption to supplies, as more water schemes came back online, because of the damage to the infrastructure.
Southland has also extended its state of emergency.Emergency Management Otago Group Controller Matt Alley said, “Since the storm wreaked havoc in Clutha a week ago, 14,050 properties have had power restored and water and wastewater services are largely up and running. This is an incredible effort given the scale of damage with emergency responders and the community coming together and working to help each other.
“I recognise this is a difficult time for Clutha residents, particularly those still without power, however the damage means it will take time to get things back up and running again.”
People’s safety and the restoration of essential services remain the priority and work will continue through the weekend and in the days ahead.
Contact: Clutha District Council Deputy Chief Executive Jules Witt
Email: Jules.Witt@Cluthadc.govt.nz
Mob: 021 0257 7570
