Recovery

Welfare centres are set up during a time of emergency. Keep an eye on the civil defence website for more information.

Financial assistance – call Work and Income

If you are facing financial hardship from additional costs or loss of income as a result of the event, give Work and Income a call on 0800 559 009. 
 
Everyone’s circumstances are different so the type of assistance available varies from case to case. If you are already receiving a benefit or superannuation then Work and Income might need to review what you’re currently receiving or check what else you might be entitled to. 
 
You may also be eligible for a billeting payment if you are looking after friends or family who can’t get home. You don’t have to be on a benefit to qualify for financial assistance, although most assistance is income and asset test. 
 
You can phone Work and Income on 0800 559 009 or if you’re receiving NZ Super, phone 0800 552 002.

Support handouts

Information about different agencies and assistance: 

• Tax relief - extreme events - IRD handout (pdf, 50 KB)
• Download: Householder's Guide to EQC Cover

Rates relief

The Council has a policy allowing it to consider rates remissions for properties severely affected by a natural disaster. If your home or other buildings have been rendered uninhabitable and you cannot continue to use your land as a result of natural disaster, you may be eligible.

• Rates Remission Policy - Land Occupied by a Dwelling Affected by Natural Disaster (pdf, 125 KB)

Rural Support Trust – a free service

Anyone in a rural area who feels they need support can also contact the Rural Support Trust for a confidential chat on 0800 787 254. The service is free.

Insurance

Contact your insurance company as soon as possible to begin your claim.

You should check with your insurance company what is covered by your insurance policy and enquire whether it covers "extra" costs, such as costs of temporary accommodation, drying apparatus, and special inspections. 

• Do not throw anything away or undertake work until you have made contact with your insurer as it may prejudice any claim.
• Before moving/repairing anything, take photographs or a video of all damage if possible, and mark the water levels on the walls for the reference of the insurers.
• Ask about clean-up costs and what your policy covers.

EQC

Visit the Earthquake Commission website.

The following guide has been put together by the Tasman District Council Building Assurance Team to help people and businesses affected by flooding to repair buildings and structures on their properties.

Safety first

Make sure that you and your family are not at risk from anything in the building e.g. electrical hazards, damaged structures or biological hazards such as sewerage.

Contact your insurance company

Following a flood, contact your insurance company as soon as possible to begin your claim. You should check with your insurance company what is covered by your insurance policy and enquire whether it covers "extra" costs, such as costs of temporary accommodation, drying apparatus, and special inspections. 

• Do not throw anything away or undertake work until you have made contact with your insurer as it may prejudice any claim.
• Before moving/repairing anything, take photographs or a video of all damage if possible, and mark the water levels on the walls for the reference of the insurers.

Use reputable tradespeople for repair work

Damage caused may generally be beyond the capability of the individual householder or small businessperson to clear up and repair on their own. Do not attempt work that is beyond your capabilities - call in professionals where required.

Your insurance company may appoint a builder to help you. Alternatively, you may be asked to contact several builders yourself and obtain competitive quotes for work required and seek approval from the insurance company before building work can begin. If you are not insured, then you will need to choose a builder yourself.

Ensure you select a reputable builder, such as a licensed building practitioner, a member of Master Builders or Certified Builders or other specialist trade bodies. Beware of builders touting door-to-door. Do not pay cash in advance and get signed receipts for all work done.

Repair work and building consents

Any new or replacement building work must comply with the New Zealand Building Code. Once flooring or wall linings have been removed, complete drying out of these areas should occur, before replacement building work is started.  Cleaning and decontamination are important but so too is drying to avoid dampness and mould.

Most building and renovation work is Restricted Building Work and must be completed by Licensed Building Practitioners. More details are available on the Building Performance website.

Repair work not requiring building consent

Not all building work may require a building consent. Lawful repair and maintenance is provided for (and expected of owners), and in dealing with flood damage this could include:

• Replacement of flooring material, i.e. chipboard or timber, with similar material
• Replacement of non-bracing wall linings using comparable materials
• Replacement of doors and windows of the same sizing
• Repair or replacement of outbuildings not used for human habitation, provided the same area is occupied. Outbuildings would include a carport, garage, farm building, greenhouse, machinery room, shed, provided no provision is made for human habitation.

Guidance documents on building work exempt from Building Consent can be obtained from the Department of Building and Housing: 

• Department of Building and Housing: Building Work That Does Not Require Building Consent
• Department of Building and Housing website

Provision also exists in some situations for Council to authorise emergency repairs for the purpose of saving or protecting life or health or preventing serious damage to property. The owner would still be required in those situations where a building consent would have been required, to apply for a Certificate of Acceptance as soon as practicable after completing the building work.

Repair work requiring building consent

• Replacement of bracing sheets (you should check the building plans, copies of which are normally held by Council)
• Structural repairs - this may need the assistance of a chartered professional engineer.

In all cases it is worth remembering that if you have been flooded once, it may happen again. It is therefore well worth considering the use of materials that are less vulnerable to damage when you repair your building if flooding is likely to re-occur in the future.

Further information

If you have any questions on repairs, safety or whether your building is insanitary, or need further information, contact the Tasman District Council Building Assurance Team.

When cleaning up after a flood, slip or other emergency, you may be exposed to hazards from the floodwater, sewage or debris.

Assume everything is contaminated

All floodwater and silt should be assumed to contain sewage. Sewage contains harmful bacteria and viruses and needs to be cleaned up carefully. Keep children and pets away from the area until this is done.

Before you start to clean up

• Use rubber gloves and boots, and eye protection.
• First priority should be to clear an accessway to your dwelling so you can access the house without bringing contamination in on your footwear.
• When things have dried out you can tackle the rest of your section.
• Do NOT dig out the bottom of a slip as the rest of the slip may become unstable. If in doubt keep away and await instructions from Civil Defence staff.

Clearing contaminated material

• Use a spade or shovel to remove all gross contamination from the surface of your section. Place it at the edge of your section or other accessible area where it can easily be removed later, but ensure it does not block drainage channels.
• Avoid contact with contaminated soil and do not eat raw vegetables or salads from soil that has been submerged in flood water.
• Leave garden surfaces exposed to the air and sunshine to dry out naturally. Make drainage holes with a fork to aerate.
• Sprinkle hydrated lime on ground that has been contaminated  

Disinfect surfaces

• Hard surfaces such as yards can be cleaned and disinfected with bleach solution of 1.5 cups of household chlorine bleach in 10 Litres of cold water (a household bucket).
• Wash your hands and any wet parts of your body thoroughly with soap and water afterwards.

When cleaning up after an emergency, it is important to be particularly careful about washing your hands after handling anything that has been in floodwater.

You may be exposed to hazards from floodwater, sewage or debris.

Before you start to clean up

• Use rubber gloves and boots, and eye protection.
• You can use alcohol sanitiser to kill bacteria.

Assume everything is contaminated

All floodwater and silt should be assumed to contain sewage. Sewage contains harmful bacteria and viruses and needs to be cleaned up carefully.

Keep children and pets away from the area until this is done.

If you have your own private water supply such as a bore, spring or rainwater tank the water may be contaminated or unsafe to drink without treatment.

• Use bottled water, your emergency stored water, or boil or disinfect the water.
• Use disinfected water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash your hands, wash and prepare food, make ice or make baby formula.

Treating drinking water

Correctly boil water by:

• Keeping it at a rolling boil in a saucepan for 1 minute or boiling in a kettle until it shuts off, to make sure bacteria are killed.
• If you suspect the water is contaminated with chemicals boiling will not make it safe to drink – only use bottled water.

Correctly disinfect water for drinking by:

• Adding 3/4 of a teaspoon (4 mL) of plain household bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite) with no perfume or surfactants for every 10 litres of clean water (a household bucket is usually 10 litres).
• Stir or shake the water well, and let it stand for 30 minutes before using it.
• Do not try to disinfect highly contaminated water with bleach, especially water that has been contaminated with sewage, as sewage contains some bugs that are not killed by chlorine and also some chemicals which may be harmful.

Rainwater tanks

• An above ground rainwater tank that has not been inundated with floodwaters or damaged should be safe for continued use. Check the lid is on and the tank is not damaged or leaking. Check your roof is clean.
• If your storage tank was inundated with floodwater the water inside will require disinfecting before drinking.
• Clean around the lid before opening. Remove any obvious sources of contamination from the tank first such as debris, pests or vegetation.
• If there is a lot of sediment at the bottom of the tank it can be siphoned off using a swimming pool vacuum cleaner or get a tank cleaning contractor to help.
• Tank water can be disinfected by adding plain household bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite) with no perfume or surfactants.
• Mix the required amount of bleach below into a bucket of water and add to tank. Mix thoroughly if possible. Let sit for 24 hours before drawing.

• Water can also be disinfected with swimming pool chlorine (calcium hypochlorite) at 65% available chlorine with no other additives. Calcium hypochlorite should be added at 15 grams per 1000 litres of water. The calcium hypochlorite should be added to a bucket of water and allowed to dissolve for 6 hours. Use the liquid from the top of the bucket and bury the sludge from the bottom of the bucket. Contact an Environmental Health Officer if you need assistance working out how much to add for your water tank.
• Other products are available from hardware stores and sold as Water Tank Treatment. Follow the instructions on the bottle. 

Checking your treatment system

 If you have a treatment system already like filters and a UV system, check that it is working.

• Turbid dirty water can’t be treated so avoid taking water from streams or springs until they run clear again.
• Filters may be blocked with silt and dirt, remove them and clean them out or replace them.
• UV systems need power to work, check the power supply is safe before turning back on, check the indicator lights are on.
• If the UV equipment was under water the sleeve or lamp could be dirty or damaged. These are delicate and difficult to remove, consider asking your water treatment contractor to check it. If it has a transmissivity indicator it should be over 95%.

Bores and wells

If you have a bore or well that was inundated with floodwater or soil, or has become dirty following an earthquake, it may be contaminated with bacteria and viruses and water taken from it should be boiled or disinfected until you can check it is safe.

Private water supplies are the responsibility of the homeowner or landlord of the property. If you supply other houses with water you are responsible for making sure it is clean and drinkable.

•  Check your bore head, where the pipe comes out of the ground. It is often close to the pump but can vary from property to property.
• Check that the top of the bore is above water level and the air vent is above water level and clear of mud. A well protected bore head will look like this:
• Clear away any debris or mud from around the bore head back to the concrete or original ground level.
• Mix half a teaspoon of bleach in a 10 litre bucket of water and clean the bore head seal, vent and pipework and wash down the concrete surround. Turn on the taps and let run for a few minutes to flush out any dirty water.
• If your bore head is below ground and just a pipe extends out then floodwater is likely to have been around the bore head and possibly leaked in. Keep boiling or treating the water until you can prove it is safe by having the water tested.

Testing your water

If you want to test your water for bacterial contamination, it can be tested for e.coli as an indicator of contamination. A laboratory can do the test. Cawthron Institute in Nelson, 98 Halifax Street East, Nelson 7010 tel 03 548 2319 can provide the sterile sample pots and do the test. Cost is approximately $40

• Keep boiling or treating the water until the test results come back with a satisfactory result.
• The safe limit for e.coli is zero, which may be written on the result as <1.

Treatment systems for water

Historically lots of households have drunk untreated water from wells, bores, springs and rain tanks. Nowadays new dwellings have to have a safe treated supply of water. If your supply is a shallow bore or rain or spring or river water, treatment is always recommended. If the supply is a very deep bore into a confined aquifer sometimes treatment is not required.

• If your pump is at ground level eg in a shed, your bore is no more than 6 metres deep as these types of pumps cant draw water deeper than that. This means it is shallow and should be treated before drinking.
• If your pump is submersible down the bore, the bore depth is likely to be much deeper and less affected by ground conditions. You should investigate how deep it is and whether it goes into an aquifer. Council may have some records of these bores.  

Treatment is commonly provided by filters and a UV system that disinfects the water without any residual taste.

If you want to explore treatment systems, contact a water treatment company for guidance and a quote. 

For further information

• If you or anyone in your family feels unwell, seek medical advice from your doctor.
• For further advice on private water supplies contact your Council: Tasman District Environmental Health on 03 543 8400 or Nelson City Environmental Health on 03 546 0200.
• Check out the website www.healthed.govt.nz and search for ‘water supply’ for useful publications on bores, tanks and treatment systems.