Severe flooding has cut off more than 10 roads across the Ōtorohanga region, creating a critical situation for four whānau trapped along Mangatī Road. 

The local hau kāinga and farming community of neighbours, centered in Ngutunui, has rapidly mobilised to provide a vital lifeline, delivering critical supplies and aid to their isolated neighbours.

Among those isolated are retired farmer Howard Bartley and his wife, Irene, who require regular medication and they’ve been trapped in their whare because of the devastation to their road network. 

“It just cut us off and beyond that the bridge was taken out. Before that there was a slip, it came right across the road. You can see about 100 metres down to the creek below so they’re going to have to build a road around that now and that’s before the bridge,” says Mr Bartley .

“There was a lot of thunder around, thunder I had never heard before. I honestly thought the house was going to split in half,” he says.

Ngutunui resident Regan Reti and his whānau, who previously dealt with the environmental toll of the flooding, including collecting deceased tuna, have shifted their focus to immediate relief supporting their neighbours.

“The bros have come in and they’re building a road through the paddock and that’s going to go through this property and then down through our whaanau property just so they have access to everything,” says Regan Reti.

“I think that’s just how we are. We’re built as a people living rurally, your connection is your protection basically and being connected to everyone out here… It’s another way of showing aroha and manaaki to everyone,” he says.

Meanwhile, the wider response is being coordinated by a joint effort from the Ōtorohanga and Waipā Councils, who are focused on restoring the road network. Council response teams are on the ground, assessing needs, and New Zealand Response Team staff from Auckland are being deployed by helicopter to visit isolated communities.

Welfare staff from the Western Waikato Emergency Operations Centre (WWEOC) have been in contact with families near the Mangatī Bridge to assess their well-being and offer support.

The WWEOC confirmed the families are currently doing well and do not require immediate assistance, but have been provided with contact details for welfare staff should they need help.

Yesterday, Waipā Mayor Mike Pettit and a WWEOC welfare adviser met with one of the family members during a helicopter survey flight over the Ōtorohanga and Waipā districts.

The WWEOC is currently working on solutions to replace the bridge and has committed to keeping residents informed as soon as more information becomes available.