Weather updates
Latest update
A huge thank you to all of our front line teams who have been helping with the recovery efforts over the past couple of days.
As we head into the long weekend, here are a few things to keep in mind...
Power
We are aware of some areas, especially in Te Aroha, that are still without power. Please check the guidance from Civil Defence on what to do in a power cut and food and water safety here.
Please check Powerco's outage map to check the status of repairs.
For people without power, we are making the below facilities available.
If you need to charge your devices please head to:
- Any of our libraries. Open on Friday until 5.30pm. Open Saturday 9am-1.30pm. Closed Sunday and Monday for the public holiday.
- Te Aroha Visitor Information Centre. Open on Friday until 5pm. Open 9.30am-4pm on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
If you need to take a hot shower please head to:
- Swim Zone Te Aroha. Available on Friday until 5pm. Available Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10am-6pm.
- Swim Zone Matamata. Available on Friday until 6pm. Available Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10am-4.30pm.
There will be no charge for a quick shower or to charge your devices while there are still areas with power outages in our district.
Wind watch
We do currently have a strong wind watch in place from 10am until 5pm this Saturday 24 January. With all the damaged trees in the area there may be some more debris coming down. Please watch MetService for updates and take care on the roads.
Tracks
With the long weekend coming up, we know many of you will be keen to get back out on our beautiful tracks. Most of our tracks haven’t been assessed for damage yet as we have been focused on restoring and maintaining essential services. With possible further damage from the winds on Saturday, we are advising that people stay off the tracks. Please be extremely cautious and check out mpdc.nz/trackstatus for what to expect and a few tips to help keep you safe. You can see track closures below.
Additional support
- Please contact our call center on 0800 746 467 for council-related urgent matters. For non-urgent issues please log them on the Antenno app. For emergencies please always call 111.
- Here To Help U can offer a wide range of support.
- Rural Support Trust.
- DairyNZ have also been putting out some great advice for our rural and farming communities on Facebook.
Please check this page for updates and have a great long weekend.
Road closures/hazards
- Mace Road - to be reassessed
- ✅ Armadale Road - west of bridge - now open
- ✅ Te Aroha-Gordon Road - now open
- ✅ Te Kawana Road - now open
- ✅ Wardville Road - between SH27 and Alexandra Road - now clear
- ✅ Campbell Street, Waihou - now open
- ✅ Rawhiti Road/SH26 - now open
- ✅ Ward Street, Waharoa - now open
- ✅ Centennial Drive, Matamata - now accessible
- Te Aroha footbridge closed
Green waste
Got green waste that came down in the storm? Our teams have been out and about clearing debris around the district. If you have further green waste that has come down you can drop it off at our Waihou and Matamata Refuse Transfer Stations (RTS) on the following days for no charge.
- Waihou RTS - Friday 23 and Sunday 25 January
- Matamata RTS - Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 January
Please note that the RTS are open from 10am-4pm and that this only applies to green waste brought in to the above RTS on the above days. Unfortunately we can not accept flax or cabbage trees. There may be some delays at the RTS so we appreciate your patience. For more information on our RTS please visit mpdc.nz/rts
Water
Te Aroha - thank you for reducing wastewater use
Te Aroha, thank you for reducing wastewater use. The wastewater treatment plant is now back on mains power and functioning normally.
✅ Waharoa - water has now been restored.
Power
We are aware that many properties in Manawaru, Waharoa, Waitoa, Matamata, Morrinsville, Tahuna and Te Aroha are without power. Please check the PowerCo outages webpage for updates.
Walking tracks and reserves
- ✅Tom Grant Drive - open but take care of fallen branches on the ground
- Firth Tower walkway - closed
- Tower Road walkway - closed
- ✅Centennial Drive - open but take care of fallen branches on the ground - large tree has been cordoned off for future removal
- Hauraki Rail Trail - 1km from Firth Tower towards Te Aroha closed
- ✅Neil Algar Reserve - now open
Check advice for heading out on our tracks here. We have not yet assessed damage on all of our tracks so we would recommend avoiding them at this time, and warning signage will not necessarily be in place.
Facilities
✅ Firth Tower Reserve and Musuem - now open as normal
✅ Te Aroha Library - power back on
✅ Swim Zone Te Aroha - power back on
✅ Te Aroha Mineral Spas - power back on
✅ Domain House Beauty - power back on
✅ Te Aroha Visitor Information Centre - open as normal
✅ Swim Zone Matamata - open as normal
✅ Swim Zone Morrinsville - open as normal
Refuse Transfer Stations
✅ Open for regular hours
Update - Thursday 22 January
Our district and surrounding districts were hit by strong winds and heavy rains on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. There is extensive damage across our district, mainly fallen trees and debris caused by the winds as well as some surface flooding. We continue to gather reports and head into recovery works today as it was not safe for many repairs to be made during the strong weather. There is a lot of work to be done and we are still advising people to avoid unnecessary travel.
We are also aware of ongoing power outages around the district. Please contact PowerCo for updates on your power.
Our teams will be prioritising and working through hazard spots over the coming days. Before putting through a report or giving us a call - please check the list of closures and hazards below to check whether we are aware of the issue and where it is sitting. We understand that it can be frustrating to see an issue go unresolved, especially if it is close to your home, but our teams will be working all over the district and will make their way to you if we are aware of the issue.
A huge thank you to our emergency services for their ongoing work and response support. Thank you for your patience and please continue to take care on the roads if you need to travel.
