Thames-Coromandel District Council have moved their response to Cyclone Gabrielle into a clean up and recovery mode on Wednesday morning.

'Our Civil Defence Team remains at full strength today as they continue to deal with the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle,” says a council spokesperson.

'At this morning's briefing our Civil Defence Controller highlighted restoring power to Tairua and Pāuanui, people's welfare needs, and roads, as the key focus for today.”

The council says their local roading contractors are working hard to clear slips and debris from roads, 'but more slips are happening all the time”.

Waka Kotahi contractor Higgins is working on clearing State Highway 25 on the Thames Coast for essential commercial vehicles.

'Please don't head out on the roads just to have a look as this can hinder clearance crews and trucks from being able to do their work unimpeded,” says a council spokesperson.

'Our entire roading network is still very fragile, slips are continuing to come down all the time and most roads remain closed or under traffic control,” says Civil Defence Controller Gary Towler.

'Please do not venture out for a sightseeing roadie, you will not get far.

'Please take care if you are out for a walk along the beaches and waterways, the coastline is still getting a battering from huge seas,” says Gary.

The Defence Force is assisting Fire and Emergency NZ and their Urban Search and Rescue team to check for hazards and map any land instability.

'Multiple power outages across our district are a major problem, but we are working with Powerco and other partner agencies to ensure power is restored to Tairua and Pāuanui as a matter of urgency,” says Gary.

'Right now, we have generators in place at our water treatment plants there, and water levels in reservoirs and water pressure in the community will improve over the day.

'We will ensure all possible resourcing is provided to Powerco to get power back to Tairua and Pāuanui urgently, Waka Kotahi are also on board going to extra lengths to get access to both communities,” says Gary.

The Thames-Coromandel District Council Welfare team is distributing kai packs to isolated communities with the help of emergency services who are able to deliver safely to support food banks.

'With several people throughout the Coromandel still displaced by the cyclone, our Welfare Team is ensuring accommodation, food and wider needs are being met. This may be an ongoing task for the team well into next week,” says Gary.

Anyone needing welfare assistance is asked to please contact ‘Here to Help U' at Heretohelpu.nz online or at 0800 568 273.

A web page with the latest information about Thames Coromandel District Council services, storm response facilities, and other need-to-know news is available at tcdc.govt.nz/response, and important updates will be posted across the council's social media platform.

Report issues on roads and reserves

• Local roads, Council facilities, parks and reserves: report issues to Council at tcdc.govt.nz/rfs or call (07) 868 0200.
• State Highways: report issues to Waka Kotahi at 0800 4 HIGHWAYS.