Selwyn ends State of Emergency as Weather Improves

May 5, 2025

Share to Google Classroom

Selwyn District has officially ended its state of emergency after days of heavy rain and strong winds caused flooding and damage across parts of New Zealand. However, Christchurch and the nearby Banks Peninsula remain under emergency conditions as recovery efforts continue.

The wild weather hit on Thursday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to many parts of the country. In Wellington, winds have calmed, and flights have restarted at the airport, but Cook Strait ferry services are still cancelled until Saturday. About 300 homes in Wellington are still without power.

In Canterbury, including Selwyn and Banks Peninsula, flooding damaged roads and homes. Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell visited affected areas by helicopter and said help will be provided to those hit hardest.

Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton said the decision to lift the emergency order was made because of improving weather, though some residents still face flooding on their properties. Civil Defence will continue to assist anyone in need.

Meanwhile, a heavy rain warning for Wairarapa has been lifted, but big waves are expected in Wellington until Friday evening.

To help prevent future accidents during floods, Civil Defence is launching a new safety campaign called Get The Flood Out (GTFO). Officials say flooding is the most common and damaging natural hazard in New Zealand, and they are urging people not to enter floodwaters.

Article written by Milli Banbury

This article was written using AI as an assistive tool for research and writing.

Learning Options

Recall Questions

Thinking questions

Digital Thinking

Learning Options

Recall Questions

Thinking questions

Digital Thinking

At a local reserve near Rotorua, a group of Year 8 students helped with a native planting project. Before the project began, the area was dry and muddy, with only a few struggling grasses left beside the stream. Over several weekends, volunteers planted more than 300 young kānuka, mānuka, and carex plants. They also laid mulch to hold moisture in the soil and placed protective guards around each plant so rabbits would not eat the leaves.

After three months, the students noticed that insects had started returning to the reserve. Small birds were feeding in the new shrubs, and the stream edge looked less bare. The group recorded the growth of the plants and compared it with earlier photos. Their teacher said the project showed how careful work can slowly improve a damaged place.

What is the main idea of this passage?

The students learned how to identify insects living near a stream. The students and volunteers worked to restore a damaged reserve with native planting. The reserve was always full of healthy native plants and birds. Rabbits caused the greatest problem for the students during weekends.