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Flood-damaged household items collection

Flood Damaged CollectionWhat’s happening?

As at 16 May 2023

We’ve now made our way around most of the worst affected areas in the district to collect flood-damaged household items for free. The initial collections aimed to assist residents with the removal of interior household items such as carpet, appliances, furniture, clothing and GIB.

Although we have completed majority of the flood-damaged household collections – we are still assessing requests that come through via the form below and are continuing to distribute FlexiBins to impacted residents.

FlexiBins are ideal for smaller volumes of waste and they do not need specialised machinery for collection.

Please note: Contractors will not be picking up deconstructed materials (such as timber, framing, steel, concrete etc.) from flood-damaged houses/buildings with the flood-damaged household items collection. Contractors will also not be collecting damaged items from commercial, farming, and horticultural activities. Residents with this sort of waste should contact their insurance company for advice on what to do with it.

Flood-damaged disposal guide

Our waste minimisation team has created a flood-damaged disposal guide for residential/lifestyle properties and small businesses looking to get rid of specific items as they clean up. The guide provides safe disposal options for things like paint, concrete, timber and chemicals.

View the flood-damaged disposal guide here 

What is a FlexiBin?

A FlexiBin is a tough, heavy duty, disposable bag that can be used instead of a skip bin. They are 3m3 so can still hold a skips worth of waste.

How can I order one?

If you think a FlexiBin would be suitable for flood-damaged waste on your property please fill out the form below and we'll organise delivery.

What do I do once it is full?

Once full you can organise collection via phone, on 0800 10 10 10 or online at here.

How do FlexiBins help speed up the process?

FlexiBins can be collected by any hiab truck. They are easy to pick up and multiple bags can be loaded onto one truck. It makes collecting flood-damaged waste a relatively quick process. Once you are ready for collection we aim to have someone there within 48 hours.

Tell us about your flood-damaged items

If you have flood-damaged items you would like collected, please fill in the form below, especially if:

  • You think you have missed collection in your area
  • You have flood-damaged items you would like collected
  • You want to share details about a property with limited/restricted access

*Please note that we will not enter houses to remove damaged items. Items need to be placed together outside the house or safely on the side of the road.

For more information about other cyclone-related waste, see the FAQs below the form.

Follow this link if the form fails to load. online form.

What do I need to do?

If you have had confirmation that your items will be collected and have given your insurance provider everything they need you can get things ready. Place your flood-damaged household items in a pile as close to the front of your property as possible, accessible by a truck. Keep items out of the gutter/drain so our stormwater systems are clear if we get more rain. We understand not everyone has a spot for their damaged items - if needed, we'll collect details from individuals to determine pick-up points.

Please keep silt in a separate pile. For information on silt collection click here.

If you haven’t been able to return to your home, or your items are piled on your property, please fill out the form with details so our team can plan for this.

Residents who have started, or are looking to start demolishing houses/buildings on their property should contact their insurer for advice on what steps to take. Residents who do not have insurance or are struggling to dispose of this material should contact a professional demolition company.

Getting ready for collection

What can be collected?

Flood-damaged household items including furniture, beds, carpet, curtains, clothing etc.

What can’t be collected?

Green waste, silt (refer to our silt collection FAQs), gas bottles, deconstructed materials (such as timber, framing, steel, concrete etc.), damaged items from commercial, farming, and horticultural activities (such as fencing posts, wire etc.). Residents with this sort of waste should contact their insurance company for advice on what to do with it.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council have some information on dealing with waste from Cyclone Gabrielle here.

Flood Damaged Waste FAQs

We are aiming to get to all areas impacted by the flood. Each area has different needs, so there may be slightly different approaches depending on access, as well as the volume and type of rubbish. 

Please use the form above to share your details so we can factor it into our planning for any additional visits to your area.

If you can’t place items roadside, place them outside of your house, as close to the road as possible for easy access. You can use the form above to let us know where your items are placed and we will let our contractors know. Please note, we won’t enter houses to collect items.

If you have a kerbside collection we recommend putting these in your wheelie bin, or in orange Council bags and taking them to Henderson Road (fees apply).

You can let us know via this form above, and we will inform crews of the location of the waste.

No, just use the above form to register your details and circumstances.

We will collect flood-damaged household items, including furniture, beds, carpet, curtains, clothing etc.

Please note contractors WILL NOT be collecting COMMERCIAL WASTE (including agricultural and horticultural waste) or BUILDING DEMOLITION WASTE (such as timber, framing, steel, concrete etc).  Businesses and residents with this sort of waste should contact their insurance provider for advice in the first instance.

We won’t collect silt, spoiled food, green waste or gas bottles.

Contractors will not be collecting commercial waste (including agricultural and horticultural waste) or building demolition waste (such as timber, framing, steel, concrete etc).  Businesses and residents with this sort of waste should contact their insurance provider for advice in the first instance.

We will collect all household items that have been damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle.

We don’t have a set timeframe for collection yet – we are still working to understand the volume of waste and our communities’ various needs.

To advise an address for rural or residential silt collection please call 0800 108 838 and press '2' for cyclone-related waste collections. You will be asked a few questions to enable our collection teams to select the right collection and disposal options. The free collection only applies to silt that has been gathered and put into piles on your property ready for disposal. We will collect silt, but as part of the service will not gather and pile it up on private property.

Please do not put silt on the verge outside your property. The large amount of silt being moved onto roadsides from private properties is entering drains and gutters, which increases the risk of flooding even in mild to moderate rain event. Please place your silt in a pile as close to the front of your property as possible, accessible by truck. If you have a small property which makes this difficult please advise the 0800 team when you call to arrange collection.

For a full list of FAQs related to silt collection, click here.

You can drop your green waste at Henderson Road Transfer Station, standard fees apply. The transfer station is open from 7.45am to 4.30pm, Monday to Saturday and 9.45am to 4.30pm on Sunday. Expect long queues.  Fees apply to dispose of general waste and green waste.

Where access allows, rural recycling sites are open for rural communities. If the green bins are getting full, let us know by phoning 06 871 5000 and we will service the site within 48 hours. Please note, the Tūtira rural recycling site is not open as it is still inaccessible.

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