Nelson-Tasman floods and recovery 2025

The story so far

Heavy rain in late June flooded hundreds of homes and farmland in Nelson-Tasman, with the Motueka River bursting its banks and a state of emergency declared.^{29 Jun 2025; 2, 12 Jul 2025} Authorities assessed about 650 properties, and the flooding was described as the worst in almost 150 years.^{5, 6 Jul 2025} After further heavy rain, Tasman's mayor declared a pre-emptive state of emergency on 9 July, the second in three weeks.^{10, 11 Jul 2025}

What's next

The new weather radar for the region will be installed through a variation to the existing MetService contract.^{19 Jul 2025}

Key moments

1. 28 Jun 2025A person died after being hit by a tree while clearing flood damage in Wai-iti.
2. 6 Jul 2025Civil Defence describes flooding as the worst in almost 150 years.
3. 10 Jul 2025Tasman Mayor Tim King declares a pre-emptive state of emergency for the region.
4. 11 Jul 2025A red heavy rain warning is issued for parts of Tasman, including Motueka.
5. 12 Jul 2025Residents sandbag and evacuate as water levels rise during new heavy rain.
6. 14 Jul 2025More than 800 properties assessed and 51 road closures, including State Highway 6.
7. 14 Jul 2025Prime Minister says government cannot continue bailing out flooded homeowners.
8. 16 Jul 2025Council says most of its annual budget is spent; clean-up estimated at $20-25 million.
9. 19 Jul 2025Government approves a new weather radar for Nelson Tasman, costing up to $5 million.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.