The establishment of a worksite at Bluecliffs will begin today (12 Feb) as Emergency Management Southland (EMS), Environment Southland (ES) and the Southland District Council (SDC) prepare to open the Waiau River mouth bar to the sea, as early as this week.

A local state of emergency was declared at the western Southland hamlet last week (8 Feb), after heavy rain and sea swells saw up to 10 metres of land lost to the sea as well as threatening houses and a landfill.

An ES spokesperson said up until now the situation hadn't met the Resource Management Act (RMA) criteria to allow work to take place.

However last week's significant event meant work could now proceed under the Civil Defence Act, but a retrospective RMA consent would still be required.

They also said it looked like there may be a window [to open the bar] - taking into account tides and sea swells - this week.

EMS however said it is unknown how well the opening would work or how much time this might provide to residents.

The highly complex and potentially dangerous operation hinges on not only getting the timing right with sea swells and tides, but also managing the flow of the Lower Waiau River.

While Meridian Energy controls part of the Lower Waiau River's flow, from it's Mararoa Weir control gate, other uncontrolled downstream tributaries also contribute to the river's flow.

Water from Lake Manapouri flows through Meridian's Mararoa Weir as it enters the Lower Waiau River.

Meridian Energy General Manager Development, Guy Waipara said they were working to support the SDC and ES in finding a solution.

While the hydro generator is currently pushing as much water as possible through the station, it is limited in its capacity while 3 of its 7 generators remain out of action for critical maintainence and repairs.

EMS also said the health and safety of those involved in the opening was being carefully considered.

Last week SDC building inspectors checked resident properties and confirmed homes and structures were currently safe, and also noted there were no issues with wastewater or land slumping at this stage.

An old community tip in the area currently has a 15 to 20-metre buffer between the sea foreshore and its remaining rubbish, after the site was partially cleared by SDC contractors in September 2023.

Work on the remaining rubblish only stopped after the potential of explosives was identified.

While EMS said no rubbish identified to date was considered to have any potential environmental harm, SDC and it's contractors were now urgently developing a new plan on how to deal with the remainder of the fly tip.

There will be restricting public access to the boat ramp at Fishing Camp Road and some roads in the area while work is in process.