Flooding throughout the Rabbit Island reserve is expected to remain for weeks and the public is now being reminded that it is potentially contaminated.
Barbeque and picnic areas behind the beach are all inundated with water that cannot drain away, similar to what happened in September 2022.
Tasman District Council reserves officer, Steve Richards, says test results on water quality are not back yet, but it will probably be similar to 2022 when the e-coli levels were high, but dropped quickly.
Only one road leading to the front beach is open and he says it has ponded water over it, so caution is required, especially for lower vehicles. The entire reserve is still open for pedestrians and cyclists.
“The water essentially needs to evaporate away due to the supercharged nature of the water table and this could take four to five weeks, depending on the weather.”
Because water left behind after floods or heavy rain is potentially contaminated, he says contact should be avoided.
