This morning, at 9.04am, Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe lifted the State of Local Emergency for Whanganui District following heavy rain in the upper catchment over the early hours of Sunday.
Whanganui District is located on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand.
Our district is bounded by the Ruapehu District to the north, the Rangitikei District in the east, the Tasman Sea in the south, and the South Taranaki and Stratford District in the west.
The Whanganui River is New Zealand's longest navigable river, stretching for 290km from the slopes of Mount Tongariro to the Tasman Sea.
The Whanganui River Road runs through the Whanganui District which includes the small river settlements of Matahiwi, Ranana, Jerusalem and Pipiriki.
Most of Whanganui's population (48,700 and growing) lives in the central urban area at the mouth of the Whanganui River, but there are also rural communities spread around our district.
Please note: The population figures in the above links differ from the 2019 Stats NZ populate estimates, as they are based on different time periods
Since the mid-1800s there have been two different spellings in use for the name of our area.
An overview of Te Awa Tupua - Whanganui River Settlement