Snow is now also falling in the wet and wild south as motorists are urged to take extreme caution and only travel if necessary.
Mayor Glyn Lewers made the declaration at 6.33am today. It will initially last for seven days.
It follows a state of emergency being declared across Southland yesterday as the region was battered by severe weather.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said it had been a tough night for many in the lower South Island and he encouraged people to follow the guidance of their local emergency management teams.
He said the Government was on standby to provide support required if needed - and he might head south but it “depends on the need”.
Queenstown recorded 87mm of rain from 9am yesterday until 9am today, equivalent to a month's rain in a day, the wettest day in 24 years, Niwa said.
Up to 20 homes were evacuated after debris flowed down Brecon St towards the town centre.
The affected areas will be be assessed by a geotechnical engineer supported by a drone operator to get a clearer understanding of the extent of the damage, the Queenstown Lakes District Council said in a statement.
An initial clean-up operation is already under way for Isle Street, Robins Road, Duke Street, Shotover Street and Camp Street. Emergency services, Alliance, Downer and Skyline staff are all assisting.
Businesses in Queenstown are open unless they are inside the listed affected areas. The town centre is open and accessible with safety signage in place.
Mr Lewers said forestry slash was responsible for the damage that had led to the state of emergency being declared.
Queenstown councillor Matt Wong spoke of the “mess” on Queenstown’s Brecon St, where footage captured slash debris washing through and blocking roads.
”It looks like it happened about midnight, there was significant flooding that really brought the debris in through the township,” he told The Hits Southern Lakes Breakfast.
”As you look from town, you can see where the slips started from - a little creek there that’s turned into quite a significant slip.”
A nearby cemetery appeared to have taken a good brunt of the slip, Wong said, with logs and slash scattered through the site.
”I’ve never seen it like this in all my life - there’s going to be some difficult questions asked.”
Power was still on and the debris flow was well away from the water treatment plant.
Mr Lewers said schools around the CBD would be closed today and the centrally-located medical centre was not able to be accessed at the moment.
He said the rain set in at midnight and intensified in the early hours. It had since eased but was still falling.
Multiple roads were now closed throughout the Queenstown town centre and around the district.
Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty told reporters the Government was prepared to assist Queenstown if needed.
“At this point, we haven’t had a request through,” he said.
“This is just something on top of that, that is just going to make it incredibly difficult for those that live there and those that are visiting.”
He was alluding to an outbreak of cryptosporidium and confirmation Queenstown’s main water supply had no filter protecting it from the protozoan parasite.
Locals and tourists could face months of having to boil water until treatment plants are upgraded with barriers against cryptosporidium, the mayor has said.
Southland state of emergency
Southland also remains in a region-wide state of emergency.
The water treatment plant at Tuatapere stopped working last night due to floodwaters but was up and running around 8.50am this morning.
SH1 from Gore to Mataura remained closed and up to 10 local roads were closed.
Community emergency hubs were available today at the Croydon Lodge, in Gore, and Mataura Community Centre.
Flood warnings and high river watches continue to be in place across Southland.
The Mataura River at Gore and Mataura township was yet to peak, but the stop banks were expected to cope.
Emergency Management Southland group controller Simon Mapp said people should avoid flood waters and travelling on affected roads.
“People need to avoid travelling on roads that are closed or obviously flooded to avoid getting stuck. Extreme caution is essential. People should also avoid contact with flood waters as they could be contaminated with sewage or other waste.” Simon Mapp said.
Residents of Thornbury were cut off after the Aparima River overflowed.
People were urged avoid contact with the flood water as wastewater and stormwater systems towns struggled to cope with the volume of water. Staying at home and off the roads was also advised.
Police rescued two people from a car stuck in floodwater on the Gore-Mataura highway, between Jubilee Ave and Given Rd.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand said last night the council had had dozens of callouts to surface flooding on roads, flooded houses and garages and blocked drains in Invercargill, Gore, Winton, Mataura and surrounding areas.
Central Otago roads
Caution has been advised on the roads with surface flooding and debris to be expected.
State Highway 6 from Luggate to Pisa Moorings open but there is surface water in many places.
Swann Road remains closed, as crews need to work on reinstating the road surface.
It’s snowing and starting to settle in and around Naseby and Oturehua areas, crews are out ploughing and gritting.
The Nevis Road is closed because of flooding at bridge No 6, and Danseys Pass Rd is closed owing to snow and ice.
