Recovery efforts will take time across Horizons Region

With the region formally moving into the recovery phase post Cyclone Gabrielle, Horizons Regional Council remains focussed on assessing flood infrastructure and supporting recovery efforts.

When an event occurs the immediate short-term actions undertaken to keep people and property safe is considered the response. This phase then transitions into recovery which puts in place longer-term arrangements for what’s required to get communities back on their feet.
 
Horizons group recovery manager Dr Jon Roygard says Cyclone Gabrielle was a broad scale event.
 
“While the brunt of the event was felt in the Tararua District, places on the Pohangina, Ōroua, Rangitīkei and Manawatū rivers also received damage – in some cases adding to damage that occurred in other events in the last year,” he says.
 
“We know that there will be people who have damage to flood protection on their properties that want to hear from us and have their issue resolved. We are working as quickly as we can to get around everyone and provide information about next steps.
 
“Over the course of the last few weeks we have undertaken both aerial and ground checks of our flood protection assets. Overall our system has remained intact, but there are dozens of sites that will require repairs and we have noted places where there is silt, gravel and debris build up.
 
“We are prioritising repairs and debris removal and will reschedule our planned river management works this year to allow for that. It’s also likely that this event will impact our work programmes for a few years.
 
“This past and coming week we are been focussing on visiting properties in the upper Pohangina/Ōroua catchment where water heights were similar to 2004 and flooded low-lying land. We’re also continuing to clear debris from key sites in the Tararua District.”
 
Dr Roygard says with the national state of emergency ending for Tararua , Tararua District Council have also formally moved into recovery.
“Through their recovery efforts Tararua District Council are engaging with their communities to access ongoing needs and next steps. Horizons will continue to support those efforts, both in the Tararua and other parts of the region.”
 
Reports of flood damage to river infrastructure can be sent to RMenquiries@horizons.govt.nz.