Wairoa flood review findings released
A review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has found the flood was caused by a combination of factors leading to the river backing up and overflowing.
Minister for Emergency Management Mark Mitchell says the Mayoral Fund has been triggered, activating $300,000 for regional recovery after severe weather hit the East Coast this week.
$100,000 each will be given to the Wairoa, Gisborne and Hastings District Councils as part of the initial response.
Speaking from the Haumoana Fire Station, Mitchell acknowledged the work of Mayors and first responders in the East Coast region.
“They have responded quickly, they have stood up the teams… the police evacuated over 200 homes last night here in Haumoana.”
While Mitchell says he hasn’t yet seen the state the storm has left Wairoa in, he understands that the community south of the Wairoa bridge have been hard this time. This is largely due to 6m swells.
“Once I’m on the ground, I’ll be able to get around and visualize and see exactly what the damage is but the reports are they’ve definitely got damage there,” he says.
“It’s pretty catastrophic for them, they continue to get hit so getting up there is my priority.”
Meanwhile, Hawke’s Bay Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst says she wants to acknowledge the community and those who stood up the emergency hub as part of the community civil defence response.
“It’s fair to say they’ve done an amazing job and [I’m] incredibly grateful to everyone’s support,” Hazlehurst says.
Many farmers around the country are taking advantage of the high dairy payout to get maximum production out of their cows.
In 2015, the signing of a joint venture between St Peter's School, Cambridge, and Lincoln University saw the start of an exciting new chapter for Owl Farm as the first demonstration dairy farm in the North Island. Ten years on, the joint venture is still going strong.
Sheep milk processor Maui Milk is on track to record average ewe production of 500 litres by 2030, says outgoing chief executive Greg Hamill.
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton is calling for cross-party consensus on the country's overarching environmental goals.
Changes to New Zealand’s postal service has left rural communities disappointed.
A $10 milk price remains on the cards for this season despite recent softening of global dairy prices.
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