Wednesday, 25 September 2024 07:55

Seeking apology

Written by  Peter Burke
Wairoa Mayor Craig Little. Wairoa Mayor Craig Little.

The small east coast township of Wairoa is still waiting for an apology from the Hawke's Bay Regional Council (HBRC) following the devastating floods which hit the town in June and damaged hundreds of houses.

While the damage was mainly in the town, the floods also affected services to the large farming hinterland.

The people of Wairoa have blamed inaction by HBRC for the disaster and feelings against the regional council are still running high in the township.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little told Rural News that people in the town still don't feel the council is listening to them.

He says HBRC haven't admitted they have done anything wrong and therein lies the problem.

"When you have done something wrong you have to acknowledge that and then talk to the people you have really hurt and who are suffering - and they haven't done that yet.

"So, they must start looking at themselves and start dealing fairly and honestly with the people in our community and they haven't done that," he says.


 Read More


Little's comments follow the release of an independent report by former Police Commissioner Mike Bush about what happened during the floods.

He says the town was already grieving the damage wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle and adds that the somewhat sinister river mouth looms over the town.

 

 

More like this

Iwi eyes hort for progress

A post settlement treaty organisation in Wairoa is banking on horticulture to boost employment and income for its people.

Farmer woes

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little says things are still not back to normal for farmers in his district and they are still suffering from problems caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.

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.

Featured

Ready to walk the talk

DairyNZ's Kirsty Verhoek ‘walks the talk’, balancing her interests in animal welfare, agricultural science and innovative dairy farming.

Dairy earnings bounce back

"We at Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and you at Dairy News said over six months ago that the dairy industry would bounce back, and it has done so with interest.”

$10 milk price still on

Whole milk powder prices on Global Dairy Trade (GDT) remains above long run averages and a $10/kgMS milk price for the season remains on the card, says ASB senior economist Chris Tennent-Brown.

National

New insights into rural fire risk

New student research from the University of Canterbury in partnership with Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) could improve knowledge…

Embrace mechanical weeding now

Mechanical weeding is exploding in Europe because increasing resistance means they have "run out of herbicide", says Canterbury agronomist Charles…

China still a good option

The ongoing rise of the Chinese middle class will drag up demand for New Zealand products there in the future.

UAE FTA signed

New Zealand’s free trade deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has now been signed.

Machinery & Products

Batten Buddy - cleverly simple

Stopping livestock from escaping their environment is a “must do” for any farmers or landowners and at times can seem…

U10 Pro Highland a step up

A few weeks after driving the CF MOTO U10 Pro ‘entry level’ model, we’ve had a chance to test the…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Drunk on power!

OPINION: The end-of-year booze-up at the posh Northern Club in Auckland must have been a beauty, as the legal 'elite'…

Time has come?

OPINION: It divides opinion, but the House has passed the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill.

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter