Gabrielle response assessed by Chief Ombudsman

REPORTING ON THE RESPONSE: Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier in Gisborne earlier this year as part of his research into a new report on the response to Cyclone Gabrielle. File photo by Paul Rickard

Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has just published an ‘insights and observations’ report following his visits to regions and communities worst affected by the series of extreme weather events that ravaged the North Island at the start of this year. The Herald’s Andrew Ashton reports.

Too much reliance on digital communications and a lack of trust between isolated communities and local authorities have been highlighted in a new report about the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle, which devastated parts of Wairoa and Tairāwhiti.

Just weeks after The Gisborne Herald reported on official documents that showed paging systems that use 1960s technology were the only communications devices to maintain constant contact with the outside world in the immediate wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, New Zealand’s Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier this week published a report detailing similar findings.

“Some of the communities I visited told me they quickly realised they would need to be self-sufficient, not just for a few days, but in some cases for weeks and months.

“Groups from the East Coast, Northland, Coromandel and Auckland’s west coast communities said that, from past experience, they knew they must rely on themselves. But even in larger towns and cities, some people shared how they felt a lack of presence and leadership from local and central government and, consequently, made their own decisions about steps forward.

“Thankfully, New Zealand has great strength in our whanaungatanga (family connection), our can-do attitude, our willingness to pitch in and help our friends and whānau (family), and to get on with it when times are tough.”

The Ombusdman’s report includes an account from Tokomaru Bay resident Horiata Raihania, who highlights that fact.

“The North Island links we usually call on to bring in support were affected. So the help wasn’t coming because they were in a state of emergency as well. Auckland was in a state of emergency, Coromandel, Hawke’s Bay and there’s all our arterial routes to supply our regions. They were all in crisis as well. So it came back to us to support ourselves,” she said.

In that instance locals were able to band together using all-terrain vehicles to get supplies through.

Mr Boshier said Horiata attributed the preparations made by Ngāti Porou during the earlier Covid-19 pandemic for putting a network of the right people in place.

He says that system was later adapted by Civil Defence.

“In several communities I was told that alerts about the severity of the weather and cyclones were not communicated quickly enough to enable people to sufficiently prepare, or to evacuate soon enough to avoid harm and loss of property,” Mr Boshier said.

“For some communities, this was life-threatening and for others, traumatic. I also heard how seldom some councils ran community hui (meetings) to update locals on recovery efforts, and share vital information.

“Disabled communities, older New Zealanders, and non-English speaking communities were particularly at risk due to communication gaps. I heard how some members of these groups were made vulnerable due to the digital divide.

“A reliance on websites and digital information presents challenges for many people. Plain English and alternative formats of publications, information sheets and web pages are also not always available or can be delayed, which puts people at risk as they do not get vital emergency-related information at the right time.

“Service organisations told me of several cases where disabled and older people did not know what was happening, were unable to leave their homes, and were left to fend for themselves.

“I also heard of members of different ethnic communities not knowing what was going on, where to go, or how to access services and support.

“Concerns about timely and transparent communication were also raised with me in respect of the recovery phase. As people and communities try to move forward, I heard about the struggle to get information from local and central government, with phone numbers, web pages and information being hard to locate.

“People also spoke about the uncertainty as they waited for information about the condition and status of their properties and businesses, whether they could return to their homes; or if and when they will receive compensation. People told me how a lack of timely communication and transparency of process seems to be exacerbating community stress and impacting trust in local and central government.”

Speaking to the Gisborne Herald, Mr Boshier said he made two visits to Gisborne and the East Coast as part of the report.

“The people in Gisborne and the East Coast were very clear about what they saw as working and what they saw as not working.”

The first issue was communication so people knew what was happening.

“That wasn’t happening on the East Coast and it wasn’t helping until Ngāti Porou got in some Starlinks that many began to understand what had actually happened. So, we need better communication infrastructure.”

He said meetings in Tolaga Bay and Ruatōria had shown people felt that accessing help was just too fraught, with people not sure where to go for help and information.

A third point he wanted to make was that the East Coast would benefit from a greater devolution of responsibility to communities “who know what’s best and know what’s needed”.

“During Covid there was a high-trust model. The Government then, was making big decisions on all sorts of things, including expenditure, on a very high-trust model. Here, it didn’t seem to be so.

“Whereas in Covid and the Christchurch earthquakes it was all led by central government, here the decision was made that it would be jointly led by local councils and central government. I think that led to a certain amount of clumsiness.”

The Chief Ombudsman said there was still work to do to make sure the country had a resilient and robust emergency management system as extreme weather increased in frequency and severity.

His first-hand look has given him a deep understanding of the complex challenges the country is facing and that New Zealand must maintain, with urgency, the momentum around preparing for future events.

“We know bad weather will become more frequent and severe. This will be an increasing part of our reality. Now is the time to look at our model for how New Zealand prepares for and copes with disaster.

“My report lays out the voices of the people who suffered during the devastating storms. It highlights where things didn’t work so well and also outlines where New Zealand got it right. One of those areas is the devolution of tasks and roles at a local level.

“I saw, myself, the huge benefits of this model and how it worked for many communities, especially iwi. People and communities at a local level know how to work quickly and how best to target the resources they have. They know what works for them in times of crisis and disaster. We need to factor this prominently into future responses.

“New Zealand cannot prevent storms from raging, but we can make sure we have the right systems and people in place to be as prepared as possible for both when disaster strikes and during the recovery.”

Mr Boshier said his report identified a number of issues and areas for improvement. Clear, timely and accessible communications from central and local government agencies were fundamental to an effective response in times of such stress and uncertainty.

“Isolation was incredibly difficult for people, especially in communities that were cut off for weeks or were hard tomreach. Some felt abandoned. People are concerned about land categorisations, buy-backs, and insurance. The importance of clear and easily accessible disputes resolution processes was evident.

“Councils and central government agencies were also experiencing frustrations of their own. Many told me how thinly spread they were during and after the storms and some were also personally affected by the devastation.

“I want to acknowledge the commitment of those involved in the response and recovery efforts. I saw that everyone wants to do the right thing.”

Mr Boshier said he has already received around 80 complaints and expects many more in around 12-18 months after the storms and floods first hit.

“The reasons why people are unhappy vary. But many complaints are about decisions on requests for official information. Transparency, accountability and openness are vitally important in a time of crisis. People need to know what is happening so they can make decisions about their lives.

“My work after the Canterbury earthquakes, the Covid-19 pandemic

and local flooding events means I am very familiar with the types of complaints that can arise in the aftermath of natural disasters and other significant events.

“My office will continue to play an important and independent role. We will stay in touch with government agencies involved in this work and we will provide support and advice. I will also stay connected with iwi and community organisations so I can keep learning about people’s concerns.

“I want to reassure people who think they have been treated unfairly while they are trying to rebuild their lives, that their complaints will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated if required. Where I find there has been unfairness I am always prepared to make recommendations to prevent the same thing from happening again.”

Mr Boshier says his report does not contain recommendations, as it is not the result of a formal investigation.

“But I share people’s concerns, and by highlighting them, I hope this report will provide the new government, councils and other organisations with some valuable insights in terms of both managing the recovery effort this time around and preparing for the next event.”

Mr Boshier said while there were no official recommendations included in the report, that was because the report was slightly different to the usual investigative reports the Ombudsman complied and aimed to raise issues and concerns.

“It’s actually really significant for Gisborne. In April, we set off to head our first meeting there, where we began to realise that people wanted to be heard and share their experience.

“What we then did, was a series of

visits right up to Ruatōria and Te Karaka and I felt that just listening to people, recording and noting their concerns wasn’t enough. I wanted to capture it and put it into themes, so that we could capture it

for the future, and that’s what we’ve

done.”