Hawke’s Bay’s five councils have appointed former Attorney-General and Cabinet Minister Chris Finlayson to lead their negotiating team for discussions with the Government on the Cyclone Gabrielle recovery package.
Finlayson, KC, will be the lead negotiator working closely with the chief executives of Central Hawke’s Bay District Council, Wairoa District Council, Napier City Council, Hastings District Council and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, and with the Hawke’s Bay Regional Recovery Agency.
Cyclone Gabrielle caused enormous damage in Hawke’s Bay, as well as Gisborne and the East Coast, and in parts of Auckland. While the infrastructure needs remain enormous and costly, much of the immediate need relates to domestic properties where families and individuals are looking for certainty and decisions on the way forward in terms of land categorisation.
The goal is to achieve an agreement that enables whānau and communities to stand back up on their feet, determines the key features of a voluntary buy-out scheme proposed for Category 3 properties, and contributes to the rebuilding and extending of infrastructure so it is fit for purpose. A key part of the negotiations will be the relative share of the costs of the recovery package.
