Government appoints Crown manager Lawrence Yule to oversee the prevention of Wairoa flooding events

Flooding on State Highway 2 near Wairoa at Turiroa. Photo / Ann Revington

Fomer Hastings mayor and National MP Lawrence Yule has been appointed as a Crown manager to help Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and Wairoa District Council stop future flooding in Wairoa.

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown announced Yule’s appointment on Saturday, saying the councils would have to co-operate and comply with his directions and “work effectively together” to mitigate the kind of “disastrous flooding” seen in the town during Cyclone Gabrielle and in June.

Brown said the appointment would give the community “more confidence” that flood protection work would be effective.

”I am pleased to appoint Mr Yule, whose extensive governance experience and ability to manage strong relationships with ministers, members of Parliament and local government will be invaluable to progressing the delivery of flood protection planned for Wairoa.”

The role would focus on getting the right systems in place to deliver a flood management catchment plan and flood protection works.

Yule would look at identifying suitable solutions, community engagement and implementation.

”Recent events have highlighted the vulnerability of the Wairoa township to future flood damage. There is an increasingly urgent need to progress these protection efforts. The Crown manager’s role will be crucial to make this happen,” Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell says.

“Wairoa has experienced two severe weather events in the last couple of years. Being [chairman] of Wairoa’s Flood Protection Stakeholder Group, Mr Yule understands the weather-related challenges the township is facing.

“The Government is delivering on its commitment to support this community by increasing its flood resilience. Failure to act is not an option.”

Yule will begin serving in the role on on August 15. The term of the role is one and a half years until February 13 2026.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council said they welcomed the appointment of Yule.

Regional council chairwoman Hinewai Ormsby said they were glad to have Yule’s expertise on board to ensure the effective use of Crown and local funding in a timely manner and to progress flood mitigations solutions faster for Wairoa.

“The Crown is a critical partner for the project, not just as funder, but also to help with the complex decisions ahead.

“I conveyed the importance of the Crown’s involvement to ministers in recent weeks. Mr Yule is well-connected in the region and, like us, well-aware of the critical need for the right solution for the people of Wairoa. We are encouraged by his appointment by minister Brown.

“Good progress has been made on flood mitigation options for Wairoa but there is more still to do. Significant technical work has been developed under the tripartite agreement between [Hawke’s Bay] Regional Council, Wairoa District Council and Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa, and a Wairoa stakeholder group has reviewed flood mitigation options.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the Wairoa community around solutions to reduce the risk of future flooding. Our changing climate means these mitigations are critically important and need to be done with urgency.”