Hastings Mayor, Sandra Hazlehurst. Photo / Supplied
Just over two months after the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle, we remain grateful to our communities who continue to provide safe spaces, share resources and expertise and provide events to uplift spirits for our communities.
I have loved being out there seeing people giving free haircuts at Puketapu, the community
barbecues, sharing information and the Lions Club giving out supplies and books. It’s amazing to see everyone working together.
We cannot thank those behind this mahi enough. Reaching those in badly impacted areas remains a challenge – we encourage those wanting information to sign up for our database or reach out to our customer service team.
The highlight over the past few weeks for me has been the opening of two temporary bridges (Dartmoor and Rissington) and the low-level crossing at Ellis-Wallace Rd, where the design and construction of a Bailey Bridge is under way, expected to be completed at the end of May.
Our silt task force has made huge progress, with hardworking contractors having collected about 145,000 cubic metres of silt to date, averaging around 850 truck movements a day. They are also collecting flood-damaged goods as they go.
