Cabinet to consider relief package after floods leave two dead

By HELEN TUNNAH

The Cabinet will today consider a relief package for the Bay of Plenty region ravaged by what Civil Defence Minister George Hawkins called a "one in 100 years flood".

He reported to Prime Minister Helen Clark last night on the extent of the damage, including the flooded towns of Edgecumbe and Whakatane, and will return to the region after this morning's Cabinet meeting.

The floods were followed by a series of earthquakes and two people were killed.

"What I've seen is devastating for those people affected," he said. "It's going to break many people's hearts when they get back to their homes."

Stung by criticism it reacted too slowly to February's floods which struck the Manawatu and Rangitikei regions, the Government yesterday acted swiftly to ensure Mr Hawkins and local MPs were on the ground in the Bay of Plenty.

Mr Hawkins said it was too soon to say how much financial help the Government would give to the region.

The Manawatu floods package reached $130 million, but Mr Hawkins said the geographical area affected by the February storms was greater.

Police and Defence Force soldiers were to patrol affected towns overnight, and ensure empty homes were secure.

Extra police and more soldiers were being sent to the area.

"In places like Te Teko, everyone's been evacuated. The whole of the rural land has had water through it. Whakatane's pretty bad," Mr Hawkins said.

"There's a lot of water through people's places, and for them it's quite devastating. There's a shortage of drinking water."

Mr Hawkins said there had been no estimate yet of stock losses or the overall cost of the damage.

"At the moment, they're getting through the emergency. It's the recovery stage that Government has set formula that we use.

"We always make sure we look after these people."

Repair bills would be shared by central and local government, roading bodies such as Transit New Zealand and insurance companies where councils had infrastructure cover.

"I don't want to say certain figures because I want to talk to my colleagues first.

"All we're worried about is getting through the emergency."

The Bay of Plenty MP, National's Tony Ryall, said the floods were devastating, and anecdotal evidence suggested there was very severe damage to both local and state highway roading networks.

"There's a very cruel combination of surface flooding and rising rivers."