Council officials were booed when they were unable to tell residents when they might be allowed back to their homes. Photo / RNZ, Felix Walton
Council officials were booed when they were unable to tell residents when they might be allowed back to their homes. Photo / RNZ, Felix Walton
Auckland’s emergency authorities have declined to meet with Muriwai residents because they can’t answer locals’ questions about the recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle.
In a community newsletter released yesterday, Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) said they understood residents wanted to meet again after a meeting last Thursday.
But the newsletter said another meeting “will not be a good use of [residents’] time, or give [them] answers to [their] questions”.
AEM’s deputy recovery manager Mace Ward told the Herald Muriwai residents didn’t want to meet with the civil defence group unless it provided answers to their questions.
Hundreds of residents of the cyclone-hit Auckland suburb of Muriwai packed into the local golf club to meet with council staff. Photo: RNZ / Felix Walton
“During conversations with the local community, including at the last community meeting, Muriwai residents made it clear to us that they only want to meet with us when we have a robust update to give,” Ward said.
“Under careful consideration, we acknowledged that the level of information we currently hold wouldn’t enable us to answer many of the specific questions that individual property owners have,” he said.
“It is for this reason alone that we decided that it would not be a good use of residents’ time for us to hold another meeting this week.”
Ward said residents had been told of the decision and had received a “largely positive” response.
“We remain committed to keeping residents informed. A written update was sent to them yesterday afternoon, with further direct communications planned for today.”
The most common question was when residents could return home.
“We’re working on it urgently. We will allow managed temporary access as soon as it we’re confident it is not dangerous to do so,” AEM said.
Dozens of campervans with tent extensions are parked at the Muriwai beach campground, where displaced families have found refuge. Photo / RNZ
“Some people have asked if they can get cars out and look for pets. At this stage, we don’t know when this will be possible, but our teams are working on this and an update will be provided soon.”
In last Thursday’s meeting, hundreds of furious residents vented their anger at Auckland Council staff who could not tell them when they could return to their cyclone-damaged homes.
More than 100 houses in the beachside suburb were cordoned off when landslides were brought down by heavy rain from Gabrielle.
Locals packed into the Muriwai Golf Club to find out the fate of their homes, and tempers flared when council officials did not have the answers they were seeking.
“I don’t want to guarantee you that we’re going to be in there in two weeks or three weeks or four weeks or five weeks because we don’t know,” building consents manager Ian McCormick told the meeting, prompting shouts and boos from the audience.
“That’s what we need to hear,” shouted one resident.
“So how long are we going to be homeless?” another said.
