Debris from the extreme weather has built up under the expressway bridge over Tutaekuri river.
Video / Adam Ray
National Party leader Christopher Luxon supports the decision to declare a national state of emergency following the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle.
He is also signalling his intention for further party co-operation on addressing climate change, saying that he will engage with other parties on the matter if National wins this year’s election.
Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty announced a national state of emergency this morning from the Beehive.
Signed just before 9am, it applied to regions that had already declared or would later declare local states of emergency.
Currently, they included Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti, Bay of Plenty, Waikato and the Tararua District.
“This is an unprecedented weather event that is having major impacts across much of the North Island,” McAnulty said.
While it appeared the worst of the storm had passed, McAnulty urged people to remain vigilant as the effect of the intense rainfall and wind were realised.
Civil Defence Emergency Management acting director Roger Ball outlined there were four priority areas currently - Muriwai west of Auckland, Esk Valley in Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti and Dargaville.
Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty, right, arriving with Civil Defence Emergency Management Acting Director Roger Ball. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Luxon, speaking to media ahead of National’s caucus meeting, said he completely endorsed the national state of emergency declaration.
“It’s something obviously we fully support.”
He thanked those assisting in responses across the regions and hoped people could find safety amid the various threats posed to people’s wellbeing and lives.
Luxon said there was “no doubt” the cyclone was climate change in action and expected there would be a wider conversation in the coming months and years for a “multi-decade effort over many governments to think about how we build climate adaptation into our key infrastructure”.
He hoped the current Government would want to work with National on climate change and promised to do the same if National won this year’s election.
Luxon was supportive of the local and national response to the cyclone, saying it was an improved effort compared to the Auckland flooding in recent weeks.
Asked about housing, Luxon said he couldn’t speak to past decisions about where development had occurred, but he believed questions should be asked about how houses could be built in safe areas.
National emergency management spokesman Gerry Brownlee echoed Luxon in his support for the national state of emergency, saying it was the “appropriate thing to do”.
Brownlee said the cyclone’s significance was shown through the prompting of New Zealand’s third national state of emergency. He claimed nearly two-thirds of New Zealand’s population had been impacted in some way.
