Hawke's Bay families grapple to put their lives back together following the destruction caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. Video / Skye Clark / Supplied
People whose homes have been destroyed by Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland floods will be placed into three categories which will determine whether they can continue living in their communities.
Cyclone Recovery Minister Grant Robertson is preparing for a crucial and complicated consultation process with communities across several regions hit by severe weather as to their future and if managed retreat is necessary for the worst-hit areas.
It comes as the Government commits a further $25 million to support cyclone-affected businesses, adding to the $50m already allocated that has run dry.
Following the cyclone that claimed 11 lives, the Government has been assisting in matching up anonymous data from insurance companies with local government risk assessments to establish a scale of damage.
The Esk Valley near Napier was one of the worst-hit areas. Photo / Warren Buckland
Speaking to the Herald, Robertson said he was encouraged that the results had been largely similar and had helped inform the creation of three categories that ranged from people essentially continuing to live as normal to where rebuilding houses was no longer sustainable.
“One [category] is where we think things are, by and large, going to be fine and people can rebuild and get on with their lives.
“The second where the assessment is that, with some change, the communities are going to be safe to be able to stay in.
“That might mean raising stopbanks or creating different ways for the water to flow and if we can do that, then we believe the communities are likely to be able to be built in.
“And then the third category is where there are more challenges to being able to rebuild ... so it might not be a residential place anymore, it might just be a place where you could crop or farm.”
Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti residents saw the worst of Gabrielle with areas like Esk Valley and Wairoa experiencing immense devastation.
Robertson wouldn’t speculate on what areas would likely fall into which category until communities were informed.
Cyclone Recovery Minister Grant Robertson. Photo / Warren Buckland.
Robertson’s statements earlier in the year had indicated answers to those questions would be delivered in April.
However, he admitted that had been delayed to ensure the data informing those decisions was rock-solid.
“So it is taking a bit longer than we’d hoped, but we’ve got to make the right decision, not the quick decision.
“We want to make sure that we’re going with accurate data because the worst thing of all would be to go into those communities, say something and then come back a couple of weeks later and go, ‘No, no, no, we were wrong’.”
He expected consultation would occur from the start of next month and hoped those who fell in category one - who needed to make little to no change - would be told before others.
The consultation process was likely to be conducted through different mediums, Robertson said. Public meetings would play a key role but it would also have to allow people to submit feedback.
Under-insurance was one aspect that was front-of-mind for Robertson - how the Government would approach compensation for those who weren’t appropriately covered.
“How do we make sure that we don’t create a moral hazard for ourselves of people thinking, you know what, I’m not gonna bother with insurance because the Government is just going to sort me out’?
“We’ve got to look at that, not just in the context of these affected communities, but the whole of the country because inevitably, we’re setting some forms of precedent.”
Public meetings like this one in Patoka in rural Hawke's Bay will likely be the scene of consultation around managed retreat. Photo / Mike Scott
Earlier this week, Robertson announced another $25m boost to a fund from which cyclone-hit businesses could receive a grant of up to $40,000.
“Demand for grants has been strong, with applications to the local providers managing the funding exceeding the $50m allocated,” he said.
“Based on the most recent assessment an additional $22m is required to meet the additional demand, with around 5800 applications received.”
