Safety training for isolated Tairāwhiti farmers as bridge repairs drag on

Bridging Tairawhiti group members, made up of farmers isolated due to bridges washed away during Cyclone Gabrielle took part in a first aid training course last week while they continue to wait for the council-owned public bridges attached to their properties to be fixed. Ian and Helen Burgess are pictured performing CPR on a training manikin.

A group of isolated Tairāwhiti farmers remain cut off from the main roads during heavy rain, leaving their lives in limbo and safety at risk.

Last Thursday, the group of cyclone-affected farmers were given a specialised first aid course which Mayor Rehette Stoltz and Gisborne District Council director of community lifelines Tim Barry also attended.

The group’s properties were cut off from main roads last year after Cyclone Gabrielle hammered many council-owned public bridges.

The council has estimated the rebuild of the bridges could take up to five years.

The group, Bridging Tairāwhiti, was formed to connect the affected farmers and lobby for recovery funding for Tairāwhiti.

The members, who are based on farms from the East Coast through to Whatatutu and Pehiri, have become increasingly concerned, with safety at the front of their minds.

Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter pilot Tony Brice spoke to Bridging Tairawhiti members about the workings of the BK-117 chopper. Top (from left) are Brice, Chris Hannah, Jan Crawford, Helen Burgess, first aid instructor Tony Giles, Sarah Telford, and Craig O'Brian. Sitting is Mary Clarke and next to her are Ian Burgess and Jazmine Burgess.

Rob MacKenzie said when he experienced a medical emergency last year he was reminded that helicopters do not fly in low visibility, which led to ongoing concerns for his family’s safety.

Highlighting the group’s desperate situation, MacKenzie and wife Anne, both in their 70s, were unable to make the first aid training as the river at their farm ran too high and the pair couldn’t safely negotiate a ford crossing.

MacKenzie said they relied on the crossing but it was often too dangerous to attempt to get over since the Pauariki Bridge collapsed.

Last year they experienced 70 days without access, and they were currently on their 11th consecutive day of a high river level and risky crossing.

“We need GDC to sit with us, work through the possibilities and come up with a time frame for decisions.”

Annie MacKenzie said it had taken a mental toll as they did not know how much longer they would have to live in these conditions.

The pair said they would struggle to sell their property without a bridge, and yet staying there was becoming more difficult.

Mary Clarke, who lives alone on her farm by the collapsed Mangatai Bridge, sometimes crosses the river by horse when the river is low enough.

She has recently serviced her motorcycle, including new and expensive tyres, so she can ride through the mud.

“I can’t go to the dentist, I can’t go get my eyes tested, which need to be done... there’s just so many things on my list.”

Chris Hannah and Craig O’Brian, who shared the Mangatai bridge with neighbour Clarke, said their stock truck engine flooded when the river ran too high.

Hannah said the training was wonderful as it was specific to the group’s circumstances.

Mayor Rehette Stoltz participates in Bridging Tairawhiti first aid course run by Tony Giles of Practical Training Solutions.

Stoltz said the tailored CPR course would help families who might need to look after themselves while waiting for emergency services to arrive.

“These families have been through so much and even 16 months after the cyclone they are still in limbo.

“I admire their strength and it is lovely to see how they proactively prepare to be ready for an emergency and support each other as they navigate through this very tough and uncertain time.”

Stoltz said the council expected to receive an update on funding applications from NZ Transport Agency around September.

The first aid event was run by Practical Training Solutions (PTS) and funded by the Rural Women’s Support Trust, Bridging Tairāwhiti group member Sarah Telford’s mother (Gill Dollimore) and member Jan Crawford.

Tony Giles, from PTS, travelled from Hamilton to provide the training.

“The main difference with first aid in a rural setting is that if you are on-scene; you might have to care for the patient for some time,” Giles said.

He gave the group survival tips and advised them to have an emergency plan that would include knowing their geographical coordinates and a space for a helicopter to land.

Bridging Tairāwhiti co-facilitators Telford and Crawford, who are not affected by damaged bridges themselves, brought the group together last month to help seek solutions.

“It is frightening enough being cut off in an emergency, so being familiar with the process and knowing what to expect is very reassuring,” Telford said.