Supplies delivered by convoy, bicycle and helicopter to cyclone-hit East Coast

Friday, 13 January 2023

A drone video showing damage from Cyclone Hale to farmland on Paroa Road, north of Tolaga Bay.

Food, medication and fuel are being helicoptered to residents who are still cut off since Cyclone Hale swept through East Cape on Tuesday.

With 137 households still without power and some roads closed north of Gisborne, some in the local community were going the extra mile to help their neighbours.

Monty Manuel, Fire Brigade senior officer at Ruatoria, rode his bicycle for two hours across rugged terrain on Thursday to get urgent supplies to a resident in Whareponga.

Manuel was a key figure in the community, said Nedine Thatcher Swann, Tairāwhiti Civil Defence controller.

* Convoys to guide motorists along cyclone-hit East Coast highway

Tolaga Bay locals on horseback, just happy to be able to get out after Cyclone Hale damaged roads north of Gisborne. From left: Mihi Love, Caroline Kingi, Stacey Patrick.

* Cyclone Hale moves on, but relief may only be temporary

“Monty’s story is a testament to the resilience we are seeing on the coast as they work together to ensure everyone is safe after being hit by another extreme weather event,” she said.

“It is one of many stories we hear of as residents, contractors, crews and agencies all work together for our community.”

The convoy at Tolaga Bay on Friday after Cyclone Hale damaged roads.

Convoys were reconnecting communities with the outside world on Friday. A tractor and 60 cars headed south from Tokomaru Bay to Tolaga Bay on Friday at 10am, guided by a Downer Group vehicle at the front and rear.

Further convoys were scheduled to depart on Saturday. However, State Highway 35 from Gisborne to Ōpōtiki would also reopen during daylight hours from this weekend, said Helen Harris, national journey manager at Waka Kotahi.

The road was set to reopen between 7am and 7pm from Saturday.

Motorists were told to plan for a longer-than-usual journey, with multiple temporary speed limits and single lane restrictions in place.

“The damage to our highway is not fully understood but our roading crews have been working hard to ensure that access, albeit restricted, is available,” Harris said.

Further road closures were still possible with rain forecast ahead, she said.

The convoy was held up on Friday due to showery weather.

The Defence Force was also delivering food to Four Squares by Unimog.

Authorities were urgently assessing a landslide dam in the Waiorongomai tributary of the Tapuaeroa River west of Ruatoria. The Gisborne District Council previously said it appeared to be of a similar scale to the one that occurred at Mangapoike in 2017.

Thatcher Swann said the district council would have a helicopter flight over the landslide today to assess its scale and the volume of water held behind it.

“It is critical to assess the stability of the landslide and the likelihood of a rapid failure,” she said.

Contractors clearing up debris under the Gladstone Road bridge in Gisborne. (File photo)

“We are in discussion with GNS who have specialist expertise in the area of landslide dams, and we will be having further discussions with them after the flight today.”

Internet and power were gradually being restored to most of the cut-off communities, and they were receiving supplies, the district council said.

Civil Defence’s focus remained on reconnecting internet access and power. Air Ruatoria was flying up the East Coast with Eftpos and Starlink technology, and welfare parcels were being distributed.

Overnight, contractors in Gisborne cleared half of the woody debris under the Gladstone Road bridge and the rest would be removed on Friday night.

Harris said communities had been supportive and patient during yet another major disruption.

“We want to thank everyone for their acceptance of the situation and their preparedness going into it.

The most recent storm damage had added significantly to the already “huge” workload for SH35.

“There’s no easy fix here, but our team has been working hard to improve the highway’s resilience so it can bounce back after adversity and will continue to keep making these improvements.”

The Government was making an initial contribution of $150,000 to the Mayoral Relief Fund to help communities in Tairāwhiti, said Kieran McAnulty, Minister for Emergency Management.

“While Cyclone Hale has caused widespread heavy rain, flooding and high winds across many parts of the North Island, Tairāwhiti has suffered the most severe damage. This funding will assist impacted communities as they begin their clean-up,” McAnulty said.

It was too early to know yet the full cost of the damage. The contribution was on top of $100,000 from the Ministry for Primary Industries for farmers and growers in the region.