Māori ministers visit whānau, marae in Hawke's Bay and Far North's heavy cyclone-impact areas

Friday, 3 March 2023

A Whatatutu couple, who both work for St John, were kept apart for 36 hours due to cyclone damage. They both spent that time caring for their community.

Minister of Māori Development Willie Jackson visited Tangoio this week, a rural community north of Napier, where the local marae is being demolished due to damage sustained in Cyclone Gabrielle.

'I walked in there, and they gave me a lovely mihimihi. We did our tikanga type of welcome in the midst of the mud, the tragedy, and the whare tipuna being dismantled,” Jackson said.

'It was lovely to meet with them face to face, hear the sadness but also a lot of spirit with regards to what's happening, and a lot of hope and a lot of optimism.'

Cyclone Gabrielle tore through Aotearoa in February, claiming 11 lives, destroying homes and livelihoods.

* Māori communities impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle receive $15m in support

* Chris Hipkins gives update on cyclone, Health NZ chairperson

Minister Willie Jackson says he is pleased to see marae in rural Hawkes Bay open their doors to everyone in the community affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Jackson, along with Minister Peeni Henare, went on a tour of marae affected by the tropical storm in rural Hawke’s Bay this week.

'It was a pretty emotional day yesterday. People have been really, really hit in terms of the marae, it's really sad,” he said.

Tangoio Marae chairman Hori Reti says whānau who have lost their homes are going to find it difficult moving forward.

Around 10 homes near Tangoio Marae were also damaged and some are unliveable.

“They’re going to find it difficult moving forward. That’s what pains us,” marae chairperson Hori Reti said.

Reti said many homes were uninsured because of the high flood risk in the area and the high costs of insurance.

Marae whānau are working hard to remove the mounds of silt piled as much as 3m-high around the marae.

Omāhu Marae in Hastings has been feeding, clothing, and even running church services for those in the community after the cyclone.

'We’re going to be here cleaning up this valley for a long time. Right now, I could say that we get one step ahead, and get pushed back two,” Reti told Stuff .

Recovery options included rebuilding on the same site, or finding undamaged areas in the takiwā (vicinity) more suited to rebuild, he said.

“I think it’s important that once we have cleared the site [of silt and buildings], we go back to our people… and decide as a collective.”

Jackson and Henare also visited Waiohiki Marae in Hastings, where they were greeted with tears and a beautiful welcome, Jackson said.

“But it's been devastated, the community has. I suppose the strange thing there is that the marae is still OK, but the homes and what we call the papakāinga have been devastated.'

On Tuesday, the Government announced $15 million to go towards supporting Māori communities impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, and improve staffing of marae.

Marae have been welcoming people who have lost their homes in the cyclone, providing them with food, shelter and clothing.

'What I feel proud of is when our people embrace everyone. There might be some criticism in terms of a ‘Māori fund’… but those marae are open to everyone,” Jackson said.

A falling tree brought down powerlines in the Far North.

'I'm really pleased when I go in there and I hear about all the Pākehā people who come too, because a community is a community.'

Jackson visited the Omāhu Marae near Fernhill, Hastings, where they are “doing the business” for their community.

'Omāhu have stood up in terms of their community and have really worked with whānau,” he said.

“They’re getting hundreds coming through in terms of lunches, dinners, and again, hundreds of Pākehā coming in and being part of Māori manaakitanga.'

Jackson said the marae had been feeding and clothing the community, and even running church services.

“While we talk about by Māori for Māori… that doesn't exclude our fellow Kiwis or Pākehā. We have Pākehā whānau come up to our marae for help, they get support, and they're coming up to the marae in their hundreds,” he said.

Minister Kelvin Davis, the MP for Te Tai Tokerau, visited marae in the Far North that were devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle.

'So I'm really proud of what's happening at Omāhu Marae. You're talking about two to five hundred people regularly there for lunch and for dinner, and people sleeping there.'

Northland MP Willow-Jean Prime and Minister Kelvin Davis have been visiting cyclone-affected marae in the Far North.

Prime was in Mangawhai on Wednesday and witnessed slips on the road, flood issues and coastal erosion.

'We also heard about the fire and emergency response, the amazing generous locals who supported those who were stranded and Te Whai Community Trust who have been providing support like their aroha packs, information about support for those who need it and more,” she said.

'Understandably there is a high level of anxiety. There is a lot of damage to repair. I was told some of the community were meeting last night to debrief the recent events and to discuss a community response for any future events.'

Davis travelled with Prime to Te Kao on Tuesday and Dargaville the following day.

'We all know that Dargaville is the kūmara capital and, sadly, most gardens took a hammering. The whānau are still providing assistance to those whānau who need awhi,” Davis said.

'But despite it all, the whānau here look ahead. Preparedness and resilience is front of mind.'

Jackson said in order to get through the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle, communities need to look out for each other.

“We have to be a support base, a hub, a focus and whether that's marae or any of our set-ups, for us to get through this crisis, we have to be there for everyone,” he said.

An economist has predicted Cyclone Gabrielle could end up costing Aotearoa’s economy tens of billions of dollars.

“The economic impact would include the loss of productivity for the country, the shops that aren’t open and can’t sell their product, the people who are stuck at home and can’t get to work,” Massey University professor Christophe Schumacher said.

'This will slow down GDP [gross domestic product] and our output will be severely impaired.'

More deaths are expected from the cyclone and anyone who has not yet reported themselves as safe should do so as soon as possible via an online NZ Police form.