All “Natural disasters” topics

Three major weather events in January and February this year caused large scale flooding which severely damaged North Island road and rail infrastructure, particularly in Hawke’s Bay. This extended issue covers the recent storms and their impacts.

Cyclone Gabrielle caused widespread damage and disruption to most parts of New Zealand, resulting in the closure of many of the country’s main highways and significantly impacting the local economy. In the weeks and months that followed, many businesses suffered from delays and supply chain disruptions, with the rebuilding work still underway, even now.

When a national state of emergency was declared on Tuesday 14 February due to Cyclone Gabrielle, more than 30 sections of state highway were completely closed to traffic, impacting a significant proportion of the roading network serving Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Manawatu, the Central Plateau, Gisborne and Hawkes Bay. Several months on, it’s clear just exactly how much Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi) and local councils are facing as they look to restore the damage and upgrade infrastructure.

When Cyclone Gabrielle hit the North Island earlier this year, the strong winds and widespread flooding caused major disruption to the roading networks and core services throughout the Hawkes Bay, Auckland and Northland regions. In many regions key transport routes were completely cut off, isolating communities and hindering access to vital services. This created immense challenges for emergency response teams, as well as for residents attempting to evacuate or seek assistance. The disruption to the roading network also had significant economic consequences, impacting transportation of goods and services, and causing delays in supply chains.

Cyclone Gabrielle claimed the lives of 11 people, described as the worst weather event of this century. It devastated Hawke’s Bay, causing unprecedented damage to lives and livelihoods. There was also a loss of life to the north, in Tairawhiti, while two volunteer firefighters died in a Muriwai landslide. But while life has returned to normal for many in Hawke’s Bay, many thousands of others across the region still face a long and difficult journey to return to some semblance of normality.

Gisborne transport operator Steve Weatherell has navigated his fair share of adverse weather events, slips and blocked roads. So, the disastrous impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle weren’t going to stop him […]

Booth’s Logistics in Hastings found itself at the epicentre of Cyclone Gabrielle’s impact. Its Executive Director, Stewart Taylor, says the weather’s effects were felt throughout the business’ entire network – not just in Hastings and Hawke’s Bay.

Following the cancellation of 509 flights, Air New Zealand’s international and domestic network was back up and running on 15 February. Flying into heavily impacted regions New Plymouth, Napier and Gisborne had also resumed with some minor disruptions as the airline worked through operationalising the routes.

Preparing for and responding to disasters is what we do. Even so, the scale of the devastation caused by recent weather and Cyclone Gabrielle is enormous. We know that communities all around the North Island are dealing with huge loss and uncertainty. We’re on the ground providing support where we can. We are also working hard on a plan to use the New Zealand Disaster Fund to support these communities to recover and to support Aotearoa New Zealand through future emergencies.

During January and February, the North Island was subject to three severe weather events (as defined in the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Act 2023): Cyclone Hale, from 8 – 12 January, the Auckland Anniversary Day storm from 26 January – 3 February, and Cyclone Gabrielle from 12 – 16 February. All of them affected the railway system, but most of the impact was from Gabrielle.

The road to restoring the beating heart of Hawke’s Bay’s economy in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle promises to be a daunting one, spanning years of dedicated efforts and requiring hundreds of millions of dollars in investments.

CILT NZ President Diane Edwards updates readers the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle on Aotearoa and our industry, CILT NZ’s Visibility and Value Sub-Committees, and planning for the 2023 National Forum and Awards Dinner.

Local Government NZ’s message is clear – one-off, competitive, and after-the-fact recovery funding from central Government is not a sustainable solution to give New Zealanders the flood protection they deserve.

The article presents some challenges to our members as they assess their own businesses for carbon footprints, carbon reduction and carbon offsetting.