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Heavy rain warnings have been issued for the Coromandel Peninsula as well as for Gisborne north of Tolaga Bay. MetService Meteorologist John Law spoke to Corin Dann.
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If you're done seeing the sights of Gisborne and are after something a little more outdoorsy, Tairāwhiti is packed with adventures. Mike Yardley joined Jack Tame to run through some of his favourites, including tandem cycling, Tipuna Tours up in Tolaga Bay, and feeding the stingrays down the line at Tatapouri. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The effects of Cyclone Gabrielle are still being felt, and seen, every day around Te Tai Rāwhiti. The torrential rain one year ago washed slash, the leftovers from forestry harvests, off the hillsides and down the raging rivers; washing away bridges, dislocating and isolating communities along the coast. Residents lost power and communications, and could not be reached by officials for days. But well-organised locals, primed by years of civil defence planning, rallied to check in on each other - to help everyone be housed, clothed, and fed. Tolaga Bay health centre, Te Whare Hauora o Te Aitanga a Hauiti, has helped about 800 people in the last year. Chief executive Rina Kerekere spoke to Corin Dann.
A Tolaga Bay farming couple are still picking up the pieces after Cyclone Gabrielle. Mike and Bridget Parker say a year on from the cyclone and they're still clearing their land, with little help from authorities. Monique Steele has the rural news.
Tairawhiti is under an Orange heavy rain wanring, spreading from Gisborne to Tolaga Bay until late tomorrow afternoon. The area is still recovering after being slammed during cyclone Gabrielle and other extreme weather events this year. Tairawhiti Emergency Management Manager Ben Green. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6340126831112
Ūawa Tolaga Bay, has been issued an orange, heavy rain warning on Monday morning as heavy rain and strong winds batter the region. The area's civil defence manager Greg Shelton spoke to Corin Dann.
Depuis une vingtaine d'années, la Nouvelle-Zélande s'est imposée comme l'un des leaders mondiaux dans la revente de crédits CO2. À l'autre bout du monde, des sociétés comme Ikea, Shell ou Boeing s'offrent donc un « droit à polluer » en rachetant le carbone absorbé par les forêts néo-zélandaises, dédiées aux compensations carbone. Pour la plupart monocultures, elles sont constituées uniquement de pins exotiques, qui absorbent plus rapidement le CO2 mais résistent peu aux tempêtes et cyclones australes. À chaque catastrophe naturelle, des milliers d'arbres s'échouent sur les plages, les fermes et les habitations, affectant plusieurs régions à travers le pays. (Rediffusion)De notre correspondant en Nouvelle-Zélande,« Ici, on élève de l'air frais ! », s'amuse Warrick James. Située au milieu des Alpes du Sud, la plus grande chaîne de montagne en Nouvelle-Zélande, la ferme de Warrick et sa femme Cece a récemment changé de visage.Il y a quelques années, ils ont troqué la moitié de leur bétail pour se lancer dans les compensations carbone. Sur plus de 500 hectares, le couple a planté une forêt de pins dédiée à la revente de crédits CO2 : « avec les hauts et les bas dans le secteur de l'élevage, au moins le carbone nous a donné une certaine stabilité ».Car avec les réductions d'émissions de CO2 imposées aux grandes entreprises à travers le monde, le prix du carbone s'envole. Chaque année, les forêts de Warrick absorbent 50 tonnes de CO2 par hectare. Des tonnes, reconverties en unités et rachetées une trentaine d'euros par le système d'échange de droits d'émissions. « J'ai toujours cru que je n'étais qu'un fermier du sud avec ses vaches et ses moutons, je n'aurais jamais pensé que j'allais un jour avoir des arbres pour absorber du carbone », plaisante Warrick. Et si le couple garde le sourire, c'est parce que l'année dernière, ils ont empoché près de 800 000 euros grâce aux compensations carbone.Une reconversion qui séduit de plus en plus les éleveurs de bétail. En 2022, 50 000 hectares de fermes d'élevage ont été reconvertis en forêts de compensations carbone.Au nord du pays, sur la côte Est, Gisborne et sa région appelée en māori, Tairāwhiti. Ici, les fermes de compensations carbone ont eu un impact considérable sur la population. Récemment marqué par les cyclones Hale et Gabrielle durant l'été austral, ce district est constamment affecté par la chute d'arbres provenant de ces forêts. « On en a marre de ce chaos ! », affirment Bridget et son mari Mike.Ce couple d'horticulteurs a perdu la quasi-totalité de leur ferme de kiwis, dévastée par des tonnes de troncs d'arbres. « En cinq ans, nous avons été affectés trois fois par ces fermes de carbone. Les arbres se sont échoués sur nos terres et notre maison était encerclée par les pins. Et tous ces arbres viennent des forêts de compensations carbone situées 25 kilomètres plus haut. »Un désastre économique, mais aussi écologiqueDans ce décor cataclysmique, où la vase et les arbres recouvrent les rivières et les fermes locales, une voix s'élève, celle de Hera Ngata Gibson. Cette habitante de Tolaga Bay, a vu en l'espace d'une génération, sa région être totalement dévastée par l'industrie du carbone.Il y a quelques mois, elle a lancé une pétition pour qu'une enquête indépendante fasse la lumière sur les effets néfastes de cette activité dans la région. Une initiative rejetée plusieurs fois par le ministre néo-zélandais de l'Industrie forestière. « Ce que j'ai réalisé avec cette expérience, c'est que le gouvernement et cette industrie n'ont aucune idée de ce qui est important pour nos populations dans ce genre de communauté. L'environnement est ce nous avons de plus cher et cela a affecté toute notre manière de vivre. On se sent submergé par ces débris de bois qu'il y a partout autour de nous… à chaque grande marée, les arbres finissent de nouveau sur les plages. Puis une fois en mer, ils détruisent nos fonds marins. Pour cette petite communauté, au mode de vie très modeste, la mer est l'une de nos ressources principales pour manger, mais aujourd'hui, c'est devenu impossible. »Car le problème pour cette région de Nouvelle-Zélande, est surtout lié à sa géologie. La côte est de l'île du Nord possède le taux d'érosion le plus élevé au monde. Des sols fragiles et non adaptés à ces monocultures de pins exotiques. Un aspect sur lequel certaines compagnies forestières ont préféré fermer les yeux, face au prix attractif de ces terres.Pour Renée Raroa, elle aussi originaire de cette région, le futur des compensations carbone passe par un retour aux arbres endémiques de Nouvelle-Zélande. Une problématique qu'elle est allée porter jusqu'au siège des Nations unies, à New-York. Au cours des derniers mois, elle a développé, avec l'aide d'autres organisations, un modèle durable de forêt dédiée au carbone. « Ces forêts de monocultures dans cette région ne sont plus viables. Cependant, ces forêts de pins offrent pour le moment la meilleure rentabilité pour les compensations carbone. Alors, sur plus de 900 hectares, nous avons mis en place un nouveau modèle qui observe les données d'une forêt native qui sert à régénérer ces terres mais aussi à offrir des compensations carbones. Avec ces données qui prouvent que l'on peut avoir une activité économique tout en respectant l'environnement, on veut démontrer qu'il est possible de changer cette industrie pour se tourner vers un système de compensation carbone plus durable. »Aujourd'hui, 90% des fermes de compensation carbone en Nouvelle-Zélande sont composées de pins exotiques.Une tendance dont certaines communautés souhaitent changer. Quoi qu'il en soit, la Nouvelle-Zélande espère atteindre 2 millions d'hectares de forêts consacrées aux compensations carbone dans les cinq prochaines années.
By Aaron Smale: On the slow destruction and devastating impact of the pine industry on Tairāwhiti.
Spent a week in one of my favourite regions: Tairawhiti… Wainui, Tolaga Bay, Mangatuna and Tokomaru Bay. The school kids love muckin' around on beaches, despite all that hideous slash everywhere. Looking for bugs, of course. At Tolaga Bay they found heaps of rather large black scarab beetles, known in the trade as Pericoptus truncatus, or “sand scarab”; moving across the sandy, grassy play area during the day. Captured specimens were digging down into the sand provided in the containers. This was my opportunity to raise the fact that this beetle is related to some rather famous species from the more tropical regions of the world: The “Rhinoceros beetles”. The male sand scarabs actually have a rudimentary “horn” on their head to shows the species “affinities”. Our sand scarabs live on beaches and dunes and are adapted to moving about the sand habitat. The larvae (grubs) are able to actually migrate from the beaches to inland habitats over reasonably long distances; it is presumed they are needing a certain amount or percentage of moisture in the sand. The grubs are “massive” (6 cm long or more), creamy-white, with distinct round stomata (breathing-hole) patches on the side of their bodies. Their larval food is the decaying woody mass of driftwood on beaches and the roots of grasses in dune vegetation. The adult beetles are sturdy insects that can dig into the sand really fast. During the day they will hide in the sand (sometimes at considerable depth: a meter or so deep!), but at night they surface again to go hooning in the dunes and on the beach – they are very noisy flyers and that no doubt helps with locating potential partners. The front legs of these beetles have specially-adapted claws that allow them to dig efficiently. The beetles and the larvae themselves are often coated with populations of mites on their skin. These have always thought to be parasitic mites, but there are suggestions that these tiny critters might actually be feeding on other mites and nematodes, associated with the sand scarabs. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Depuis une vingtaine d'années, la Nouvelle-Zélande s'est imposée comme l'un des leaders mondiaux dans la revente de crédits CO2. À l'autre bout du monde, des sociétés comme Ikea, Shell ou Boeing s'offrent donc un « droit à polluer » en rachetant le carbone absorbé par les forêts néo-zélandaises, dédiées aux compensations carbone. Pour la plupart monocultures, elles sont constituées uniquement de pins exotiques, qui absorbent plus rapidement le CO2 mais résistent peu aux tempêtes et cyclones australes. À chaque catastrophe naturelle, des milliers de d'arbres s'échouent sur les plages, les fermes et les habitations, affectant plusieurs régions à travers le pays. De notre correspondant en Nouvelle-Zélande,« Ici, on élève de l'air frais ! », s'amuse Warrick James. Située au milieu des Alpes du Sud, la plus grande chaîne de montagne en Nouvelle-Zélande, la ferme de Warrick et sa femme Cece a récemment changé de visage.Il y a quelques années, ils ont troqué la moitié de leur bétail pour se lancer dans les compensations carbone. Sur plus de 500 hectares, le couple a planté une forêt de pins dédiée à la revente de crédits CO2 : « avec les hauts et les bas dans le secteur de l'élevage, au moins le carbone nous a donné une certaine stabilité ».Car avec les réductions d'émissions de CO2 imposées aux grandes entreprises à travers le monde, le prix du carbone s'envole. Chaque année, les forêts de Warrick absorbent 50 tonnes de CO2 par hectare. Des tonnes, reconverties en unités et rachetées une trentaine d'euros par le système d'échange de droits d'émissions. « J'ai toujours cru que je n'étais qu'un fermier du sud avec ses vaches et ses moutons, je n'aurais jamais pensé que j'allais un jour avoir des arbres pour absorber du carbone », plaisante Warrick. Et si le couple garde le sourire, c'est parce que l'année dernière, ils ont empoché près de 800 000 euros grâce aux compensations carbone.Une reconversion qui séduit de plus en plus les éleveurs de bétail. En 2022, 50 000 hectares de fermes d'élevage ont été reconvertis en forêts de compensations carbone. Au nord du pays, sur la côte Est, Gisborne et sa région appelée en māori, Tairāwhiti. Ici, les fermes de compensations carbone ont eu un impact considérable sur la population. Récemment marqué par les cyclones Hale et Gabrielle durant l'été austral, ce district est constamment affecté par la chute d'arbres provenant de ces forêts. « On en a marre de ce chaos ! », affirment Bridget et son mari Mike.Ce couple d'horticulteurs a perdu la quasi-totalité de leur ferme de kiwis, dévastée par des tonnes de troncs d'arbres. « En cinq ans, nous avons été affectés trois fois par ces fermes de carbone. Les arbres se sont échoués sur nos terres et notre maison était encerclée par les pins. Et tous ces arbres viennent des forêts de compensations carbone situées 25 kilomètres plus haut. »Un désastre économique mais aussi écologiqueDans ce décor cataclysmique, où la vase et les arbres recouvrent les rivières et les fermes locales, une voix s'élève, celle de Hera Ngata Gibson. Cette habitante de Tolaga Bay, a vu en l'espace d'une génération, sa région être totalement dévastée par l'industrie du carbone.Il y a quelques mois, elle a lancé une pétition pour qu'une enquête indépendante fasse la lumière sur les effets néfastes de cette activité dans la région. Une initiative rejetée plusieurs fois par le ministre néo-zélandais de l'Industrie forestière. « Ce que j'ai réalisé avec cette expérience, c'est que le gouvernement et cette industrie n'ont aucune idée de ce qui est important pour nos populations dans ce genre de communauté. L'environnement est ce nous avons de plus cher et cela a affecté toute notre manière de vivre. On se sent submergé par ces débris de bois qu'il y a partout autour de nous… à chaque grande marée, les arbres finissent de nouveau sur les plages. Puis une fois en mer, ils détruisent nos fonds marins. Pour cette petite communauté, au mode de vie très modeste, la mer est l'une de nos ressources principales pour manger, mais aujourd'hui, c'est devenu impossible. » Car le problème pour cette région de Nouvelle-Zélande, est surtout lié à sa géologie. La côte est de l'île du Nord possède le taux d'érosion le plus élevé au monde. Des sols fragiles et non adaptés à ces monocultures de pins exotiques. Un aspect sur lequel certaines compagnies forestières ont préféré fermer les yeux, face au prix attractif de ces terres. Pour Renée Raroa, elle aussi originaire de cette région, le futur des compensations carbone passe par un retour aux arbres endémiques de Nouvelle-Zélande. Une problématique qu'elle est allée porter jusqu'au siège des Nations unies, à New-York. Au cours des derniers mois, elle a développé avec l'aide d'autres organisations, un modèle durable de forêt dédiée au carbone. « Ces forêts de monocultures dans cette région ne sont plus viables. Cependant, ces forêts de pins offrent pour le moment la meilleure rentabilité pour les compensations carbone. Alors, sur plus de 900 hectares, nous avons mis en place un nouveau modèle qui observe les données d'une forêt native qui sert à régénérer ces terres mais aussi à offrir des compensations carbones. Avec ces données qui prouvent que l'on peut avoir une activité économique tout en respectant l'environnement, on veut démontrer qu'il est possible de changer cette industrie pour se tourner vers un système de compensation carbone plus durable. » Aujourd'hui, 90% des fermes de compensation carbone en Nouvelle-Zélande sont composées de pins exotiques.Une tendance dont certaines communautés souhaitent changer. Quoiqu'il en soit, la Nouvelle-Zélande espère atteindre 2 millions d'hectares de forêts consacrées aux compensations carbone dans les cinq prochaines années.
To flood damaged Tairawahiti now. Families in a small rural community inland from Tolaga Bay remain completely cut off from the outside world after the recent storm completely annihilated the local road in and out. A Helicopter was due to survey the damage at Tauwhareparae and drop off supplies this afternoon. Paddy Allen is a beef and sheep farmer in the now isolated area, and he spoke to Lisa Owen. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6330212959112
Completely 'unbelievable'. That's how a Civil Defence manager is describing the state of roads around Te Tai Rāwhiti. Rain-soaked soil has left Tauwhareparae Road, just north of Tolaga Bay, utterly unpassable, cutting off dozens of people. And more than 80 road restrictions are in place. Tolaga Bay Civil Defence Manager Greg Shelton spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
Back to the Tai Rāwhiti now where a state of emergency remains in place as more wild weather moves in. Greg Shelton is the Civil Defence area manager for Uawa / Tolaga Bay and he spoke to Lisa Owen. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6329949886112
Tai Rawhiti residents are on edge as a state of emergency is in place again after being battered by heavy rain, with more expected tonight and over the weekend. A severe red weather warning the highest possible level is in place until Sunday. The inland community of Te Karaka has been hardest hit, where the Waipaoa river has burst its banks, and huge slips have been reported. Major roads across the region are closed, farms are sodden and slip prone, and some schools are closed. The advice across Tai Rawhiti is stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary. Kathryn hears from Toby Williams, Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Chairperson who farms at Whangara, between Tolaga Bay and Gisborne, Sandra Faulkner who has a farm in Muriwai, south of Gisborne and is also a Federated Farmers board member, Greg Shelton, Tolaga Bay Civil Defence Manager and Jaclyn Hankin, Waka Kotahi NZTA's regional manager of maintenance and operations for the Central North Island.
From the back country to the coast, and the flats and rolling hills in between, you won't find many places or people untouched by the claws of cyclones Hale and Gabrielle which ravaged Tairāwhiti at the start of the year.
Four months after Cyclone Gabrielle caused widespread damage to infrastructure around the North Island, a crucial link on the East Coast's State Highway 35 has been reconnected today with the opening of the Hikuwai Bailey Bridge. The bridge connects Gisborne and Tolaga Bay with the rest of the East Coast, including Tokumaru Bay, Ruatoria and the East Cape. It's a major step in Tairawhiti's recovery after the cyclone, but stretches of the state highway are still vulnerable, and residents fear they're just another big storm away from being cut off yet again. Some people have had to change doctors and other health care from Gisborne to Whakatane as roads have become too unreliable. Kathryn speaks with Jaclyn Hankin, Waka Kotahi NZTA's regional manager of maintenance and operations for the Central North Island and Mahanga Maru, a Ruatoria local and owner of Air Ruatoria.
Another beach clean-up, funded by two major forestry companies, has begun at Tolaga Bay. During Cyclone Gabrielle, Tairawhiti's coastline was swamped with forestry slash, as well as whole trees washed away by swollen rivers. More than two months later, the region's beaches are still covered in debris. One child has been killed and another seriously injured playing on logs tumbling in the surf. Our reporter Kate Green has more.
Seven weeks on from the initial carnage hardest hit communities are still clearing debris. The day after the cyclone hit, we spoke with Bridget Parker whose property is near Tolaga Bay. She despairingly described the extensive damage caused to her home, farm and orchard by forestry slash that had washed onto her property. Following the storm, the government announced a long-awaited inquiry into woody debris , which includes forestry slash and sediment-related damage in Tairawhiti and Wairoa. But earlier this week, Bill Bayfield, one of the inquiry's three panel members was forced to stand down after being found to have compromised his independence, and last night Stuart Nash was stripped of his ministerial portfolios for breaching the Cabinet Manual, including Minister of Forestry. Kathryn discusses the issue with the Forest Industry Contractors Association Chief Executive Prue Younger and checks back in with Bridget Parker.
People in a remote East Coast town are growing worried as winter nears, with dozens of whānau living in cyclone-damaged homes. Ūawa, or Tolaga Bay, was hit by both Cyclone Hale and Gabrielle. It's also dealing with mountains of slash that rush down waterways every time it rains. Jamie Tahana reports from Ūawa / Tolaga Bay.
Rain is falling - again - on flood-ravaged areas of Tai Rāwhiti and the Coromandel. A heavy rain watch is in force for Gisborne from Tolaga Bay upwards, and that'll extend to Coromandel later this morning. There has already been some heavy rain overnight, with a burst of 20 millimetres between 1 and 2am, and some other isolated heavy falls. Further afield, another two cyclones could be brewing in the Pacific, but they are unlikely to be headed for New Zealand. MetService head of communications Lisa Murray spoke to Kim Hill.
Some communities on the East Coast are still stuck as they wait for roads to be fixed. Te Puia Springs remains isolated, with State Highway 35 closed to Tolaga Bay. Wairoa has had access restored to Gisborne, but will be waiting months before State Highway Two to Napier is repaired. Waka Kotahi spokesperson Mark Owen spoke to Guyon Espiner.
Feeling a little forgotten and a little low in spirits and kai. A Tolaga bay community leader says they need basic things like cleaning equipment, skip bins and a dump that's open so people can start clearing sludge and destroyed items from their homes. Children in the small isolated east coast community north of Gisborne were able to go back to school today. Rina Kerekere from Te Whare Hauora O Te Aitanga A Hauiti told Lisa Owen what the community needs.
A Tolaga Bay kiwifruit farmer says both the government and forestry companies need to compensate home owners, business owners and the forestry workers themselves in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. Bridget Parker, who lives in the settlement of Paroa, about 8 kilometres northwest of Tolaga Bay, says slash has destroyed people's lives, and with the roads to plantations closed, local forestry workers have been told there is no work. Matthew Theunissen reports from the East Coast settlement
The Defence Force have been deployed across the country in the days since the cyclone, first in search and rescue roles, and now helping distribute aid. HMNZS Manawanui dropped off supplies at some centres along the coast above Gisborne last night - but couldn't make a drop at Tolaga Bay as planned. Commander of the joint forces Rear Admiral Jim Gilmour spoke to Kim Hill.
Tolaga Bay is one of the most isolated places on the East Coast following the storm. Limited information has come from the coastal community since Monday, but cellphone reception has now been restored for Two Degrees users. HMNZS Manawanui dropped off supplies at some centres along the coast above Gisborne last night - but couldn't make a drop at Tolaga Bay as planned. Deputy principal of Tolaga Bay Area School Shanan Gray spoke to Kim Hill.
Toby Williams is Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Chairperson who farms at Whangara, between Tolaga Bay and Gisborne. He's managed to get Starlink to restore some of his communication ability, but knows many of his fellow farmers will be struggling with the amount of devastation the Cyclone has caused.
Forest owners in the Tolaga Bay area have come in for stinging criticism from locals as logs and silt clog farms, rivers and beaches for the second time in recent weeks, and the third time in the last year. Yesterday Tolaga Bay farmer Bridget Parker spoke of her frustration and the belief forestry operations were responsible for the degree of damage to her farm. The Forest owners Association is now backing a comprehensive enquiry into forestry saying old rules are no longer suitable and new land use rules are needed for all vulnerable soils. Don Carson is spokesperson for the Forest Owners Association.
Bridget Parker farms inland from Tolaga Bay, her farm is covered with sediment and logs, she says it's total carnage and "we're totally bloody gutted".
Tolaga Bay farmer Bridget Parker says she's at the end of her tether coping with forest waste creating floods that destroy their land. Three major flood events have now impacted her farm in the past year. She says she is beyond angry with silt and water through their home, sheds and farm - and logs strewn across paddocks, far worse than the January flood. Bridget Parker told Kathryn Ryan that government ministers and overseas forest company owners ought to visit their farm and see the devastation.
Tairawhiti has been put under a red weather warning, and evacuations are being recommended in several areas around the East Coast. A state of emergency is also in place. The Deputy Civil Defence Officer at Tolaga Bay, Nori Parata, joins Lisa Owen with the latest details.
Flood-hit farmers in Tairāwhiti are backing Government plans for an independent review into management practices on erosion-prone land in the district. In January the East Coast was battered by Cyclone Hale, which caused significant flooding and dragged forestry debris from hillsides and across roads and farmland. Rural reporter Maja Burry, visited Tolaga Bay and filed this report.
Some families in Tolaga Bay are still stranded, two weeks on from the devastation of Cyclone Hale. There are 300 identified faults across the Tairāwhiti region, such as dropouts and damaged bridges, with 22 roads still closed. Gisborne District Council's director of community lifelines David Wilson spoke to Guyon Espiner.
As flooding from recent Cyclone Hale brought down more slash, causing damage to farms, properties and infrastructure in Tairawhiti, the Environmental Defence Society has called for a formal Commission of Inquiry into forestry practices. Slash is a forestry waste product, and debris and logs can be swept downstream during heavy rain, causing further flooding. It has been an ongoing problem for the East Coast, and Tolaga Bay in particular. The Minister of Forestry Stuart Nash has rejected calls for an inquiry, but suggested forestry companies sit down with key stakeholders to understand how the sector could operate better. The society says it is unjust that private landowners and councils are continuing to bear the costs of damage caused by slash. Kathryn speaks with Gary Taylor, the chief executive of the Environmental Defence Society and Grant Dodson, the president of the New Zealand Forest Owners Association.
The Tolaga Bay farmer talks about the ongoing climatic devastation facing the East Coast farming community. And how does the region solve the horrendous forestry slash issue?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tolaga Bay residents are still dealing with the aftermath of last week's Cyclone Hale. Local civil defence manager Greg Shelton says some residents are still without power, and he's expecting it will take a while to get things cleared up. He spoke to Jimmy Ellingham.
A Tairāwhiti resident says her home would not have flooded if it wasn't for a sea of forestry slash that came down a nearby river during heavy rain. The region has been battered by heavy rain as Cyclone Hale passed down the country. Tolaga Bay resident Linda Gough says the Mangatokerau River, which she lives next to, didn't look likely to breach on Tuesday evening, with the rain at its peak... She told our reporter Kirsty Frame how quickly things escalated.
Tairāwhiti has been battered by heavy rain as Cyclone Hale passed down the country, causing forestry slash to barrel down waterways. Foresty companies have been prosecuted for damage caused by slash in past floods, including five relating to a storm that hit Tolaga Bay in 2018. So have practices changed since? Grant Dodson, president of the Forest Owners Association, spoke to Charlotte Cook.
A state of emergency in Tairwhiti has prompted the evacuation of about 30 families in Tolaga Bay. They've spent the night away from home, staying with relatives on higher ground as Cyclone Hale set floodwaters lapping at their doors. Shanan Gray from the Uawa Civil Defence group in Tolaga Bay spoke to Charlotte Cook.
A state of emergency was declared last night in Tairāwhiti and an estimated 30 families were evacuated from homes in Tolaga Bay. And about 3am, the Hikuwai River reached 13.4m, although it has since fallen as the rains ease. Tairāwhiti has received a soaking since Sunday, with one weather station between Tolaga Bay and Tokomaru Bay recording 372mm of rain since Sunday afternoon. Gisborne/Wairoa Federated Farmers president Toby Williams has been sitting watch, and spoke to Charlotte Cook.
Contractors in Tairāwhiti are facing a myriad of roadblocks as they try to fix the region's roads. Repair works are being hampered by the closure of State Highway 35 from Potaka to Tolaga Bay, as well as Covid-19 staffing shortages. The main roadblock on that highway is in Tokomaru Bay, where a large chunk of the Mangahauini Bridge has been swallowed in the storm. Tairāwhiti Contractors director Kat Kaiwai spoke to Guyon Espiner.
Gisborne and smaller settlements up the coast are still cut off with major damage to roads and bridges after this weeks deluge. Firefighters and St John personnel remain on standby in Tolaga Bay, in case locals need emergency medical care. The clean-up bill from the 2018 floods in Tolaga Bay was more than $10 million. Tolaga Bay Civil Defence manager Greg Shelton spoke to Corin Dann.
The heavy rain that hit the Tairāwhiti region over the past two days is moving south towards Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa. There are no reports of the rain causing any major problems or damage at this stage. About 20 local roads are shut in central Hawke's Bay, as well as dozens across Wairoa and north of Gisborne. State Highway 35 remains closed between Tolaga Bay and Potaka due to slips and other hazards, but Gisborne is no longer cut off. Reporter Andrew McRae is at the Waipaoa river south of Gisborne.
The rain is falling again in Tairāwhiti, which is already in a state of emergency after 300mm of rain fell in 24 hours. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6301551754001 More than 100 people have had to evacuate, others remain cut off by flooding, roads have been washed away and more rain is on the way. Our reporter Tom Kitchin is in Tolaga Bay and filed this report.
Raging rivers across Tairāwhiti are prompting multiple warnings. Civil Defence has issued a fresh flood warning for the Hikuwai River, which is near a peak of just over 12 metres. Mangatuna residents have been ordered to evacuate, and residents further south in Tolaga Bay could be next. State Highway 35 between Gisborne and Potaka remains closed due to flooding and washouts - that's a nearly 200 kilometre stretch of road servicing the region. Gisborne Civil Defence Emergency Management group controller David Wilson spoke to Corin Dann.
Wild weather is continuing in Tairāwhiti this morning, following a tense night for many in the sodden region. Tolaga Bay area civil defence officer Greg Sheltford spoke to Corin Dann.
The area between Tolaga Bay and Tokomaru Bay has been particularly hard hit, closing the highway around East Cape to Opotiki, David Wilson is Tairawhiti's Civil Defence Group controller.
On the North Island's East Coast there has been severe flooding in Tolaga Bay and Tokomaru Bay. Reporter Hamish Cardwell has the details.
There has been severe flooding in the Tolaga Bay and Tokomaru Bay on the East coast. Civil Defence teams went door to door to evacuate some areas as flood waters threatened the area. Gisborne's Civil Defence Manager Ben Green spoke to Morning Report.
Tolaga Bay has been hit by flooding after heavy rain overnight. Tolaga Bay Deputy Civil Defence Officer Nori Paratais also the principal of Tolaga bay area school.