Morning Report for Sunday 19 February 2023

7.07 Cyclone Gabrielle: The latest from Hasting's Civil Defence centre

Our reporter Lauren Crimp speaks to Max Towle from the Civil Defence centre in Hastings.

7.10 Australian firefighters assist recovery efforts.

Australian firefighters have touched down in Aotearoa to assist in recovery efforts.

25 Fire and Rescue Service specialist firefighters from Queensland arrived yesterday, and will get to work assessing the damage on the ground, and just generally help out local crews. 

Max speaks to Inspector Graeme Hall, who is leading the team.

7.15 Cyclone Gabrielle: The latest from Gisborne's Civil Defence centre

Water has been the pressing concern in Gisborne. 

Midday Report's Mani Dunlop is at the city's Civil Defence centre.

7.20 Update from Waka Kotahi 

The roading network remains particularly fragile across much of the upper North Island following Cyclone Gabrielle.

But there is some progress being made.

Wayne Oldfield from Waka Kotahi's National Emergency Response team is with me now and Wayne, what is the latest, particularly in the Gisborne/East Cape region?

7.25 Update from Napier Mayor, Kirsten Wise

Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise provides an update on the city's response to Cyclone Gabrielle. 

7.33 Massive clean-up underway in Wairoa 

 In the northern Hawke's Bay town of Wairoa, communication and road links have been steadily improving.

But, as elsewhere, the clean-up is massive.

Reporter Jonty Dine spent yesterday with residents just trying to come to terms with the enormity of what's hit them.

7.38 Update from Federated Farmers

With thousands of hectares of farmland coated with silt across much of the Upper North Island, there are concerns about how farmers are going to be able to feed their animals.

Even before Cyclone Gabrielle the rural sector was under pressure, thanks to dry conditions in Otago and Southland, and a poor maize crop in parts of the North Island due to earlier bad weather.

Federated Farmers has restarted its national Feed Coordination Service to help with the recovery.

7.40 Cyclone Gabrielle: Eskdale Valley

Diggers have arrived in the rural Hawke's Bay community of Eskdale to clear vast quantities of mud and debris, and help residents to view their homes. 

Tess Brunton has been in the Esk Valley to witness the damage.

7.43 Cyclone Gabrielle: Waiohiki

We've heard some incredible stories from Waiohiki this week, of cars and indeed entire houses sweeping right through in the flooding...

One resident of Waiohiki says the only reason they're alive is because a dog warned them of the impending flood.

The town, made up of several dozen houses and a marae, has been completely smashed; almost every home was flooded when the river tore holes through the stop banks.

Like everywhere else, the focus is now shifting to the clean-up - and the community coming together to help clear silt and get rid of water logged belongings.

Our reporter Sally Murphy was there.

7.45 Update from Tararua Mayor

The Tararua district remains under a state of emergency.

Yesterday, the Mayor Tracey Collis and Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty, surveyed the damage from the air.

She speaks to Max Towle abut what she saw. 

7.50 Cyclone Gabrielle: Pamu Farms
Pamu, the state owned farming enterprise, has been flying supplies to its farms that have been left isolated by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Seven of its farms are impacted on the East Coast, five of which were completely cut off until yesterday, when satellite communication was provided via helicopter.

Pamu chief executive Mark Leslie was on the flights, and says while people are safe in the inland valleys, they could be isolated for some time due to the extent of the damage.

He spoke with Morning Report producer Ben Strang.

7.55 Kokiri Marae helping those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle

Marae across the mōtu are springing into action to help people impacted by the cyclone.

Kokiri marae in Lower Hutt is taking donations of supplies for the East Coast.

General Manager Tina Olsen-Rātana speaks to Max Towle.