Tairāwhiti

The devastated stretch of SH2 between Napier and Wairoa has reopened, and reporter Kate Green drove the highway to get an early glimpse of how it lies now.

Part of Tairāwhiti's main coastal highway will close tonight, as Easter travellers flood the roads and heavy rains are forecast, with no date for its reopening.

Exhaustion, frustration and an air of sadness could be felt at a Tolaga Bay meeting, as people shared emotional accounts of the impact of slash and recent cyclones.

More than a month after Cyclone Gabrielle hit, Gisborne locals are fed up with water restrictions as the council struggles to fix multiple breaks in the city's main pipeline.

Tensions have run high in Tokomaru Bay over the district council's handling of convoys which have proven a life-line to residents needing to access Gisborne.

It is not too early to talk about retreating rather than rebuilding after Cyclone Gabrielle, says an engineer who helped move an entire Australian town after floods. Audio

Communities isolated by Cyclone Gabrielle are making the best of things as Civil Defence tries to keep essential supplies flowing.

The second day of Te Matatini brought another 15 groups, including Wairoa's kapa Mātangirau - who journeyed through mud, break-downs and broken roads.

Dr Ayesha Verrall describes access to health services for some cyclone-hit communities as a "an incredibly challenging situation" but says provisions are being made. Audio

Overstayers in cyclone-hit regions should be granted an amnesty, a Tongan community leader says. Audio

Cleaning up the flood silt is like scooping up sludgy stinky cow pats, one Gisborne resident says after Cyclone Gabrielle, as he reflects on regrowing his garden.

A Tolaga Bay leader says they need basic supplies like cleaning equipment, skips and a dump that is open so people can start clearing sludge from their homes. Audio

Civil Defence has spelled out which Gisborne businesses can open under water restrictions and what rules they must follow.

RNZ reporter Kate Green joined a Civil Defence fly-over in Tairāwhiti as the crew surveyed the extent of cyclone damage and unchecked zones.

The death of a child on a slash-covered beach could have been prevented, residents say, and the tragedy has reignited calls for action on forestry slash. Audio

The state of emergency could soon be lifted, as Tairāwhiti authorities work to restore basic services to communities reeling from Cyclone Hale as more rain threatens.

Tairāwhiti has the highest hazardous drinking rate in the country according to a report presented to Gisborne District Council.

Locals say Tairāwhiti has had a constant hammering of bad weather - with at least five storms in the past year shutting off roads and cutting off communities.

Flooding in the Gisborne region has closed State Highway 35 in two places between Hicks Bay and Te Araroa, and between Tokomaru Bay and Te Puia Springs. Audio

More than 1000 fake vaccination bookings have hampered efforts to get people jabbed in Tairāwhiti, the region with the lowest Covid-19 vaccination rates.