Hardware stores step up to help community

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

GISBORNE hardware stores are doing their bit to ensure essential supplies get into the region while also helping with the clean-up.

“Our Gisborne store and trade centre are open and trading normal hours to serve our customers,” Bunnings head of operations Derek Powell said.

“Team members have been out in the community in Tairāwhiti helping with the clean-up, alongside volunteers.

“We've donated products and materials, including gumboots, clean-up gear, PPE, storage supplies, water, batteries, generators and gas cylinders to community groups, Civil Defence and emergency services.

“We know the clean-up and recovery will take some time and our team will continue to work closely with the local community over the coming weeks and months.

“We'll also continue to work closely with our suppliers to ensure we have a good supply of essential items . . . and that any products in high demand are restocked as quickly as possible.”

Mitre10 Gisborne co-owner Geoff Taylor said the store was able to stay open through the disaster to sell essential items like generators, torches, gas cookers, gas bottles and batteries.

“We were completely cleaned out of those lines on the Tuesday.

“The rest of week we saw water containers and clean-up equipment fly out the door.

“We managed to iMessage some orders out on Thursday for additional stock and we are seeing those lines arriving now.

“We were lucky to secure over 100 generators which have arrived to help those here and up the Coast who still have no power.

“Most of our team's houses were OK but we had a team member impacted out at Te Karaka, so we sent some team members out to help with the clean-up on Friday along with donating gumboots to the clean-up effort.

“As soon as the road to Wairoa opened up on Saturday we managed to take a trailer load of bottled water to Hammer Hardware in Wairoa.

“We expect demand for building supplies to increase as people start on repairs so we have placed additional orders for plaster board etcetera.”