Dreams and hopes for Tairāwhiti

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

Politicians, iwi representatives and scientists gathered in Gisborne on Friday to answer the question, “What is the Tairāwhiti special sauce?”

That was the question posted by Doug Jones, chief executive of Trust Tairāwhiti and MC for the Tairāwhiti Tomorrow Together summit.

Just over a year on from the Cyclone Gabrielle disaster, the summit provided an opportunity for people to share their ideas for building the region’s resilience.

Each speaker was given five minutes.

“We live in paradise,” said Mayor Rehette Stoltz, referring to the ocean view from the Midway Surf Rescue Community Hub where the summit was held.

“It’s hard to believe that since 2017 we have had 16 extreme weather events,” she said.

“We need to ask ourselves, ‘what is best for the region?’”

The summit was an opportunity to talk about the region’s collective dreams and aspirations, she said.

The region’s infrastructure and economy were among the big talking points.

Doug Jones said after Cyclone Gabrielle, a “shopping list” was put together of what was needed for recovery. It came to more than $2 billion.

“There’s a lot more work to be done,” he said.

“We can’t keep relying on the Government. We actually have to be proactive around how we are going to find investment.”

The region had a lot of overseas investments, but he questioned whether those relationships were being leveraged enough.

Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery Mark Mitchell said the summit sent a strong signal of unity.

In a pre-recorded video, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stressed the importance of the primary sector, iwi, businesses, and the community on the economy.

“Often the best thing we can do to grow the economy is to get out of your way, and let you take actions that are best for your region,” he said.

Minister for Local Government Simeon Brown highlighted the importance of the alignment between local and central government, and said he was looking for key infrastructure projects to boost productivity.

But the region does face unique challenges.

A number of speakers noted that 25 percent of Tairāwhiti’s land is susceptible to erosion, as opposed to 8 percent nationally.

Teina Moetara, chief executive of the Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust, spoke about mātauranga (knowledge), and “our connection to environment”.

“There’s not enough listening to each other,” he said.

“We need to respect our differences as that is our strength.”

Rata Forest Management managing director Matene Blandford spoke of the silt and woody debris removal work they are doing, and finding new burning techniques.

There was potential to find a way to make woody debris a saleable asset, he said.

Trust Tairāwhiti general manager economic development Richard Searle talked about leveraging the region’s economic foundations and the  need to  increase the region’s skill sets.

Mātai Medical Research Institute founding member Leigh Potter also talked about increasing skills by weaving together mātauranga, science and education.

Gisborne District Council chief executive officer Nedine Thatcher Swann talked about roads, flood protection, and the housing crisis, noting that 5000-plus houses are needed in the region.