Iwi underwrites $2.5m to continue the clean up of flood damaged homes in Wairoa

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

Wairoa post-settlement governance entity Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa announced today it will underwrite $2.5 million to enable urgently needed work to continue on hundreds of flood damaged homes in the Wairoa district.

Chairman of Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Leon Symes says iwi have demonstrated the ability to respond more quickly to the needs of "our entire community. Our whānau can’t wait”.

“The $2.5m is needed now while we work with others to find the rest of the repair costs estimated to be at least $10m,” Mr Symes said.

The Hawke’s Bay town suffered severe damage when the Wairoa river, which runs through the town burst its banks, flooding nearby homes and businesses.

Over 300 residential properties - 30 percent of the local housing stock - was affected, with hundreds ofwhānau displaced.

“As a community, predominately Māori, we suffer some of the highest health and social inequities. The impact of cyclone Gabrielle means addressing these will take even longer,” Mr Symes said.

Damage to roading and infrastructure has left Wairoa cut-off from neighbouring main centres,

Gisborne and Napier. The road to Napier remains closed, indefinitely.

“We are politically and geographically isolated. We need a locally led solution, enabled through our Government partnership to address the needs of our community,” he said.

The $2.5m underwrite will come out of the iwi’s financial redress which was part of their 2016 Iwi and Hapū of Te Rohe o Te Wairoa treaty settlement with the crown.

The trust anticipates the money will be recuperated in time through insurance claims and flood relief funding.

Mr Symes said: “This is the time for our Government partner to act for the community of Wairoa.”