“Our crews have been working really hard to offer as much support as we can to the people of Tairāwhiti,” he said.
“It has been great to be a part of the whole of government response, and hopefully to make a positive difference for the people who have been affected the most.
“When we first arrived into Napier, we could see how badly they had been affected. It was sobering to see the scale of the damage. Luckily the airfields in Gisborne and Napier were in good condition so we were able to get stuck in and help right away.”
Squadron Leader Morris was also involved in the response to the Kaikoura earthquakes in 2016, and Tongan volcano support in 2022.
“This work has been really rewarding. It’s a chance for us to make a positive difference for people who are doing it tough. For most of us this is why we joined the NZDF, so it feels good to know we’re doing our bit.
“We spend a lot of time participating in exercises with our partners and it’s at times like these that all the training pays off.”
The commander overseeing the Defence Force’s response, Colonel Mel Childs, said the Defence Force had responded fully to the disaster, with more than 900 Defence Force personnel deployed.
“We have highly trained and highly skilled people who are proud to be able to help these communities who have been through so much. Many of our people have friends and family in the area, and we take great pride in responding to the needs of fellow Kiwis,” she said.
“It has been particularly rewarding to see that we can offer help from air, from land and from sea, utilising all of our capabilities and specialist skills. We are a Force for New Zealand and I think the whole country has seen that.”
What they did here
They supported evacuation and relief efforts in the East Coast and a C-130 Hercules conducted surveillance and reconnaissance flights along the coast.
On February 15 another C-130 Hercules moved communications staff (and a Pinzgauer truck) from Linton to Gisborne to establish communications and situational awareness.
They arranged the movement of water treatment plants to Gisborne and Wairoa.
The HMNZS Manawanui arrived in Tairawhiti on February 16 and HMNZS Te Mana sailed to Napier, supplying Wairoa with water and other essential supplies en route. HMNZS Manawanui dropped off food and water in Tokomaru Bay which was very gratefully received by locals. Overall, HMNZS Manawanui visited six East Coast communities.
On February 16 two light armoured vehicles (NZLAV) from the NZ Army checked a road route to Gisborne in order to move a larger military reverse-osmosis water treatment plant and army staff to Gisborne. This plant was too large for air transport and is capable of producing 3000 litres of water per hour. A NH-90 helicopter moved NZDF military satellite communications staff to Wairoa and a C-130 Hercules moved army satellite communications staff to Gisborne to establish communications and situational awareness for local emergency management staff.
The C-130 Hercules transported 600kg of civilian communications equipment and 45 oxygen bottles to Gisborne Hospital.
The HMNZS Manawanui anchored off Gisborne and conducted a survey of the harbour area and berth and supplies were ferried ashore by rigid hull inflatable life rafts. This ship was able to later berth at Gisborne Port and unload more supplies.
A C-130 Hercules brought a further water treatment plant to help restore water facilities to Gisborne. It also carried medical supplies including 80 oxygen bottles and electrical supply parts to assist in the reconnection of power.
NH-90 helicopters flew in vital water pump parts to help overcome the damage to pipes in the region.
LAV road checks on the inland road between Murupara and Wairoa were carried out to allow heavy emergency vehicles to move critical supplies into these areas.
The team also identified suitable areas for helicopters to land and bring in supplies. Water treatment units were installed in Wairoa and four Defence Force staff with communications assisted the local responders in Wairoa.
By February 20, NZDF had more than 950 personnel involved in response efforts as it continued to support Civil Defence Emergency Management groups in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay with multiple activities.
The NZ Army continued to check the viability of routes, deliver water and stores to communities and provide support to distribution centres. Groups continued to move by road to connect with and resupply communities and assist with the clean-up effort.
Air Force NH-90 helicopters continued to resupply water, critical fuel and generators to isolated communities, as well as evacuating personnel on request. C-130 Hercules aircraft transported water, Starlink systems, sanitary items, baby formula, oxygen and supplies for other government agencies.
In the last weekend of February, HMNZS Manawanui offloaded supplies at the Port of Gisborne and cleared the Gisborne Coast Guard boat ramp before sailing to isolated coastal towns for resupply and checking in on remote coastal communities. They provided further support to those communities along the East Coast north of Tairāwhiti.
HMNZS Manawanui checked on isolated coastal communities along the East Coast, delivering supplies and water and food to places such as Tolaga Bay, Waipiro Bay, Motuhina and Waioue Stream.
Navy divers helped clear the water intake pipe at Gisborne’s water treatment facility and helped clear debris from the surrounding area.
As at February 23, NZ Army personnel centred in Gisborne continued to support the community in response to tasks from the local emergency management group. Light Armoured Vehicles (NZLAV) continued to check accessibility of routes around the Gisborne area.
A Royal Australian Air Force team conducted surveys of airfields in the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti regions to assess their usability by aircraft such as the C-27Js.
By the end of February teams were still out checking routes to isolated communities and delivering supplies throughout the region by road and air using NH90 helicopters, a Seasprite helicopter and NZ Army trucks.
In the Tairāwhiti, Gisborne and East Coast regions NZDF continued to support tasks as requested by the ECC.
A SH-2G Seasprite helicopter flew over the coastline and townships north of Gisborne to provide an update on the state of isolated townships and assess access for HMNZS Canterbury’s rigid hull inflatable boats to deliver supplies.
The Australian Defence Force deployed two C-27J Spartan aircraft and crew, a mobile air load team, and environmental health support staff in support of NEMA and the NZDF. While here, they conducted numerous missions transporting personnel, cargo and relief supplies. The environmental health team spent several days on the East Coast testing potentially hazardous water for waterborne diseases.
