Whare Awhina

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

Toitū Tairāwhiti Housing has been working hard to provide temporary accommodation for whānau displaced due to damage to whare from Cyclone Gabrielle.

Over 200 people from Te Araroa to Wairoa have been displaced from their homes.

The hardest hit area is Te Karaka, where about 40 percent of the houses in the area are not insured.

“While we continue with our regular work programme to deliver 500 kāinga over four years, we will accelerate this iwi-led housing programme to build temporary homes for the Te Karaka, Uawa and other badly-affected communities throughout Tairāwhiti and Wairoa,” Toitū Tairāwhiti Housing chief executive Annette Wehi said.

“The offer of awhina (help) from other Māori companies and iwi is humbling and, of course, welcome.

“Te Wharau o Hineakua - Toitū Tairāwhiti Builtsmart is becoming the major hub, the engine room of this activity, as building crews and tradies locally and nationally join Toitū Tairāwhiti.

“Te Haumatakataka o Kaperiera (Cyclone Gabrielle) has left a trail of destruction — family homesteads red- and yellow-stickered (and) anxiety at the sound of rain for many whānau.

“Locals mobilised quickly to provide comfort, hope, kai and emergency accommodation to displaced whānau.

“Plans for more than 100 whare — being built by Toitū Tairāwhiti Housing and other housing suppliers — are under way with our people up at dawn to greet the challenges ahead.”

They are building 30 square metre cabins called whare awhina.

The material for the first six whare awhina arrived this week at the Toitū Tairāwhiti Builtsmart site.

Whare awhina project manager Willie Te Aho says it is a multi-staged process involving response, recovery and achieving resilience.

First off is getting whānau into emergency accommodation such as motels and houses.

Te Karaka Area School was the hub for many families immediately after the flood devastation and the last whānau left on March 3.

“There are other whānau who are living in the Waikohu Golf Club and with other whānau members,” Mr Te Aho said.

“We have had whānau offer us family homes for use right through to STAND/Tu Maia, who have accommodated a whānau of 10,” he said.

The next stage is moving whānau back to Te Karaka and other highly affected areas — like Wairoa, Tolaga Bay, Te Puia Springs/Waipiro, Ruatorea and Te Araroa— and into temporary homes or whare awhina which Toitū Tairāwhiti housing is building or supplying through other housing providers.

After this is repairing their homes and working with insurers.

Finally is moving them back into their homes.

“We will be finalising a long-term plan for the whānau by May 2024, which includes a managed retreat to higher, safer ground with the whānau finalising if they accept that plan,” Mr Te Aho said.

“This has been, and needs to be, led by leaders of the community.”

In Te Karaka, the leadership group are Te Karaka Area School chair Pimia Wehi, principal Renae Savage and Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki trustee Dave Pikia.

“They have been outstanding,” Mr Te Aho said.

Many support services have been assisting local leadership including Civil Defence, Gisborne District Council, Turanga Health, Whānau Ora (Te Runanga o Turanganui-a-Kiwa), builders and countless volunteers who have helped in a range of ways — from removing silt to cooking food for those impacted and workers.