Cyclone Gabrielle: Category 2P property owners still waiting for answers

While all talk is of Category 3 and Category 1 building zones, some may end up in another category to which only 27 properties across the region currently belong. Category 2P residents say they are still waiting to be told what needs to be done to protect their homes, while they run out of time and money. James Pocock reports.

Six months on from Cyclone Gabrielle, teacher Jen Robertson and her neighbours have not yet been able to start rebuilding and move on.

A cluster of 16 Category 2P properties sits along Ohiti Rd, in between Ōmahu and Crownthorpe.

More 2P areas exist near Rissington, Pākōwhai, Waiohiki and Waipawa.

Category 2P means that “property-level interventions” are required to manage future severe weather event risk in tandem with “community-level interventions” (like stopbanks), the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council says.

Information from the council suggests “property-level interventions” are at a cost for the property owners and could include drainage improvements and raising houses.

“Benefits accrue to property owners but some may face affordability issues,” according to the definition of Category 2P.

Robertson says the group has been asking the Hastings District Council what needs to be done to improve the flood resilience of their land and allow them to move forward with rebuilding, but they have not yet had any firm direction beyond the generalised suggestions the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has published.

Raising the properties is not financially or practically viable for residents as most, if not all, sit on concrete pads.

“We are just in limbo. This 2P category they created, but they didn’t even know what it means for us,” Robertson said.

“I’ve got friends who said if they didn’t know me personally then they wouldn’t have known 2P even existed.”

She said her home was only built about nine years ago.

“Nine years ago they said it was all good to build there and now nobody wants to help with any kind of funding. The insurance companies won’t cover it because it is an improvement to the property,” she said.

The Kizilays had about 1.2 metres of floodwater through their Ohiti Rd property, but Carol Kizilay says other homes nearby experienced no flooding - or even flooding up to their roof. Photo / Warren Buckland

Ersel and Carol Kizilay live next door to Robertson and saw 1.2 metres of water sweep through their property during Cyclone Gabrielle. They have concerns mirroring Robertson’s.

“[The Hastings District Council] hasn’t given us any answers, they are not sure if we are in the right category or not,” Carol Kizilay said.

“Our house is at the ‘deep end’, we call it. Right at the end of our road, which is only eight or nine houses away, they didn’t have any water in their property at all and they are still in the 2P area. There is a lady across from us who should be Category 3, she had water almost up to her roof.”

Amanda Maclean said there had been a distinct lack of progress between two community meetings held by the Hastings District Council, along with the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, since the categories were announced.

“The council has still been unable to answer questions raised at the very first meeting,” Maclean said.

“A lot of people’s temporary accommodation supplements are running out, which raises the stress levels because you think, ‘building hasn’t even started and building itself will take a length of time’.”

She said that six months in, they felt like no one cared about their situation.

“With people’s mental health, it does take a massive toll when you don’t know and you can’t do anything. You are sitting in limbo and the frustration is growing and growing,” Maclean said.

“We are in this little lost category.”

Ohiti Rd, between Ōmahu and Crownthorpe, has multiple properties in Category 2P. There are 27 properties across Hawke's Bay in the category as of August, according to the Hawke's Bay Regional Council. Photo / Warren Buckland

A Hawke’s Bay Regional Council spokeswoman said land categorisations were still provisional.

“All categorisations are still provisional for the time being, and further investigation and information gathering, including from affected landowners, is taking place before they are finalised,” the spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman did not elaborate beyond existing Hawke’s Bay Regional Council information about what property-level interventions may be required on 2P land.

James Pocock joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2021 and writes breaking news and features, with a focus on environment, local government and post-cyclone issues in the region. He has a keen interest in finding the bigger picture in research and making it more accessible to audiences. He lives in Napier. Contact him on james.pocock@nzme.co.nz.