Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith: Palmy helps Napier out after Cyclone Gabrielle

Napier needs our help, with a special support fund set up so Palmy people can contribute to the Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up. Pictured, Redclyffe bridge which was destroyed during the cylcone. Photo / Warren Buckland

Opinon:

We may have been playing dodge-ball with the weather lately, but at least we were able to celebrate our much-loved Festival of Cultures on Saturday.

This is one of the best days of the year, and the colourful event attracted representatives from Wellington embassies, consulates, and high commissions – as well as thousands of festival participants, entertainers and stall holders. The occasion was made all the more special with the Manawatū Multicultural Council marking its 30th anniversary. Adding to the vibrancy was the welcome return of tertiary students to Massey, UCOL/Te Pūkenga and IPU, including recent international students.

However, during the previous weekend across the ranges in Hawke’s Bay, there was no such joy.

Smashed and isolated by Cyclone Gabrielle, without power or communications, roading and infrastructure severely compromised, and thousands reeling and homeless, Napier City had no option but to cancel its famous four-day Art Deco Festival.

We were affected here too by Gabrielle but escaped its full impact. Our services, facilities and amenities weathered the cyclone with minimal consequences, though I acknowledge those living on River Rd in Ashhurst who were flooded out. Council staff were deployed to assist those families in whatever way made a difference to their circumstances and to help them recover.

But in Hawke’s Bay, the situation was unbelievably grim.

People there have lost homes and livelihoods, with their lives critically disrupted, with our staff working in support of Hawke’s Bay emergency operation centres, and within Napier City Council.

I have seen the catastrophic scale of the storm first-hand. Cyclone Hale at Auckland Anniversary weekend was bad enough, but Gabrielle compounded and magnified that, causing so much more widespread devastation. We are continuing to support councils on the east coast by providing staff to plug gaps in their organisations, offer expertise and provide relief wherever we can.

Most importantly, we have set up the Napier-Palmerston North Relief Fund.

Monetary donations at this stage of the recovery are the best way of helping the region get back on its feet, and we are asking businesses, organisations, families and individuals to contribute where they can.

The tradition of helping our east coast neighbours goes back nine decades when Palmerston North took in thousands of Hawke’s Bay residents for an extended period after the Napier Earthquake in 1931. People in the Bay helped us out following the 2004 floods.

Relief and recovery donations can be made to the Napier-Palmerston North Relief Fund bank account 03 0726 0330770 01. There are more details on the PNCC website and social media pages.

Given the trend towards climate volatility, council is aware that we dodged a missile during Gabrielle, and we are focusing on our own resilience in the face of future such events. Council’s big issue of the moment is grappling with the upcoming year’s Annual Plan, with debates and community consultation about to take place.

Weather permitting, this month’s events calendar is pretty exciting. On now is the library’s popular Local History Week. On Sunday, Central Pulse netball takes on the Magic at Fly Palmy Arena, while the city will be hosting the NZ Rural Games at Te Marae o Hine/The Square on the weekend of March 11-12. Tthe following week it’s Central District Field Days at Manfeild. Something to look forward to on April 2 is Super Rugby at CET Arena with the Hurricanes, playing the Western Force.

See you there.