Cyclone Gabrielle: Buy-out meetings under way

One result of the cyclone in Pākōwhai in the Hastings District. Photo / NZME

About 90 per cent of the property owners with Category 3 Cyclone Gabrielle listings have indicated they are ready to “engage” with councils over voluntary buy-out processes, according to the Hastings District Council.

The properties mainly located in parts of the Hastings District north, south and west of Napier are considered prone to the risks of extreme weather and no longer suitable for habitation.

A council statement, which marks nine months since the February 13-14 calamity, said that by Monday all 140 property owners – 126 in the Hastings District and 14 in Napier – had been contacted and 90 per cent indicated they were ready to engage in the four-step process towards settlement in the 50/50 Government and Councils Voluntary Buy-Out (VBO) settlement process.

They do have the option of withdrawing at any stage, but 85 have had their first in-person meeting or are scheduled to do so.

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the priority is to help people get to a point where they can get on with their lives as quickly as possible.

“Having the buy-out office make such excellent progress in the time they have had since the funding agreement was settled between Government and councils is heartening,” she said. “But I’m aware this will not be the answer everyone wanted.”

She said she’s also “acutely aware” that people in Category 2 areas are still waiting on solutions that will help them make decisions, and assured residents that the council is working closely with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council on what can be done to mitigate the risks.

Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said it had been a long and challenging journey for Category 3 property owners, and she’s relieved that affected property owners now have a clear way to progress their buyouts and can move forward with their lives.

“I am grateful for their patience as our teams throughout the region have worked through this extremely complex process,” she said.

Support for owners of properties within Category 2 and 3 areas continued, with every owner in Category 3 areas assigned a community connector to facilitate contact with appropriate services, including building officers, social services and mental health support. Connectors are also available for those residents in Category 2C and 2P.