Six months to the day Cyclone Gabrielle struck: Honours, heroes and awards

A common scene of storm debris, the likes of which attracted hundreds of helpers, both paid and unpaid, to assist with clean-up efforts following Cyclone Gabrielle.

Hundreds of people who’ve performed heroic deeds in Cyclone Gabrielle and worked unrelentingly in recovery efforts have been hosted and recognised at events such as a Brisbane Broncos training run at McLean Park and the naming of the All Blacks Rugby World Cup squad.

But, with much of Hawke’s Bay looking little different from how it did six months ago - to the day - after the February 14 disaster and a full recovery years away for many of the victims, there will be the more official recognition, starting with Napier City Council’s decision to turn its annual Civic Awards (first held in 1977) into the Cyclone Gabrielle Recognition Awards.

They’ll be held on September 7, and will also be one of the first civic events at the War Memorial Centre since its rededication and re-opening last week. The awards are specifically for volunteers whose efforts have been in an unpaid capacity.

The council called for nominations, which closed on June 30, and following an assessment by a council Civic Awards panel consisting of Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise and councillors Maxine Boag and Juliet Greig, awards will be presented to about 40 individuals and groups.

Wise says the acts being recognised range from rescues in the storm to ongoing generosity and assistance, such providing meals or otherwise helping people as the region continues to deal with losses of life, losses of homes, losses of business, losses of bridges and some of the most extensive damage in any New Zealand disaster since the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake.

The council appreciates it’s still early days for many people, but a spokesperson said: “It’s really important to find as many ways as possible to acknowledge those who have been through so much and who have worked so hard for the greater good of our community.”

In notifying that it was planning the awards and calling for nominations, the council said it would be “recognising those that have gone above and beyond to help our community in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle”.

“These awards recognise outstanding members of our community for their contribution to helping our community respond to the devastating effects of Cyclone Gabrielle,” council said.

Extending beyond the geographical boundaries of the city, the council said nominees had to reside within the area of the eight marae of Te Taiwhenua o te Whanganui-a-Orotū, thus including such areas as far afield as Te Haroto, Tangoio, Waiohiki and Kohupātiki.

They would have provided a high level of voluntary service benefiting the local community in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, but were not eligible for these awards if they were receiving a salary for their service, and current city councillors were not eligible.

No other council in Hawke’s Bay is understood to be yet planning Cyclone Gabrielle-specific awards and Wise was unaware of others which may be held, locally or regionally, although she does expect there will be others.

She said in the next few months, councils would be “knee-deep” in other matters related to the recovery, including buyout negotiations for destroyed homes.

In Wairoa, Mayor Craig Little said there were many heroic and selfless acts he hopes will be recognised in time, but it’s too early as the district and its population of over 9000 is still struggling to recover, albeit being buoyed by the recent announcement of $70 million for river flood protection for the town.

Other than annual Civic Awards, the September 7 event will be the biggest awards ceremony recognising special community service since bravery awards were given out for police, ambulance staff and members of the public after the May 2009 Napier siege – Jan Molenaar’s fatal shooting of police officer Len Snee, wounding of two other officers and one civilian and the two-day siege that followed before the gunman was found dead inside his home.