Cyclone Gabrielle: Strong words for those not helping in Gabrielle’s wake

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Volunteer workers have been out in force in Wairoa continuing the massive clean-up after the floods that followed Cyclone Gabrielle.

And some of them had some strong words for others who weren’t lending a hand.

Will Kereru was among a group he described as “a bunch of like-minded builders in town who want to help out and who understand what to do.

“Not a lot of people know what’s going on so we’ve decided to do this on our own (because) these poor people can’t wait. Look at their carpets — still soaking. The silt inside the wall frame is 15 centimetres and that stuff becomes a contaminant straight away.”

The group was at the sixth house where they had lent a hand. They were cutting out wet gib board and stacking ruined furniture and effects at the front gate for the elderly owner.

One of their group with digger driving experience was trying to clear the vast blanket of silt that had engulfed the house.

“It’s those people who are uninsured that we’re trying to help the most ‘cos there’s a lot of misinformation out there ,” Kereru said.

For insured owners they could only really give advice and recommendations as they were unable to do much actual work as it could affect their later insurance claims.

He and his mates were glad to be among the people and businesses doing all they could help, Kereru said. He was critical of people who weren’t.

Locals helping clean up around houses in Gisborne after Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo: RNZ/Nathan McKinnon

“This brings out the best and the worst in humanity.”

The army had to go to a nearby street to stop people looting the evacuated houses.

He was “disgusted” by what he’d heard about people using stand-over tactics to steal things from people who essentially now had nothing.

It was “sickening” that people were taking advantage of the situation, he said.

He would personally like to see the offenders “named and shamed”.

That said, he was also aware that gossip had become rife during the crisis.

He was also critical of people who had attempted to take advantage of a bad situation by trying to sell their wares.

“We want to know what you’ve got to offer (free) — not what the price is.”