Gisborne business leader calls for long-term solutions amid ongoing cycle of weather events, clean-ups

A section of State Highway 2 between Ōpōtiki and Mātāwai was closed for two weeks by slips. Photo / NZTA

By RNZ

Economic confidence in Tairāwhiti is being lost because of the constant weather impacts on its road network, a Gisborne business leader says.

Heavy rain and severe flooding swept across the North Island last month, battering communities on the East Coast.

Richard Burke, former chief executive of horticulture company Leaderbrand, called for a regional and national discussion about long-term transport routes, amid the cycle of weather events and clean-ups.

A section of State Highway 2 between Ōpōtiki and Mātāwai was closed for two weeks by multiple slips and flooding. Road crews worked on 40 different sites along the road, including eight with severe damage.

Since Monday, a single lane has been open, with convoys running three times a day in either direction.

Burke told Morning Report that a lot of money had been spent fixing problems rather than looking at “the core issues”.

“People want to talk about the cost of road closures. But the real cost is a lack of investment coming into the region as a result of uncertainty.

“We’ve got to start thinking longer term and bigger picture, around how do we not only resolve the issue, but get the region standing on its own feet again. Because there’s a whole lot of really good stuff that happens down here, but we miss it in all the issues that are being created by poor infrastructure and changing weather patterns.”

Burke questioned whether existing routes were still fit for purpose.

“The roading infrastructure that comes into the region was really developed by our forefathers, who rode horses and stuck to rivers and those sort of things. Whereas now we’re running big trucks and big equipment.

“And if you’re building that road today, would you really stick to the same path, knowing what the issues were.”

Richard Burke, former chief executive of horticulture company Leaderbrand. Photo / RNZ, Kate Green

A rethink on alternative routes out of the region was needed, he said.

“I’m not underestimating the geological issues that are involved here, because there’s some big hills and some real challenges there. But, you know, unless we start looking at that, we’re not going to get out of the cycle we’re in.

“We’re just in this cycle of event, of clean-up, of event, of clean-up. And we’re just losing confidence in the region as a result.”

He felt the region was becoming less attractive for investors because of a lack of certainty and resilience.

“We’ve got some good natural resources down here. We can grow stuff really well.

“But if you can’t be confident of getting stuff out of town or to market, and you can’t attract people here because they feel isolated, then you’re not going to build a decent-sized business.

“So your investment decisions are very different. I think that’s the big cost for the region.”

The Government had shown in the past that it was prepared to “bite the bullet” by funding unpopular and costly projects, including the Clyde Dam, he said.

“Imagine if we hadn’t done that. It would have cost a lot more now, and where would we be with our power industry?

“I know it’s a long-term process, but we’ve got to get serious about starting that and put some real attention into it and be brave enough to take some of these projects on.

“Otherwise, we’re not going to move forward.”