Lotto Powerball win in Wairoa: Mayor Craig Little’s advice to $10.3 million jackpot winner

The Mayor of Wairoa is advising the lucky person who may be the Hawke’s Bay township’s latest millionaire to keep quiet about their new-found riches.

Craig Little was today celebrating the winning $10.3 million Powerball jackpot ticket being sold by a supermarket in Wairoa and hoped it would be a boon for one lucky resident.

“It’s pretty exciting all right,” said Little.

“There’ll be a lot of people scrambling around getting their tickets to see if it’s them or not.”

However, in the midst of celebrations, he recommended the winner keep their identity confidential for the meantime.

“My advice to them is don’t tell a soul, just keep it to yourself.”

Little said this would avoid getting hassled by others wanting stuff.

After a challenging year with Cyclone Gabrielle leaving so many locals with wrecked properties and possessions, he said this was a piece of good news for Wairoa.

The streets of Wairoa are inundated with silt after Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Gisborne Herald

He hoped the multi-million dollar prize had gone to a resident.

“There are not a lot of tourists coming through at the moment so let’s hope it’s someone local and someone who really needs it.

“Believe me, there’s a lot of people over in North Clyde who really need it. "

Residential areas north of the Wairoa River were hit hard when water cascaded over banks at the showgrounds and inundated surrounding streets and homes.

More than 150 homes were damaged in the flood with three made uninhabitable. The town was left isolated for weeks after roads and bridges connecting Wairoa to the East Coast and Hawke’s Bay were washed out.

Flooding in Wairoa after the river burst its banks due to heavy rain from Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Wairoa District Council's Emergency Controller

Today Wairoa was abuzz after the winning ticket was bought at the town’s New World supermarket.

The store’s Lotto manager Michele Lynch was over the moon with delight.

“I’m so excited - even if it’s not me who has won. For my town it’s a big thing,” she said.

“It’s going to be the talk of the town for the whole week.”

Lynch said everyone was speculating who had won but all hoped that it was a resident.

“We’re all wishing it is going to be a local from Wairoa - that’s all we wish for.”

A drone-eye view of the destroyed bridge, the Bailey Bridge, and the gathering marking the reconnection of Wairoa with the rest of Hawke's Bay almost 90 days after Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Paul Taylor

She said customers noted the large jackpots kept going elsewhere across the country but she was always confident Wairoa would be in the money “one day.

“I always told them ‘We’re going to get it one day, just keep on trying’.”

Soon after the store had opened for the day the winner had not yet come forward and Lynch was scrambling to find the winner poster that she would hang in the front window.

Little said unfortunately for him he did not buy a ticket this week so he could not be counted in the winner’s circle.

But he said it was great for the supermarket that sold the ticket, with the store only opening recently.

The draw saw two other players win Division One netting $333,333 each.

Those tickets were bought from Fresh Choice Geraldine and on MyLotto by a player from Auckland.