Senior project manager appointed for Wairoa

The senior project manager for the $70 million flood mitigation works to protect Wairoa from weather events like Cyclone Gabrielle has been appointed.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) has announced the appointment of Steve Fabish as senior project manager for the Crown-funded Wairoa flood mitigation project.

Before joining HBRC, Fabish held senior management roles at Hauraki, Ashburton and Matamata-Piako district councils.

In 2023, he took on an executive leadership role at Wairoa District Council to assist the organisation post-Cyclone Gabrielle and for the past 12 months he has worked in Gisborne as the FOSAL (Future of Severely Affected Land) recovery programme manager.

“It’s great to be able to reconnect with the people of Wairoa and work hard towards a successful outcome for what I know will be a challenging but beneficial project for the community,” Fabish said.

“I am also looking forward to working again with Wairoa District Council, Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust, and the newly-appointed Crown manager, Lawrence Yule.

“We are committed to giving Wairoa an effective flood mitigation solution and it’s an exciting opportunity to manage a project that will improve the resilience of the region.”

The Wairoa project is the largest in HBRC’s NIWE (North Island Weather Event) Flood Resilience Programme and is wholly funded by the Crown.

The $70 million project aims to move Category 2C properties into Category 1, where they can then be repaired or rebuilt.

“We’re thrilled to get someone with Steve’s experience managing our Wairoa flood mitigation work,” HBRC manager regional projects Jon Kingsford said.

“He has a proven track record of handling complex and challenging projects and his experience working and living in the area will be invaluable in helping us effectively communicate and engage with the community.”

Wairoa-based regional councillor Di Roadley is also delighted with the new appointment.

“He brings learned experience from his previous role in Wairoa during the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. He knows the challenges facing our community well and will be a real asset to the project team.”

Fabish will be supported in this work by recently appointed engagement adviser and Wairoa local Sue Wilson.