Opinion: Government risks losing rural New Zealand, who were left to fight Cyclone Gabrielle’s effects on their own

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OPINION:

There is a time and place for criticism of disaster responses.

Now may not be the right time, with indications the death toll from Cyclone Gabrielle will continue to rise from the 11 counted on Monday morning.

But unfortunately for many in rural areas, the situation is dire and calls for support are becoming more urgent by the hour.

Many will have seen and heard the countless stories of heroic rescues and community co-operation from across various rural settlements, like those in Hawke’s Bay.

Communities like Dartmoor, Puketapu, Puketitiri, Rissington, Patoka, Waihau - they banded together to create ingenious solutions to the array of obstacles thrown at them.

But from the moment the cyclone hit, residents were largely left to their own devices.

There were some helicopters in the air, but clearly not enough. The Herald has heard and reported harrowing stories from several families who tried calling 111 as floodwaters quickly rose in their homes, only to be told they were on their own or faced an unknown waiting period for rescue.

That initial delay is perhaps understandable, given how widespread the damage was. The fact is, there are only so many helicopters and only so many pilots to fly them at a moment’s notice.

The damage from the cyclone is incredibly widespread.

But what came in the days following the cyclone cannot be justified.

Some of the aforementioned communities saw no support for days. Looking around at their homes and livelihoods reduced to nothing, they thought help was surely on its way.

As reserves of fuel, food and water ran dangerously low, they thought a supply drop by chopper or truck must be imminent.

Without power to pump their water, they thought portaloos and medical kits were en route, as any cuts risked becoming septic while they waded through the sludge that filled their living rooms.

Unfortunately, it seems the demand nearer to town was too great.

It’s something rural communities are aware of and freely recognise - resources necessary to survive days of isolation aren’t usually common the closer you get to the city centre.

The Puketapu community didn't see significant support for several days after the cyclone. Photo / Mark Mitchell

But almost a week since the rain came, there are still some pockets within the region that are yet to get the support they need.

Farmers are paying thousands of dollars out of their own coffers to charter private helicopter flights to arrange evacuations of children or bring in supplies because publicly contracted operations are too busy with rescues.

Looting, becoming common in town, is spreading into rural areas, putting already traumatised residents further on edge.

Puketapu was among the first of these areas to install roadblocks or checkpoints at access points into their village, and others appear to be following suit.

Among hundreds of examples, the Herald witnessed a farm near Rissington that had lost 75 per cent of its grazing land in slips.

Slips have decimated farmland across the east coast and Hawke's Bay. Photo / Mark Mitchell

At a recent community meeting in Patoka, one woman asked whether the Government’s $4 million fund to assist rural communities could be used to purchase vital farm supplies necessary to keep their animals alive.

All she could be told was that the fund was “very political” and farmers would need to rely on themselves or donations for the moment.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins saw for himself the devastation in Hawke’s Bay on Friday, speaking with multiple search and rescue personnel as well as shelter co-ordinators, but made little time to speak with the people shovelling sludge from their driveways.

Given the latter point, it was perhaps telling Hipkins continued to insist to reporters that the Government was “throwing everything” at the cyclone response.

When Civil Defence controller Ian Macdonald, who was appearing with Hipkins, was asked if the region had enough helicopters, he casually said more would be nice, but he was confident there were enough.

That will provide little comfort for the likes of Puketitiri, which reportedly hadn’t had a supply drop as of Sunday, six days after the cyclone.

Farmers are paying thousands of dollars out of their own coffers to charter private helicopter flights to arrange evacuations of children or bring in supplies. Photo / Mike Scott

Rural folk aren’t likely to scream and shout or complain about their lot. They’ve now got a list of jobs a mile long, one that could take years to complete.

In the meantime, they’re focused on the task at hand - making sure their community survives.

When the dust settles and the days post-cyclone turn into weeks and months, the true scale of the damage and necessary support will become evident.

Hipkins has been lauded for his public management of the largest climate disaster to hit New Zealand in a century, the actions of Auckland mayor Wayne Brown still fresh in the minds of many.

But the Prime Minister risks losing any support he still has in rural communities if he doesn’t direct all the resources he has available to him toward the people who need it now more than ever.