Hon Penny Simmonds
Minister for the Environment
Hon Simeon Brown
Minister of Local Government
Hon Mark Mitchell
Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery
Environment Minister, Penny Simmonds today announced the terms of reference for a rapid review into the Wairoa flood
response.
“The Wairoa community has raised significant concerns about the management of the Wairoa River bar and the impact this
had on flooding of properties in the district,” says Ms Simmonds.
“The Government is committed to addressing those concerns. Starting today, a qualified independent reviewer will lead an
urgent and targeted review into the flood response.”
“The review will look at whether there was adequate monitoring of the state of the Wairoa River bar; whether correct
decisions were made in a timely way; and whether there were any other actions that could have been taken.”
The review is expected to take around four weeks, with findings and recommendations to be presented to the Hawke’s Bay
Regional Council, Wairoa District Council and Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust in August.
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says he hopes the results of the review will be able to support other councils
with their flood management.
“There are sand bars in other parts of the country that have similar complexities and challenges to the Wairoa bar.
Other councils may benefit from the findings of the review as they develop practical plans for building resilience and
responding to these events.”
Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery Mark Mitchell says Wairoa deserve answers around the decisions and
actions taken in managing the bar.
“Last month’s flooding has been really tough for Wairoa. They should expect that flood management is monitored
adequately, with timely actions taken to minimise the impact on the community. This review seeks to provide answers for
Wairoa in relation to the recent flooding event and identify where improvements are needed to protect their community
against future events.”