A reflection on the lessons worth carrying forward.

[As published in March/April BayBuzz magazine.]

Most people in Hawke’s Bay don’t need reminding of the widespread impacts caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. The loss of life, the devastation to homes, livelihoods, infrastructure and whenua, and the deep, enduring impacts on our communities were profound. 

It quickly became clear that recovery would not be a matter of simply repairing damage and moving on. It would require sustained effort of assessing and prioritising needs, making funding decisions and addressing major infrastructure rebuilds, housing challenges, land recovery, and long-term resilience – all while many communities were still dealing with the personal and emotional toll of the event.

Early on, Hawke’s Bay’s leaders recognised that effective recovery would require strong, coordinated regional leadership.

That recognition led to the establishment of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Recovery Agency (RRA), which I have had the privilege of being a part of in my role as Oversight Board Independent Chair. 

The RRA was never set up to deliver recovery on the ground. That work has rightly been led by councils, Post-Settlement Governance Entities (PSGEs), iwi and taiwhenua organisations, businesses, households and Government agencies such as NZTA and Transpower. The RRA’s role was to enable recovery – through coordination, programme management, and by providing a coherent regional voice when engaging with central Government and its agencies. Put simply, it was about helping keep the region pulling in the same direction.

One region, one voice

Coordinated leadership across the region has been an essential part of the progress made to date.

A joined-up regional approach allowed Hawke’s Bay to clearly articulate its priorities, and engage more effectively with Government on funding, regulatory and policy settings. It gave decision-makers in Wellington a clear line of sight to what the region needed – and why – while allowing councils, PSGEs, marae and community organisations to concentrate on delivery and community engagement.

Progress across the region, delivered by so many, has been significant, including:

• Major state highway, and local road and bridge recovery programmes now well advanced 

• Flood risk mitigation projects underway

• Resilience principles being applied to infrastructure rebuilds and land-use decision-making 

• Large areas of silt-affected land returned to productive use

• Targeted support delivered to businesses, farmers and growers 

• Relocation of homeowners away from high-risk areas

• Support provided to displaced whānau 

• Delivery of a wide range of wellbeing and psychosocial initiatives

These outcomes reflect the combined effort and significant investment made across the region. 

[Click here for detailed chart on outcomes achieved so far.]

Central Government and its agencies have contributed in excess of $2 billion towards Hawke’s Bay’s recovery, alongside policy and regulatory support. Councils have also committed substantial funding and led major infrastructure delivery, working closely with communities on key recovery issues.

Māori organisations and PSGEs have played a critical role in leading and delivering recovery for their communities, bringing deep knowledge of whānau, capability and long-term perspective to complex local challenges. Businesses have invested substantially to restore productive capacity, community organisations and marae have supported those most affected, and individual whānau have also undertaken their own recovery efforts. The insurance industry has also played an important role in supporting insured households and businesses through their recovery journeys. 

Partnerships that strengthened recovery

Partnership with Māori has been a key feature of Hawke’s Bay’s recovery. Māori-led initiatives, have played an important role across welfare support, marae and housing relocation, temporary housing assistance, land recovery, and broader resilience efforts. 

Working together in genuine partnership has also assisted the rapid and efficient consenting, design and delivery of major infrastructure rebuilds.

Lessons learned along the way

While there are many lessons to take from the recovery so far, a few stand out. 

First, unity is critical. More was achieved by coming together as a region than would have been possible otherwise. A single, coherent voice to Government clarified priorities and strengthened Hawke’s Bay’s ability to secure support. 

Second, capability is important. Our region’s recovery has been supported by a strong mix of leadership, policy and planning expertise, infrastructure knowledge, political awareness and relationship management – all grounded in a deep understanding of the region’s context. The talent, drive and determination of so many leaders in Hawke’s Bay has been impressive. The humility and intent to make things happen, equally so. This includes our local MPs throughout the last 3 years who have worked tirelessly to achieve positive outcomes for the region. 

Third, recovery must be approached with a long-term lens. It is not simply an extension of emergency response. In the context of Cyclone Gabrielle, recovery demanded sustained focus on reconnecting communities, rebuilding infrastructure, mitigating future risk, supporting housing and businesses, and addressing psychosocial and other community impacts. Dedicated recovery capability enabled both immediate priorities and longer-term resilience to be addressed in parallel. 

The work isn’t finished

While significant progress has been made, the recovery effort in Hawke’s Bay is entering a different phase rather than coming to an end.

Most of the planning, funding and key recovery decision-making has been locked in. However, large, multi-year infrastructure programmes are still being delivered. Marae and housing work continues to advance. Work to reduce future risk also continues.

Three years on, the region is back on its feet, strong, proud and still working hard to prosper. 

As we wind down the Recovery Agency in March and transition ongoing recovery work to various agencies, my sincere thanks and acknowledgement go to everyone in the region who has endured, strived and rebounded. 

Blair O’Keeffe is Chair of Hawke’s Bay Regional Recovery Agency Oversight Board.