Newsletter 13 : simplebooklet.com

FRIDAY, JUNE 14TH 2024 NEWSLETTER 13LOOKING TO THE FUTURE WHILE REMEMBERING THE PASTFor information and help relating to Cyclone Gabrielle please contact us:RECOVERY INFORMATION• Online form via our website www.wairoarecovery.co.nz• Call free 0508 YROA4U or 0508 976248• Email recovery@wairoadc.govt.nz• In-person at the Recovery Team Oﬃce at the Wairoa Airport (end of Airport Road) our oﬃce hours are Monday to Friday 9am-4pm.WAIROA RECOVERYMatariki is a time to reﬂect on the past year, celebrate the present, and plan for the year ahead.In line with Matariki, the Wairoa Recovery Oﬃce is also moving through a reﬂective phase as it continues to support whānau to rebuild from the damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.Wairoa Recovery Manager Gary Borg said that as Wairoa moves into its rebuilding stage, it is an important time to take stock of our needs. “We need to reﬂect on what we have achieved and make plans to ensure we are meeting the evolving needs of our community.“We are focusing our future recovery on roading connectivity, getting whānau back into their homes, including work around ﬂood mitigation, community wellbeing, and supporting our local businesses and economy.“It is important for us to identify our challenges and work with our partners to ensure we have solutions available. In the immediate future, the Wairoa Recovery Oﬃce services will remain, but as we move through our recovery process, there will be changes, including integrating some of the services we provide to meet the ever-changing needs.”This year’s local Matariki celebrations will see Wairoa Recovery combining with Tahuri Mai.The week-long traditional event will focus on mātauranga Māori with workshops and arts and crafts sessions for kōhanga reo, kindies, schools and kura, wānanga including weaving, hunting and ﬁshing, kai maara karakia, waiata, and culminating in a Hautapu karakia and breakfast at the Pilot Hill Reserve on June 28 from 5am.Register your attendance through the Tahuri Mai FB page.“The rising of Matariki signals te Mātahi o te Tau, the Māori New Year. The appearance of Matariki in the morning sky is a sign for people to gather, to honour the dead, celebrate the present, and plan for the future.”LET EACH STARSHINE IT’S OWN LIGHTTUKUA KIA TŪTAKITAHI NGĀWHETŪ O TE RANGI

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Wairoa Recovery Respite Care is about looking after yourself.The impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle are still being felt by many whānau, especially those who are not yet back in their homes, living in a pod, awaiting rebuilding or who have extra people staying with them.The Wairoa Recovery Oﬃce has launched a Respite Care project to support local people impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle. The project recognises that the road to recovery is a long one and can be a time of frustration.A range of 10 diﬀerent respite options have been made available, from pampering to a meal out, time away, or wānanga, all with a local ﬂavour and using local providers. The options include Tuitui Designs, a Beauty Antix package, Touchwood Fishing Charter, Wairoa Community Centre gym membership, overnight stays at Waikaremoana, Mahia and Morere, a moko wānanga and dinner and drinks at Gemmells and the Vista.If you need to take a break and get away from the never-ending challenges, please contact the Recovery Oﬃce, where the kaimanaaki can see if you meet the criteria to enable them to help you with a respite plan. For more information, contact michelle@wairoadc.govt.nzChecking in on whānau was the focus of the recent Wairoa Recovery Back to the Streets programme.Five catch-up sessions were held at Mackley Street, the Tirohia Flats, Ormond Road, Freyberg Street, and Somerville Street.Kaimanaaki Michelle Olsen-Tahuri said Back to the Streets was a chance to check in with whānau and have a chat. “There is a lot going on in the recovery space and people are at diﬀerent stages of their rebuild. These information sessions enable us to provide information where we can and listen to people’s concerns so we can try and provide the right pathways forward.”GIVING BACK TO YOURSELFCOMMUNITY CATCH UP"Respite is not selfish; it's self-care.It's recognizing that you cannot pourfrom an empty cup. Taking time torecharge as an individual andwhanau which ensures that youhave more to give."Wairoa RecoveryRespite CareContactMichelle Tahuri - Olsenmichelle@wairoadc.govt.nzPictured at the Back to the Streets catch up is Kaimanaaki Michelle Tahuri-Olsen (centre) with Anita Mihaere and Gabrielle Mei."Respite is not selfish; it's self-care.It's recognizing that you cannot pourfrom an empty cup. Taking time torecharge as an individual andwhanau which ensures that youhave more to give."Wairoa RecoveryRespite CareContactMichelle Tahuri - Olsenmichelle@wairoadc.govt.nz

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Bill Dickin and Sharron Solomon of the Riverside Camping Ground are rebuilt and ready for business.Sharron Solomon with the only surviving Christmas lights from the now-destroyed festive collection that she had shared with the community for nearly 30 years.RIVERSIDE CAMPING GROUND BACK IN BUSINESSIn the early hours of February 14, 2023, Sharron Solomon knew trouble was coming when she looked at her security cameras and saw the river lapping at the third step of the Riverside Motor Camp ablution block.Sharron and partner Bill Dickin have leased the Wairoa District Council-owned camp for more than 20 years, and while they had seen small ﬂoods in the past, they had never seen anything like the magnitude of Cyclone Gabrielle.The couple, assisted by the ﬁre bridge, worked to evacuate around 15 people who were staying at the camp along with nine caravans. “The ﬁre bridge volunteers used their own vehicles to tow caravans out; they were amazing. When we started evacuating people, it was ankle-deep, and the river was thigh-high by the time we were ﬁnished. A couple of caravans were unable to be moved, and portacabins were left ﬂoating around the grounds.”“The river went through our sheds at about chest height. It was like a whirlpool, just waves of water coming up in such a hurry.”The camp was yellow-stickered, and with the grounds under two feet of silt, Bill worked hard, living on the end of a shovel. Over the past year, major renovations have been underway, and this month, nearly 16 months after the cyclone, the camping ground is reopening in a limited capacity.The new ablution block is ﬁnished and includes new toilets with wheelchair access. The refurbished kitchen has a seating area, and a bonus is a new weather-proof indoor-outdoor living area. The covered area in front of the ablution block is a great place for people to gather while enjoying the ‘million dollar’ river view.The number of campsites has been increased and includes new power supplies. Hard areas have been developed so people have more options to camp in the winter. There is even a new pet bath for the dog-friendly camp.The couple says the Wairoa District Council has been tremendously supportive in helping to restore the camping ground to its former glory.The one thing the couple haven’t been able to ﬁx is the loss of their Christmas decorations. Sharron has been lighting up the town for nearly 30 years and had a massive collection of lights and decorations which she shared with the community. “Losing the Christmas decorations in the ﬂooding destroyed me, but at least we have provided many great memories over the years.”The couple says they have missed trading and are looking forward to the summer holiday season. They run the camping grounds with a mixture of permanent residents and visitors.“We are a family-safe environment and operate like our own little town.“We love what we do, it’s a lifestyle for us. The camp has a good reputation and a personalised feel; the people who stay are fabulous and some even go on to buy homes in town. We are looking forward to being able to welcome more people to our town.”

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Head to www.wairoarecovery.co.nz for up-to-date recovery information, stories, newsletters and a whole lot more.Please feel free to send us any of your cyclone-related pics and videos and we will share on on our webpage.CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITETransport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) rock scaling crews will be onsite on State Highway 2 between Waikare and Napier until the end of June.Road users are asked to plan for delays while the overnight work takes place.Work is underway at Waikoau Hill six days a week between 8pm and 5am. There will be no rock scaling on Saturday nights. Crews expect to complete the work by the end of June.During this work, stop/stop traﬃc management (where traﬃc is held in both directions) will be in place, with 15 to 25-minute delays expected before the lanes are reopened to traﬃc.During the works, access will remain for emergency services – which will be assisted through the work site.Both sites were scaled for rocks following Cyclone Gabrielle. A subsequent geotechnical assessment shows more loose rock is present.NZTA thanks motorists for their support during this critical work.ROCK SCALING WORK ON SH2RANGATAHI WĀNANGAA series of wānanga speciﬁcally for rangatahi will be held next month.Whaowhia tōu kete is an opportunity for young people to learn new skills and ﬁll their minds with the arts of mahi toi, song writing, haka, and photography.The work from the wānanga will culminate with an exhibition in September.To register your interest for any of the wānanga email michelle@wairoadc.govt.nz.STATUS OF STICKERED HOMESPeak numbers were reached around March 8th 2023 then on November 8th 2023 a signiﬁcant rain/ﬂood event in the Mahia/Nuhaka area resulted in a further 16 Residential Yellow Placards & 2 Red Residential Placards.116PLACARDS REMOVEDYELLOW90YELLOW146MARCH 8TH 2023PEAKJUNE 12TH 2024NOWYELLOW16NOVEMBER 8TH 2023EVENTRED3RED2MARCH 8TH 2023PEAKJUNE 12TH 2024NOWRED2NOVEMBER 8TH 2023EVENTWHITE198MARCH 8TH 2023PEAKWHITE149JUNE 12TH 2024NOW

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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUPlease share your Cyclone Gabrielle photos and videos with us. We would also really like to hear your stories. To get in touch please email recovery@wairoadc.govt.nzCyclone Gabrielle clean-up is still available, from collection of building materials to under-house silt removal.Wairoa District Council Chief Executive Kitea Tipuna said the Council is continuing to meet the needs of the ﬂood-aﬀected community by collecting building materials from damaged housing and ongoing under-house silt removal. “We are now moving into a rebuilding stage, and as a result, there is an increase in building materials from ﬂood-damaged homes.“We are seeing a greater need for collecting and removing building materials and building-related debris, so we have shifted our focus to support this area of need. The council has collected thousands of tonnes of ﬂood-aﬀected property, which has been disposed of at no cost to individuals. We won’t be able to continue this free service indeﬁnitely, but we want to help our community and ensure these materials are disposed of appropriately for as long as possible. A reminder to anyone who needs silt cleared from under their homes: please get in touch; this free service is still available.“Because we need to collate the collection of building materials and silt, we ask everyone who would like building materials collected or under house silt removed to please lodge a CSR (Customer Service Request) with the Council to arrange collection. This can be done by phoning the Council on 06 838 7309 or going online at www.wairoadc.govt.nz/ contact-us/customer-service-request/ or call into the Council oﬃces or in-person at the Recovery Team Oﬃce at the Wairoa airport Monday to Friday between 10am -2pm.”For those experiencing increased anxiety since the cyclone, feelings of helplessness, frustration, anger, or worry – there is help available. You do not have to go through it alone.Napier Family Centre’s (NFC) counselling team is available to support the Wairoa community free of charge. Whānau don’t have to be physically aﬀected by a natural disaster for their wellbeing to be impacted. People can access free counselling support whether they have been directly or indirectly aﬀected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Oﬀering conﬁdential services from a private space on the Marine Parade, NFC oﬀers Wairoa whānau a safe place to explore and express your thoughts and feelings with support and without judgment. The counselling team are all registered with professional bodies.Seeking help can be diﬃcult. The NFC team aims to minimise barriers to accessing the service. No referral is needed—individuals can start the process by calling 0508 678 910.CYCLONE CLEAN-UP SUPPORT CONTINUESNEED SUPPORT? WE’RE HEREResolving insurance claims can be diﬃcult, particularly for homeowners whose properties have recently shifted from Land Category 2A to 2C.If you need support with an insurance claim, the New Zealand Claims Resolution Service can help you access the services you need. They provide free advice, case management where appropriate and access to legal, engineering and wellbeing support, tailored to individual’s needs. The Wairoa Recovery team is also available to work with you if you are struggling to sort your insurance needs. There have been cases of miscommunication and diﬀerent messaging, so please feel free to reach out to the team for assistance or go to nzcrs.govt.nz for more information.CLAIMSRESOLUTION SERVICE

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WAIROA RECOVERYFOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT US• Online form via WDC website: www.wairoadc.govt.nz/contact-us/customer-service-request• Call free 0508 YROA4U or 0508 976248• Email recovery@wairoadc.govt.nz• In-person at the Recovery Team Oﬃce at the Wairoa Airport (end of Airport Road) our oﬃce hours are Monday to Friday 9am-4pm.• Recovery Website www.wairoarecovery.co.nzDisclaimer: The Wairoa Recovery team has made every eﬀort to ensure that this information is as up-to-date and accurate as possible. We acknowledge this is a rapidly changing environment and the information provided should be used for general purposes only. We encourage people to seek additional information before making any business, legal or other decisions. If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us at recovery@wairoadc.govt.nz.Need support? We’re here.If the past year has left you feeling out of sorts, we’re here to help.Maybe you’re feeling anxious, sad, stressed, frustrated, or worried about your tamariki. You may be experiencing different feelings, and they might come and go. These feelings are understandable given the stress of recent weather events and it is perfectly normal to think and feel this way. Talking with someone might help. CONTACT US TODAY ABOUT FREE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT IN WAIROA Contact our Registered Counsellor Sharon on 0508 678 910 • 260 Marine Parade, Wairoawww.napierfamilycentre.org.nzFREE conﬁdential & professional service availableOur counselling team can support you with strategies to get on the right trackWe work with adults, tamariki, families & couples from all walks of lifeYou don’t have to be physically aected by a natural disaster for your well-being to be impacted

Newsletter 13