Statement from the Eastland Wood Council

“Our thoughts, first and foremost, are with the people of Tairāwhiti who have been impacted. We are lucky to call this region home too, and we are devastated to see so many of our neighbours impacted by a catastrophic weather event so soon after another.

We are beginning to survey the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle where it is safe to do so. We know that there have been significant movements of trees, woody debris, silt, and in some cases hillsides have slipped away. The full extent is still being assessed, and it will take some time for the whole picture to emerge – but it’s already clear the description of the cyclone being the “worst storm of the century” is justified.

Our teams stand ready to remobilise again and begin the clean-up as soon as it is safe to do so. Our priority is the safety of our people, and our community, and we encourage the public to put safety first and follow official Civil Defence advice.

If you need any assistance, please contact Civil Defence while a state of emergency is in place as we are in touch with them. To contact them, please call 0800 653 800. Please phone 111 if life or property is in danger.

The scale of this clean-up will take some time; we are committed to doing what it takes to help solve this problem for our community. Our people have the tools and skills to mobilise in the wake of severe weather events, such as Cyclone Gabrielle. We will keep working hard to mobilise as quickly and safely as we can.

No matter the source of the woody debris, this impacts our community, and we want to play our part to fix it.”