TFK volunteers on the ground in Wairoa following devastating flooding

Less than a year and a half since Cyclone Gabrielle devastated parts of Hawke’s Bay, the town of Wairoa has once again felt the effects of severe weather and heavy rainfall as flooding impacted hundreds of homes and local infrastructure on the 25th and 26th of June.

Mayor of Wairoa, Craig Little, declared a State of Local Emergency on the morning of Wednesday, 26 June after unprecedented flooding threatened both lives and property. But as the rain has since subsided and the region begins the transition from response to recovery, the full scale of damage continues to be assessed by local authorities.

Taskforce Kiwi has mobilised their team of skilled volunteers to support the Wairoa community, with the first volunteers arriving on the 28th of June. Tasks so far have focused on debris clearance and ensuring residents can remove moisture from homes by distributing firewood among the local community. This is alongside other tasks as required by the Wairoa Emergency Operations Centre and local leaders.

Taskforce Kiwi volunteers from Rotation 1 assisting members of the Wairoa community with the disposal of flood damaged personal belongings.

As a charitable disaster relief organisation, Taskforce Kiwi utilises a 575 strong volunteer base of those who have served, or are currently serving, in the defence force and emergency services, along with skilled members of the wider New Zealand community. This ensures the organisation is able to mobilise quickly and send specialised volunteers directly to impacted areas, bridging the gap in disaster relief by providing direct support to communities when they need it, where they need it. 

National Director of Taskforce Kiwi, Richard Adams, reflects on the 12 weeks Taskforce Kiwi spent in Hawke’s Bay in 2023, and how soon the organisation has returned to support the affected families in Wairoa.

“This community has been through so much in the last 18 months, and the resilience they’re showing in the face of yet more devastation is quite incredible. The Wairoa floods were only in the headlines for a couple of days, but for the hundreds of residents who have lost everything, the recovery process will go on for months, if not years. This is hard, dirty work, but it needs to be done, and Taskforce Kiwi is proud to stand alongside this community, supporting them in whatever way we can.”

Taskforce Kiwi volunteers from Rotation 2 helping shift flood damaged furniture from a household.

Meanwhile, Auckland based volunteer, Mattie Beattie, speaks of the importance of being able to support the Wairoa community through Taskforce Kiwi’s work.

“Noting that this community has been affected by floods again, it really tugged on my heartstrings and the opportunity to serve was a no-brainer. What has been prominent for me so far has been helping with tasks that seem so small on the scale of things, but are huge in the eyes of a local going through so much. To be able to provide that support and some sort of temporary reprieve from this disaster is huge for me.”

Taskforce Kiwi volunteers first arrived on the ground in Wairoa on Friday, 28 June and will remain in the area for the foreseeable future providing whatever support is required by the community.