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Post Cyclone Gabrielle, roads and bridges as well as homes, factories, and farms are all in ruins. Many key roads across the North Island are still closed, with long detours.
On the East Coast alone, fifty-nine local roads are still closed in the Gisborne region and 17 bridges are either broken or washed away.
Towns, villages and cities across the top of the North Island are crying out for long term solutions, not quick fixes. Isolated vulnerable communities, some who say they feel ignored are asking how they can be served better.
Association of Consulting and Engineering New Zealand represents over two hundred consulting and engineering firms.
Kathryn speaks with Helen Davidson, Chief Executive of ACE New Zealand, about the immediate opportunities of rebuilding with resilience after Cyclone Gabrielle and General Manager of Infrastructure and Transport at Geo-engineering firm BECA, Andrea Rickard.
Damage on Waihau Road, where it is acting as a dam against a small lake in Dartmoor near Napier. Photo: RNZ / Jordan Dunn