Ngaruroro River Photo: Supplied
The Hawke's Bay Regional Council has appointed a senior project manager to oversee Wairoa's $70 million flood protection work.
Steve Fabish will be taking on the role and has been already working at Wairoa District Council to help the area recover after Cyclone Gabrielle.
"It's great to be able to reconnect with the people of Wairoa and work hard towards a successful outcome for what I know will be a challenging but beneficial project for the community," Fabish said.
- In 2023 during Cyclone Gabrielle the river burst its banks and flooded hundreds of homes, particularly in North Clyde
- Then on June 26, 2024 about 400 properties were flooded when the Wairoa River couldn't flow get out to sea because the river mouth was blocked
- The Hawke's Bay Regional Council is now facing legal action over its failure to act sooner
- Two different reviews into the flooding are underway, one [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/521098/external-review-to-look-into-decisions-made-in-wake-of-wairoa-flood
- Previous reports after Cyclone Bola had recommended stopbank protection for the town, which was never built
by the HBRC] and a Government Inquiry
Fabish will work alongside former mayor Lawrence Yule, who is the newly appointed Crown manager in charge of settling the relationship between Wairoa District Council and Hawke's Bay Regional Council.
The Wairoa project is the largest in the region's Flood Resilience Programme and is funded by the government. It aims to move Category 2C properties into Category 1, where they can then be repaired or rebuilt.