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Phil Mitchell introduced the
panel’s presentation, and highlighted the key themes underpinning the
panel’s recommendations of:
·
Use
all data and knowledge available including historical, to underpin
decision-making, systems and processes
·
Upgrade
and reimagine flood management infrastructure, including new models of
funding and collaboration
·
Understand the
performance of flood management systems in super design events so nothing is
left to chance
·
Strengthen
the Regional Policy Statement to ensure it is clear and directive, and
enforce it rigorously
·
Strengthen
systems and communications to ensure information for Civil Defence is
accurate and timely
·
Address
inequities for mana whenua exposed to flood risk
·
Involve all
communities to rebuild trust and flood resilience
·
Ensure
the right internal resourcing and capability
Phil Mitchell provided an overview
of the process that the panel undertook to carry out the review, including
what the review did not consider.
Karl Christiansen provided
information about the key structural issues, highlighting:
·
Very
significant 1000-year event in some rivers, which completely overwhelmed
stopbanks.
·
Legacy
flood management infrastructure is, in many places, no longer fit for purpose.
·
Design
and planning of systems didn’t take account of the uncertainty during
events that exceed stopbank capacity, e.g. how to redirect or slow water
flows.
·
Little
or no planning for super-design events to mitigate residual risk to the entire
floodplain including Taradale, Napier and Hastings, including how to evacuate
100,000 people.
·
No
protection of Wairoa despite the risks being well articulated and a scheme being
designed post-Bola – which was not developed because there was no
funding and it was simply not affordable for the local community. Now,
post-Cyclone Gabrielle central government funding has been committed.
·
Region-wide,
the flood management systems need a substantial upgrade/reimagination,
including that new designs need to provide predictable and manageable
performance – not left to chance – and need to consider making
room for rivers.
·
Due
to the scale of this event, river maintenance (berm and gravel extraction) played
a lesser role than during smaller flood events due to floodplains being
inundated rather than the floodwaters confined within channels.
·
Readiness
/maintenance of contingency measures (e.g. pumping stations,
generators/diesel supply) were stretched during this event and the scale
completely overwhelmed drainage systems that are not designed for events of
this magnitude.
·
Low level
of understanding of flood risk amongst the community and very limited access
to flood forecast information.
·
Event
rainfall under-forecast by MetService as well as HBRC telemetry and
communications failures
·
Some
uncertainty in language used by HBRC in advice to Civil Defence, “may
be at risk”…. “could be similar” – hoping for
the best rather than planning for the worst.
·
The
scale of the event overwhelmed everything, including HBRC resources.
Phil
Mitchell spoke to the planning controls that HBRC has available, and noted:
·
HBRC’s
Regional Policy Statement (RPS) did not prevent development in known flood
hazard areas, e.g. Tangoio and Esk
·
Future
planning must reflect the scale/magnitude of historic floods and include data
even if it’s incomplete
·
RPS
needs a substantial refresh/change in emphasis to be more directive and less
vague to prevent development in hazard zones.
·
HBRC
needs to be better resourced to take an advocacy role in land use planning
and consenting processes to ensure that the RPS is implemented appropriately
by district/city councils.
·
The Regional
Plan also needs more specific provisions regarding the design of structures
in riverbeds, e.g. bridges’ span and height requirements.
Bernadette Roka Arapere addressed mana whenua
having been disproportionately impacted and noted:
·
Remaining
Māori lands are often flood-prone.
·
Kanohi
ki te kanohi, rangatira ki te rangatira – the council needs work in
partnership with mana whenua to enable better engagement, and more resourcing
for tangata whenua is urgently required.
·
Mana
whenua knowledge and participation is fundamental to managing future flood
risk.
In
addressing community issues Bernadette
Roka Arapere
noted:
·
HBRC
needs to make more and better use of community knowledge, lived experience
and networks, and treat communities as project partners.
·
Community
and stakeholder participation is fundamental to managing flood risk. Communities
need to be ready, mobilised and motivated to progress improvements in
flood-risk-management, and HBRC needs to harness the momentum from Cyclone
Gabrielle and the findings of the reviews to implement improved
flood-risk-management solutions with community.
Phil Mitchell spoke to the key issue
of HBRC resourcing and funding, focused on:
·
Capability:
resourcing needs to be sufficient to deliver the agreed level of service for
business-as-usual operations and means HBRC has sufficient back-up and
contingency plans to meet its flood-event-management responsibilities.
·
Partnership
funding: be proactive in working in partnership with central government to
ensure sustainable funding for river management, flood resilience and event
management.
·
Equitable
outcomes: review the funding of current/future river management schemes so
that the targeted and regional rates contributions enable affordable and
equitable outcomes for all communities, including mana whenua.
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