Aftermath : Cyclone Gabrielle and Planning for the future in Hawkes Bay/Tairawhiti

On Monday 13th of February Cyclone Gabrielle scored a direct hit on the east coast regions of Tairawhiti and Hawkes Bay, with destruction on a scale compared against the Christchurch earthquake of 2010. This presentation does not look back at the disaster, because for many it was not yesterday, it is still today. Rather, this presentation considers what occurred as the cyclone struck, and in the following days. It considers what lessons, learnings and questions there might be for us as Planners as we look to a future of resilience and adaptation.

Nick Aiken is Chair of the Central Branch of NZPI, and lives on the hills above Esk Valley.