The Hawke’s Bay Independent Flood Review has issued an open invitation for contributions from those affected by the flooding caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.
The review, led by Dr Phil Mitchell, seeks to gather information from a broad spectrum of sources, including homeowners, businesses, indigenous groups, community organisations and proprietors of regional infrastructure.
“We want people to share with us any information they have that can help inform our review and we have endeavoured to make it easy for people to do that via our website, www.hbifr.nz,” Mitchell said in a news release.
The website hosts a portal designed for ease of use, where submissions can be made through written responses or voice recordings, with the option to attach photographs or video evidence. This portal is scheduled to remain open until mid-December.
The panel said that it is particularly interested in individual accounts related to river management, the condition of flood management resources before the cyclone, observations during the event, and suggestions for improved flood risk management.
“The information we receive, alongside the information we have requested of Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, and others such as MetService, will then be used to inform our report and recommendations,” Mitchell said.
Once the information from the public has been compiled and reviewed, the panel will decide on the methodology for contributors to engage directly with the review process. The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has also provided documents for the review, which are accessible for public viewing on the review's website.
“We urge anyone who feels they have information that could be relevant to our Review to check out the website and make use of the public information portal between now and mid-December,” Mitchell said.
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