Cyclone Gabrielle was one of the worst weather disasters to hit New Zealand. Per capita, Wairoa was heavily impacted and was one of the most isolated communities in the Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay regions.

The cyclone and back to back weather events have caused enormous suffering for our people and had massive implications for the Council's infrastructure and finances.

Like other Councils and businesses, we are also facing an economic storm, with the highest inflation and interest rates in three decades and increased costs in areas we cannot control.

Our job is to rebuild our community and become more resilient so the whānau of Wairoa can thrive. We must balance that with an affordable and responsible financial pathway while still looking ahead.

Planning for our district’s future has never been more challenging.

Council is now gathering feedback on its Long-Term Plan (LTP) 2024-2027. Due to the impacts of weather events, the government is allowing eight Councils, including Wairoa, to reduce their LTP forecasts to three years rather than the usual 10 years. This allows a focus on recovery and repair of our damaged infrastructure, particularly roading, where the repair bill for our local roading network is $100 million with approximately 30% of this work completed.

During the long-term plan development, we sought feedback about the challenges, opportunities, and priorities facing our district to better understand what is most important. This gathered information and insight helped shape this LTP, and we thank everyone who shared their views, concerns, and aspirations.

We need to hear from the community now about what is being proposed in this plan, particularly around the critical issues of roading connectivity, landfill and waste management, kerbside collection, business facades and the future of our archives.

We invite you to have meaningful input into Wairoa’s future while understanding the costs and challenges of running the district, meeting the community's evolving needs and aspirations, and acknowledging the impact of weather events.

Consultation will include community meetings and a chance to make submissions. We welcome your involvement as we build our community’s future and travel the road of recovery together.