Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell today released the independent rapid review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024.
The purpose of the review was to urgently assess the way the Wairoa River bar is currently managed, and decision-making around monitoring of the river and the bar.
The review was also carried out to find recommendations about how the river and bar could be monitored and managed in the future.
The review found that the flood event was caused by a combination of factors that led to the river backing up and overflowing, driving water into the low-lying areas of the town.
These included the placement and size of the river mouth and bar, which made it hard for the river to flush to the sea.
Additionally, the rainfall was above that predicted and the sea was unusually high at the time of the flooding, with heavy swell and high winds pushing surf over the bar and into the river.
The review highlighted shortcomings around planning and management of the river mouth and bar and recognised the need for greater engagement from the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council with the Wairoa District Council and community on emergency preparedness.
The review also recommended actions to mitigate against similar future events, such as developing an operational plan for management of the river mouth and bar, and improved monitoring, detection and early warning systems.