In the red corner
The scenes which have unfolded in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle can only be described as utterly devastating. Tragically, 11 people have lost their lives with more fatalities possible, and countless others have been displaced. Lives have been turned upside down – many people have had their homes and possessions completely destroyed. My heart goes out to everyone affected.
Our attention has been focused on the initial emergency response, rescuing those stranded, restoring lifelines and removing hazards. In some areas, recovery is starting to get underway.
We know that recovery will come with a big price tag and we will have to once again reprioritise and refocus our efforts and resources. We will build back better and more resilient than before. Some tough calls will need to be made, and this Government is absolutely committed to doing that.
On Monday, we announced an interim support package of $50 million to deliver interim emergency business and primary sector support, $250m to help Waka Kotahi and local councils to assess and fix roads, and Inland Revenue support – this comes on top of a range of monetary assistance already provided.
We also announced the establishment of a cyclone recovery taskforce and a dedicated cyclone recovery minister.
Cyclone Gabrielle is bigger and more severe than anything we have seen this century, and its intensity is clearly the result of the changing climate – the climate pollution we’ve caused.
We have to cut our climate pollution to stop things getting worse, and we have to get our communities ready to cope with the effects of the pollution already caused. We are doing both. As a country, we need to look at the resilience of our infrastructure, and do that with a much greater sense of urgency.
In May last year, we released the Emissions Reduction Plan setting out our plan to meet our first emissions budget, and in August we released the National Adaptation Plan preparing for what is to come (or what has already arrived).
Every sector is playing its part across transport, waste, food production, manufacturing, building and construction, and with He Waka Eke Noa, agriculture will join the fold as well.
We can’t opt out of the effects of climate change, as we’ve seen over the last few weeks, so we can’t opt out of taking action. I hope New Zealanders have seen from us in recent years that when we’re confronted with big challenges, we rise to the occasion, and that’s absolutely what we will be doing.