CAPTIONS BY FAITH HAMBLYN AND SEAN LYDIARD. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2023. KIA ORA. GOOD AFTERNOON. WE'RE CONTINUING OUR SPECIAL COVERAGE OF CYCLONE GABRIELLE, AND THE SITUATION IS STILL UNFOLDING. RESCUES ARE UNDERWAY IN HAWKE'S BAY, AND WE'VE JUST LEARNED A FOURTH PERSON HAS DIED AS A RESULT OF THE CYCLONE. THE PRIME MINISTER IS DUE TO PROVIDE A LIVE UPDATE AT 5.30. WE'LL CROSS LIVE TO THAT AS SOON AS CHRIS HIPKINS ARRIVES. BUT FIRST ` AN UPDATE ON THE SITUATION IN HAWKE'S BAY. THESE PICTURES SHOW JUST SOME OF THE DEVASTATION IN THE REGION. HOUSES ARE COMPLETELY SUBMERGED, BRIDGES TORN IN TWO AND VINEYARDS UNDERWATER. TWO PEOPLE HAVE DIED, AND THOUSANDS ARE DISPLACED IN THE AFTERMATH OF CYCLONE GABRIELLE. SEVERAL AREAS REMAIN COMPLETELY CUT OFF. OFFICIALS ARE ALSO CONCERNED THE DEATH TOLL COULD RISE IN THE COMING DAYS. IN AUCKLAND'S MURIWAI, THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE TO HOUSES FROM LANDSLIPS IS BECOMING CLEARER. ACCESS TO MURIWAI, PIHA AND KAREKARE REMAINS RESTRICTED DUE TO SLIPS, AND AROUND 20 MORE HOUSES IN PIHA WERE EVACUATED LAST NIGHT OVER FEARS OF LAND INSTABILITY. A BODY HAS BEEN FOUND IN THE SEARCH FOR THE MISSING FIREFIGHTER IN MURIWAI, BUT FORMAL IDENTIFICATION IS YET TO TAKE PLACE. THE COROMANDEL REMAINS LARGELY CUT OFF FROM THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. WHILE COMMUNICATION SERVICES ARE UP AND RUNNING, POWER IS STILL OUT IN MUCH OF THE REGION. FLOODING, SLIPS AND LAND INSTABILITY HAVE COMPROMISED THE COROMANDEL'S ENTIRE ROAD NETWORK. HELICOPTERS ARE BRINGING IN SUPPLIES TO AREAS THAT CAN'T BE ACCESSED BY ROAD. HERE ARE THE OTHER MAIN POINTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ` THE WEATHER EVENT IS BEING TREATED AS A CATEGORY FOUR EMERGENCY, WHICH IS THE MOST SEVERE RESPONSE LEVEL. MORE THAN 250 NAVY, ARMY AND AIR FORCE PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED TO HAWKES BAY TO HELP. ROADS INTO WAIROA ARE NOW SEVERELY DAMAGED, AND THE MAYOR IS WARNING THE TOWN ONLY HAS ENOUGH WATER, FOOD AND FUEL FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. IT'S A SIMILAR STORY IN GISBORNE, POWER IS BEING RESTORED, BUT THERE ARE STILL CONCERNS ABOUT THE WATER SUPPLY. MILITARY PLANES ARE DUE TO DELIVER ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES TO THE AREA. THE GOVERNMENT IS PROVIDING AN ADDED $4M TO HELP THE RURAL COMMUNITIES COORDINATE RECOVERY EFFORTS. MANY COMMUNITIES IN THE HAWKE'S BAY REGION REMAIN CUT OFF, WITH OFFICIALS TRYING TO ACCESS THEM BY AIR. ABBEY WAKEFIELD IS ON THE GROUND THERE. ABBEY, WHAT'S THE LATEST? COMMS ARE PATCHY. HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR. FOR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED DEAD, ONE OF THOSE IS THE BODY OF A CHILD THAT WAS FOUND IN ESKDALE. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DISPLACED, 3000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PUT IN EVACUATION CENTRES. WE HAVE HEARD STORIES FROM MANY EVACUEES TODAY. ONE MAN TOLD ME HE LOST EVERYTHING. HE WAS RESCUED ON THE ROOF OF HIS HOME, WITH FOUR OF HIS DOGS. HE LOST TWO OF HIS DOGS. THAT IS ONE OF THE MANY STORIES THAT WE HAVE HEARD TODAY. WE HAVE SEEN MANY CHOPPERS IN THE AIR. THE DEFENCE FORCES HERE. WE HAVE 12 CHOPPERS RESCUING PEOPLE. WE HAVE ONE CHOPPER COME IN FROM OTAGO, FIRE AND EMERGENCY HAVE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS IN HAWKE'S BAY. HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS ARE MISSING AND NEED ASSISTANCE. THE MAJOR CONCERN HERE IS WAIROA. THE TOWN IS URGENTLY NEEDING ASSISTANCE AND THEY HAVE SUPPLIES FOR FIVE DAYS. 1500 REPORTS OF PEOPLE BEING UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT ACROSS THE NORTH ISLAND. THAT IS A REAL BIG CONCERN, SOMETHING THAT WE ARE HAVING TROUBLES WITH. OFFICIALS ARE STRUGGLING WITH THAT, BECAUSE THE CELL TOWERS HAVE BEEN DAMAGED. INTERNET IS HARD TO COME BY HERE. IN THE WORDS OF THE OFFICIALS, IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS GOING TO TAKE YEARS TO CLEAN UP FROM THE CYCLONE. AND WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHAT'S THE MOOD LIKE ON THE GROUND AMONG THE COMMUNITY? AND THE CLASSIC KIWI WAY, EVERYONE TRIES TO PUT A SMILE ON AS MUCH AS THEY CAN. I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF COMMUNITIES I HAVE SPOKEN TO IN A STATE OF SHOCK AND DISTRESS. THEY HAVE LOST EVERYTHING. THEY HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES. WATER HAS COME IN AND FLOODED THESE HOMES. YOU WILL SEE MORE FOOTAGE ON 6 PM THAT OUR VIDEO JOURNALIST GOT. HE WENT UP IN A CHOPPER. YOU CAN SEE THE DEVASTATION ACROSS HAWKE'S BAY. THAT WILL GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT AS TO THE DESTRUCTION HERE. WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING THOSE PICTURES AS THEY CAME IN. YOU ARE THERE TODAY. HOWEVER THE WATER LEVELS COMPARED TO YESTERDAY? ARE WE SEEING SIGNS OF PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT? AS YOU CAN SEE BEHIND ME, THE STREETS ARE COMPLETELY FLOODED. WE ARE ONLY BEING ABLE TO SEE SOME OF THE DAMAGE TODAY, BECAUSE THE ROADS ARE JUST STARTING TO OPEN AGAIN. THE WATER IS SUBSIDING, BUT THE DAMAGE IS EXTENSIVE. WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE? WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU THE MOST? THE WILLINGNESS OF PEOPLE IN THIS DISTRICT TO COME OUT AND HELP. I HAVE SEEN SO MANY PEOPLE, WE HAVE BEEN DOWN AT THE EVACUATION CENTRE, AND WE HAVE HAD LOCALS COMING IN AND ASKING HOW CAN WE HELP? THAT IS THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT THAT IS REALLY COMING THROUGH HERE. THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD A REALLY ROUGH COUPLE OF NIGHTS. EFTPOS IS A BIG ISSUE. TRAFFIC LIGHTS AREN'T WORKING, SO IT IS A NIGHTMARE ON THE ROAD. EFTPOS, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LINING UP AT ATMS TO GET CASH OUT TO PAY FOR FOOD AND THINGS AT THE SUPERMARKET, ESSENTIALS FROM SHOPS LIKE THE WAREHOUSE. EVERYONE, IT IS QUITE SURREAL TO BE DOWN HERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. SO THE PRIME MINISTER AND HIS TEAM HAVE A BIG TASK AHEAD OF THEM WITH THE RECOVERY FROM CYCLONE GABRIELLE. POLITICAL EDITOR JESSICA MUTCH MCKAY IS WITH ME NOW. JESS, WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THIS BRIEFING FROM THE PRIME MINISTER IN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES' TIME? THIS WILL BE OUR AFTERNOON BRIEFING FROM THE PRIME MINISTER. WE ARE EXPECTING TO HEAR FROM HIM, ALSO FROM THE MINISTER MEGAN WOODS, WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR, THE ENERGY MINISTER. SHE WILL BE UPDATING US ON THE POWER SITUATION. IT IS 144,000 PEOPLE OUT OF POWER WHEN WE LAST GOT AN UPDATE THIS MORNING FROM THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MINISTER. WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR PROGRESS. YESTERDAY 225,000 PEOPLE WERE WITHOUT POWER. THEY ARE MAKING PROGRESS GETTING THAT POWER BACK ON, BUT THAT IS A BIG CHUNK OF PEOPLE WHO WERE WITHOUT POWER THIS MORNING. THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO TICK OFF THE LIST. WE WILL HAVE AT THE MEDIA BRIEFING AT 530, JENNY ANDERSON, THE DIGITAL COMMUNICATION MINISTER. SHE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION, SO PHONE LINES DOWN. THESE ARE THE BIG KEY THINGS IN THESE SITUATIONS. WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING, AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH POWER. THEY WILL BE GIVING US AN UPDATE THIS AFTERNOON, OR THIS EVENING AT 530. THE PRIME MINISTER WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE US THE BIGGER PICTURE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING. THERE IS A LOT GOING ON. THE RESCUES ARE UNDERWAY. POWER, INTERNET, COMMUNICATIONS, WATER, THE RESPONSE TO THIS HAS TO BE SO WIDESPREAD. WITH MANY COMMUNITIES IN IMMEDIATE NEED, WHAT SORT OF THINGS WILL WE LIKELY SEE THE GOVERNMENT DO? THEY NEED TO COVER OFF THE BASICS, SO THEY HAVE TO HELP THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN NEED. WHEN WE HAVE THE UPDATE FROM THEM EARLIER IN THE DAY AT 1130, THERE WERE 25 ACTIVE RESCUES. THE MAIN HOTSPOT THAT WAS STILL ONE OF THEIR BIG FOCUS AS WAS THE HAWKE'S BAY. THEY DID RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT COMMUNICATION AND GISBORNE. THAT IS SOMETHING THEY WILL BE FOCUSING ON AS WELL AND ALSO ERODING. PLACES LIKE THE COROMANDEL, THOSE ROADS ARE SO DAMAGED, THAT WOULD TAKE A LONG TIME TO FIX. THOSE AREAS ARE CUT OFF; THAT IS ONE THING, BUT THE OTHER THING IS GETTING IN GROCERIES TO THE SUPERMARKET, GETTING IN MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO THE CHEMIST. ALL THOSE BASIC THINGS NEED TO HAPPEN FIRST. IN HAWKE'S BAY, THERE ARE THREE IN EACH 90 HELICOPTERS, DEFENCE HELICOPTERS, GOING IN AND HELPING PEOPLE, SOMETIMES OF ROOFS, BRINGING IN SUPPLIES, SO HELPING WITH THAT SITUATION THE LATEST NUMBER WE HAVE ON THAT IS 200 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RESCUED. THERE ARE STILL EVACUATIONS GOING ON IN SEVERAL OF THE LOW-LYING SUBURBS IN THE HAWKE'S BAY. THEY NEED TO GET THAT SORTED OUT BEFORE WE CAN START THINKING ABOUT THE BIGGER PICTURE. THERE WILL BE A TEAM FOCUSING ON WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. THERE WILL BE A TEAM FOCUSING ON THE MEDIUM TERM, WHAT WE CAN EXPECT IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THEN SOME PEOPLE WILL BE HAVING TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BIGGER PICTURE OF THIS LOOKS LIKE. IT IS GOING TO BE EXPENSIVE AND TAKE A LONG TIME. THAT RAPID DEPLOYMENT OF DEFENCE FORCE ASSETS THANKS TO THE STATE OF EMERGENCY? THEY DID HAVE ACCESS TO THE DEFENCE FORCE ASSETS BEFORE THAT, BUT WHAT IT MEANS IS IT IS MORE COORDINATED. THEY CAN PULL RESOURCES AND MOVE THEM AROUND TO WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED MOST. THE DEFENCE MINISTER HAS SAID THAT 250 PERSONNEL ARE OUT AND ABOUT. THAT ALLOWS THEM TO GO IN AND THEN ONCE THEY HAVE DONE THEIR TIME, BE REPLACED AND KEEP GOING. IT IS NOT JUST A FLASH IN THE PAN; THEY NEED TO HAVE SUSTAINED HELP FOR A LONG TIME. THAT WAS THE MESSAGE WE WERE GETTING THIS MORNING THAT WAS DIFFERENT FROM YESTERDAY. YESTERDAY WAS THE SHORT TERM, ; QUICK TERM FIX HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE IN, HOW DO WE DEAL WITH IMMEDIATE THREATS. THE DEFENCE MINISTER TALKED ABOUT THE LONGER TERM STRATEGY, SO THEY MAY DO A FEW DAYS ON THE GROUND, WORK THERE SHIFTS, THEN THEY WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. IT IS FRESH LEGS AND ARMS, FRESH PEOPLE HELPING OUT. THESE ARE INTENSE SITUATIONS THAT THEY ARE GOING INTO, OFTEN DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST EVERYTHING AND HAVE BEEN IN PRECARIOUS SITUATIONS. IT IS A LOT TO DEAL WITH. AT THE MOMENT 250 ARE ALLOCATED. THAT ALLOWS THEM TO BE REPLACED. THAT DEFENCE FORCE IS KEY. IT IS ALSO POLICE THAT A COORDINATED. WITH THIS NATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY, POLICE AND DEFENCE CAN WORK TOGETHER, ALONG WITH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TO GET THINGS SORTED. THANKS. WE'LL TAKE A QUICK BREAK. COMING UP NEXT ON THIS 1 NEWS SPECIAL, AN UPDATE ON THE SITUATION IN AUCKLAND. PLUS ` DAN JOINS US WITH THE LATEST ON THE CYCLONE'S TRACK. WELCOME BACK. COROMANDEL IS ANOTHER REGION HIT HARD BY BY CYCLONE GARBEILLE ` MANY COMMUNTIES REMAIN CUT OFF. SIMON MERCEP HAS MANAGED TO MAKE HIS WAY FROM WHITIANGA TO TAIRUA TODAY. SIMON, WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN ALONG YOUR JOURNEY? HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TODAY? THE JOURNEY WAS REASONABLY COMFORTABLE, BUT TONIGHT IF I WANTED TO GO ANY FURTHER SOUTH, THAT IS ANOTHER MATTER. HEADING NORTH ROUND COROMANDEL, ALSO CLOSED. THE MAIN HIGHWAYS IN AND OUT OF THE REGION ARE INACCESSIBLE. HOWEVER HERE, I HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS TO REPORT. WITHIN THE LAST HALF HOUR, POWER HAS BEEN RESTORED. THAT HAS BEEN A HUGE RELIEF ` HERE IT IS BEEN THE THIRD DAY WITH NO POWER, THAT HAS MEANT THAT THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT WAS NOT ABLE TO OPERATE. IT WAS BEING DESCRIBED AS A WATER CRISIS, PEOPLE ARE BEING TOLD TO CONSERVE THEIR WATER. PRIVATE HOMES, CAFE'S, HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO USE THEIR FREEZERS ) SO WE HAVE HEARD OF FOOD BEING THROWN AWAY. POWER IS BACK, BUT WITH THOSE ROADS STILL CLOSED IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET IN MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND FOOD. FOODSTUFFS IS WORKING ON IT, THEY ARE IN A CRISIS MEETING AND THEY SAY THAT HAWKE'S BAY, TAIRUA AMONG OTHERS ARE THE PRIORITY. THEY ARE LOOKING AT PERHAPS BRINGING FOOD AND BY HELICOPTER, BY LIGHT PLANE, EVEN BY SEA. SOME OF THESE COMMUNITIES, HAVE OLD POPULATIONS ` IN THE LAST FEW MINUTES TALKING TO CIVIL DEFENCE TEAMS, THEY SAID PEOPLE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET OUT OF THE REGION FOR MEDICAL PROCEDURES, INCLUDING CHEMOTHERAPY. SOME PROGRESS BUT WE ARE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS, THE FOCUS IS ON THE ROADS. CYCLONE GABRIELLE'S CAUSED WISDESPREAD DAMAGE ACROSS AUCKLAND, WITH RESIDENTS ALREADY TRYING TO CLEAN UP FROM SEVERE FLOODING A FEW WEEKS AGO. ZION DAYAL IS OUT AND ABOUT FOR US IN ARCH HILL. ZION, TALK US THROUGH THE DAMAGE WHERE YOU ARE. SOME CLEAR SKIES IN AUCKLAND TODAY, THEY HAVE ONLY BROUGHT A CLEARER REALITY, HOMEOWNERS ARE ASSESSING THE DAMAGE THE CYCLONE HAS DONE. THIS PROPERTY IS UNLIVABLE ` THE BANK HAS CONVERGED ON THIS PROPERTY, A DOUBLE BLOW ON THIS PROPERTY AFTER THE FLOODS ` THEY HAVE BEEN AWAY FOR THREE WEEKS, AND THEY CAME BACK TO A CYCLONE WHICH HAS CAUSED EVEN MORE DAMAGE. I AM JOINED BY ONE OF THE HOMEOWNERS. I'M SO SORRY THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO YOU, HOW ARE YOU? WE ARE OKAY AT THE MOMENT, WE ARE STAYING WITH OUR FRIENDS. YOU WERE HERE WHEN THE BANK STARTED TO COME DOWN? CAN USE PLAIN WHAT IT WAS LIKE? ON THE 27TH, AROUND 6 O'CLOCK, I SAW THE MUD COME ALL THE WAY FROM THE BANK, LOTS OF LOUD NOISES, IT LOOKED LIKE A DISASTER MOVIE. WE TOOK THE KEYS AND LEFT THE HOUSE. THIS HAPPENED IN THE FLOODS, YOU HAVE HAD TO MOVE, AND A RETURN TO A CYCLONE. HOW WORRIED WERE YOU? IT WAS VERY SCARY, WE WERE WORRIED THAT THE CYCLONE WOULD CAUSE MORE DAMAGE, BECAUSE THE HUGE WIND CAN BREAK THE TREES AND CAUSE FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE HOUSE AND THE DECK. WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR YOU NOW, I KNOW THIS IS VERY RAW, YOU MUST BE TRYING TO GET BACK ON YOUR FEET WHAT IS THAT LIKE? WE HAVE INSURANCE, WHICH IS LUCKY ` BUT IT CAN BE A LONG PROCESS FOR THE CLAIM, WE PROBABLY NEED TO WAIT FOR ABOUT 9 TO 12 MONTHS, TO GET MADE ERA WHEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE BACK, AT THE MOMENT WE DO NOT KNOW ` WE ARE THINKING ABOUT RENTING A PROPERTY, BUT MOST RENTAL PROPERTIES ON THE MARKET REQUIRE 12 MONTHS CONTACT ` AND OF COURSE WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE WILL MOVE BACK, SO WE ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND A HOUSE AT THE MOMENT. I DO FEEL FOR YOU. A PREACHER YOUR TIME AND HOPE THINGS GET BETTER FOR YOU. THERE ARE AROUND 120 ASSESSORS GOING AROUND AUCKLAND HOMES, TO SEE IF PLACES ARE LIVEABLE ` BUT WITH THAT FEW PEOPLE AND THE THOUSANDS OF HOMES THAT ARE AFFECTED, YOU KNOW THIS WILL BE A LONG ROAD OF RECOVERY AHEAD FOR AUCKLANDERS. WHILE CYCLONE GABRIELLE HAS NOW MOVED ACROSS MOST PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, WEATHER WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE IN PLACE FOR THE LOWER NORTH ISLAND AND THE WEST COAST. FOR MORE 1 NEWS METEOROLOGIST DAN CORBETT IS WITH ME. WE STILL HAVE SOME WATCHES AND WARNINGS, EVEN THOUGH THE CYCLONE IS GETTING FURTHER AWAY. LOOKING AT THE LOWER NORTH ISLAND, THERE ARE WATCHES AS FAR SOUTH AS CANTERBURY. IT IS LIKE THE LAST SWING, THE KICK OF SORTS. THE CYCLONE IS TRACKING AWAY BUT IT IS SLOW TO MOVE. ZOOMING IN ON THIS ORANGE HERE, THAT IS HEAVY PERSISTENT RAIN GOING INTO TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. YOU CAN SEE A TRACK INTO MARLBOROUGH. VERY SODDEN GROUND FURTHER NORTH. THUNDERSTORMS, AROUND NAPIER AND GASSMAN, A LOT OF THESE PLACES HAVE SEEN SO MUCH MOISTURE. AFTER THAT THOUGH WE ARE ON THE UPWARD SWING. WE'RE STANDING BY FOR THE PRIME MINISTER TO PROVIDE A LIVE UPDATE ON CYCLONE GABRIELLE. WE'LL TAKE A QUICK BREAK ` SEE YOU SOON. WELCOME BACK. HERE'S THE LATEST INFORMATION ON CYCLONE GABRIELLE. MORE THAN 1400 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REGISTERED AS 'UNCONTACTABLE' VIA THE POLICE ONLINE REPORTING FORM. THE VAST MAJORITY ARE IN HAWKE'S BAY OR TAIRAWHITI. FOUR PEOPLE ARE NOW CONFIRMED TO HAVE DIED FROM THE CYCLONE ` THE LATEST, A CHILD, WHO WAS CAUGHT IN RISING FLOODWATERS IN ESKDALE YESTERDAY. MORE THAN 10,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOMES ACROSS THE NORTH ISLAND. 3000 OF THOSE ARE SHELTERING IN CIVIL DEFENCE CENTRES. OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS, 70 POLICE STAFF ARE BEING REDEPLOYED FROM OTHER AREAS TO HAWKE'S BAY AND TAIRAWHITI, TO SUPPORT RECOVERY EFFORTS. PRIME MINISTER CHRIS HIPKINS WILL FRONT MEDIA SHORTLY WITH A CYCLONE GABRIELLE UPDATE. WE'RE STANDING BY FOR THAT. WAITING ALONG WITH US IS POLITICAL EDITOR JESSICA MUTCH MCKAY. JESS, LESS THAN A MONTH INTO THE JOB, AND CHRIS HIPKINS ALREADY HAS A BIG TASK AHEAD OF HIM. I DON'T THINK IT HAS EVEN BEEN THREE WEEKS THAT HE HAS BEEN IN THE JOB, HE HAS DEFINITELY BEEN THROWN INTO THE DEEP END IN TERMS OF DEALING WITH A VERY SIGNIFICANT NATURAL DISASTER. OF COURSE THIS IS NOT THE PAYMENT IS FIRST TIME TO DEAL WITH SOMETHING OF THE SCALE, OF COURSE THE RESPONSIBILITY NOW RESTS WITH HIM ` HE WILL BE FEELING THAT RESPONSIBILITY KEENLY. HE HAS BEEN SPLITTING HIS TIME BETWEEN AUCKLAND AND WELLINGTON, AND PART OF THE MAIN COORDINATION HERE IN WELLINGTON. HE IS TALKING OF GOING OUT INTO THE REGIONS IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. ABSOLUTELY THIS IS A BAPTISM OF FIRE. HE IS EXPECTED TO COME HERE AND SPEAK AT 5:30, ALONG WITH MEGAN WOODS AND GINNY ANDERSEN. THEY WILL GIVE US A KEY UPDATE ON THOSE ELEMENTS, POWER AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS. TODAY WE HAVE AN UPDATE AT 11 THIS MORNING, AND THEN A 1 O'CLOCK UPDATE IN AUCKLAND, AND THEN THIS IS THE AFTERNOON BRIEFING. THE GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO KEEP UP REGULAR COMMUNICATION, BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY VERY EAGER TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON AT THE MOMENT. REMIND US HOW PARLIAMENT IS EXPECTED TO WORK IN THE COMING DAYS, AS POLITICIANS RESPOND TO THIS EMERGENCY. PARLIAMENT HAS BEEN PAUSED UNTIL TUESDAY NEXT WEEK, THIS WAS MEANT TO BE THE FIRST WEEK BACK TO BUSINESS AS USUAL, BUT THAT HAS ALL BEEN PAUSED, AND POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT TUESDAY. THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT CAME INTO THAT DECISION, THE FIRST IS THAT MPS WANT TO BE OUT AND ABOUT, ALSO HERE AT PARLIAMENT, THE WHOLE PROCESS OF RUNNING PARLIAMENT IS A BIG MECHANISM, AND BEING ABLE TO PUSH PAUSE IS IMPORTANT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON OTHER THINGS. ACT, OF COURSE, WITH A PARTY THAT SAID NO ` BECAUSE THEY WANTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO HOLD THE PARLIAMENT TO ACCOUNT, WHILE IT IS DEALING WITH THIS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE. HOWEVER THEY DID NOT HAVE THE NUMBERS TO STOP THE ADJOURNMENT. BASICALLY, THINGS HAVE BEEN PUT ON HOLD. ONE THING IT IS STILL GOING ON IS THE ROYAL VISIT OF PRINCESS ANNE, PRINCESS Anne HAS BEEN HERE FOR A TRIP THAT HAS BEEN PLANNED FOR MONTHS, SHE CAME TO THE BUNKER, SHE WILL BE LAYING A WREATH, SHE HAS EVENTS ON TOMORROW ` THAT HAS STILL TAKEN PLACE WITH THAT IMPORTANT VISIT, BUT ALSO WITH THIS NATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY GOING ON AS WELL. NATIONAL'S LEADER HAS BEEN OUT AND ABOUT IN AUCKLAND'S HENDERSON TODAY. WHAT'S CHRISTOPHER LUXON HAD TO SAY? IT IS A TIME WHERE PEOPLE'S APPETITE FOR POLITICS IS PRETTY LOW, I THINK THE PARTY LEADERS ARE AWARE OF THAT. I HAVE A NOTE THAT THE PRIME MINISTER IS ABOUT THREE MINUTES AWAY NOW, HE WON'T BE TOO FAR AWAY FROM THAT CONFERENCE. I THINK THE LEADERS WILL BE MINDFUL THAT THEY ARE OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITIES, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT COMES NATURALLY TO MANY OF THEM, TAKING ON LEADERSHIP ROLES THAT THEY PLAY IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE CHRISTOPHER LUXON IT IS A DIFFICULT SITUATION, NOW IS A TIME OF RECOVERY, NOT A TIME OF CRITICISM. THAT IS THE BALANCE PEOPLE HAVE TO MAKE. THE PRIME MINISTER IS MAKING HIS WAY BEHIND ME, THEY WILL BE GIVING US AN UPDATE ON THE OVERALL PICTURE AS WELL AS ENERGY AND COMMUNICATION, AND THEY WILL HAVE THE LATEST FOR US. THIS IS OUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM THE PRIME MINISTER TODAY. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS ARRIVED. LET'S GO TO THAT LIVE. GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM JOINED BY MEGAN WOODS TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE SITUATION WITH POWER OUTAGES AND THE MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS WHO WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK. TODAY WE ARE GETTING A BETTER PICTURE OF THE DAMAGE ACROSS THE UPPER NORTH ISLAND. AS POWER IS RESTORED IN SOME PLACES AND SELL PHONE COVERAGE COMES BACK ON. THE DEVASTATION IS WIDESPREAD. IT IS TAKING A TOLL BEYOND PROPERTY AND LIVELIHOODS TO PEOPLE. THERE HAVE BEEN FOR CONFIRMED FATALITIES AS A RESULT OF THE CYCLONE. THE GRIEF OF THEIR FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES WILL BE UNIMAGINABLE. IN PARTICULAR I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FAMILY OF THE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER, WHOSE BODY WAS RECOVERED TODAY. HE LOST HIS LIFE PROTECTING OTHERS IN HIS COMMUNITY. OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH HIS LOVED ONES. TODAY OUR IMMEDIATE FOCUS HAS BEEN UNDERTAKING LIFE-SAVING MISSIONS FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY THE FLOODS WHO NEEDED TO BE RESCUED GETTING TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND POWER BACK ON AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, CONDUCTING AERIAL SURVEYS TO UNDERSTAND THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE AND TO IDENTIFY WHERE PEOPLE NEED HELP, DEPLOYING EMERGENCY SUPPLIES, FOOD, WATER AND MEDICINE AND GETTING COMMUNICATIONS ASSETS TO THE AREAS THAT NEED THEM. THIS HAS BEEN AN ENORMOUS LOGISTICAL EFFORT, ABLY LED BY THE DEFENCE FORCE. WE REMAIN AT EMERGENT RESPONSE MODE AND THE HAWKE'S BAY REGION. THERE ARE SEVEN OUTSTANDING REQUEST FOR EVACUATION. NONE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS CRITICAL. ALL THOSE WHO WERE ON ROOFS HAVE BEEN RESCUED. MORE THAN 9000 PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE BEEN DISPLACED ACROSS THE REGION, WITH 3000 AND CIVIL DEFENCE CENTRES. POLICE REPORT THAT 1442 PEOPLE ARE UNACCOUNTED FOR, MAINLY IN THE HAWKE'S BAY AS AT 230 THIS AFTERNOON. 1111 PEOPLE HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTED AS FOUND. THERE IS LIKELY TO BE A CROSSOVER BETWEEN THOSE TWO NUMBERS. WE EXPECT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE PEOPLE WILL BE ACCOUNTED FOR. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE MISSING FOR WHOM POLICE TO HOLD GRAVE CONCERNS. ALL LOCAL BRIDGES BETWEEN NAPIER AND HASTINGS ARE OUT. HOWEVER, ACCESS TO HASTINGS AND NAPIER HAS BEEN REESTABLISHED FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES AND LIFELINE SUPPLIES, VIA STATE HIGHWAY 51. NAPIER AND GISBORNE AIRPORTS ARE OPEN TODAY, AND IN NEW ZEALAND DEPLOYED A SPECIAL ASSISTANCE FLIGHT CARRYING COMMUNICATION SUPPORT EMERGENCY SUPPLIES AND AIRPORT OPERATIONAL STAFF INTO GISBORNE AT MIDDAY. THE DEFENCE FORCE HAS 700 PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE RELIEF EFFORTS WHICH IS AN INCREASE. INCLUDED IN THAT THERE ARE FOUR AIRCRAFT, SEVEN HELICOPTERS, TO SHIPS AND 58 TRUCKS. THE ARMY HAVE MOVED LOGISTICS SUPPORT TEAMS OF 100 PEOPLE IN 30 VEHICLES THEY ARE DEPLOYING TO HAWKE'S BAY. THREE AND H 90 HELICOPTERS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING EVACUATION OPERATIONS IN THE HAWKE'S BAY TODAY. THE HERCULES IS CONDUCTING SURVEILLANCE AND RECONNAISSANCE ALONG THE EAST COAST, SURVEYING DAMAGE AND PROVIDING INFORMATION ON THE AREA IN NEED. THE HM NS SALES AT 5 PM TONIGHT FROM AUCKLAND WITH SUPPLIES 4 TIGHT THEY ARE EXPECTED TO ARRIVE AT FIRST LIGHT IN GISBORNE. PERSONNEL WILL SAIL TO NAPIER, SUPPLYING WATER AND OTHER SUPPLIES. WAIROA HAS BEEN AN AREA OF PARTICULAR CONCERN FOR US. TODAY WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY ON THE GROUND TO HELP RE-ESTABLISH COMMUNICATIONS. NH90 HAS MOVED USAR TEAMS WITH EMERGENCY MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS THERE. ARE RAPID RELIEF TEAM IS WORKING TO DROP WATER FOR 3000 VIA HELICOPTER. THAT WILL ARRIVE THIS EVENING. THE RAPID RELIEF TEAM WILL ALSO BE ESTABLISHING A BARBECUE IN WAIROA FOR 3000 THIS EVENING. THEY WILL START COOKING IS SOONEST SUPPLIES LAND. THEY WILL KEEP COOKING INTO THE NIGHT, UNTIL THEY RUN OUT OF PEOPLE TO FEED OR FOOD. THEY ARE AIMING TO PROVIDE 300 500 FOOD PACKAGES TOMORROW MORNING. TOMORROW MORNING THE DEFENCE FORCE WILL MOVE A WATER TREATMENT FACILITY INTO WAIROA TO SUPPLY DRINKING WATER, SUPPLYING FURTHER DRINKING WATER AND FURTHER ASSIST EMERGENCY SERVICES. THE NEED AND THE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IS GREAT. WE ARE DOING ALL THAT WE CAN ACROSS A MAJOR RESPONSE EFFORT TO GET THE SUPPORT AND SUPPLIES TO WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED THE MOST. I ACKNOWLEDGE THE EFFORTS OF ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN WHAT IS SHAPING UP TO BE A PROTRACTED RESPONSE AND RECOVERY EFFORT. MINISTER WOODS. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. AS YOU WILL KNOW THERE IS WIDESPREAD IMPACT ON ELECTRICITY IN THE NORTH ISLAND. COMPANIES ARE WORKING TO RESTORE ALLERGENICITY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WE ARE GETTING REGULAR UPDATES ON PROGRESS. SINCE YESTERDAY, 65,000 HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS THE NORTH ISLAND HAVE HAD POWER RESTORED. RESTORE THIS MEANS THAT AS OF 2:30 PM THIS AFTERNOON, THERE ARE CURRENTLY 160,000 HOUSEHOLDS WITHOUT POWER. THIS IS DOWN FROM THE PEAK OF 225,000 HOUSEHOLDS YESTERDAY. THERE ARE STILL HIGH WINDS AND SOME PLACES WITH BLOCKED ROADS MAKING RESTORATION UNSAFE OR INACCESSIBLE AT THIS POINT. IN SOME PLACES RESTORATION MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BEGIN UNTIL LATER IN THE WEEK, WHEN IT IS SAFE AND POSSIBLE TO DO SO. LINES COMPANIES IN UNAFFECTED PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO GET CREWS TO LOCATIONS WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED AND CAN HELP. THIS INVOLVES TRANSPORT LOGISTICS OF BOTH PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT. THE GOVERNMENT IS ASSISTING WITH THIS THROUGH THE NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE FORCE TO GET CREW AND EQUIPMENT UP TO NORTHLAND AND LOOKING AT WHAT SUPPORT WILL BE REQUIRED IN OTHER LOCATIONS AS WE PROGRESS. I HAVE ASKED THE ELECTRICITY RETAILERS TO LOOK AT WHETHER THEY HAVE PEOPLE AND ENGINEERING EXPERTISE THAT CAN BE HELPED WITH THE EFFORT TO GET POWER TRANSMISSION RESTORED. IN HAWKE'S BAY, WITH THE SUBSTATION OUT OF ACTION, TRANS POWER IS WORKING ON A BYPASS TO CONNECT A SUBSTATION TO ALLOW MORE CUSTOMERS TO GET RECONNECTED. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT EVENT WITH A DAMAGE TO OUR ELECTRICITY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN SINCE CYCLONE BOLA. THERE ARE PEOPLE DEALING WITH DAMAGE PROPERTIES AND NO POWER, AND IT WILL NOT BE CLEAR EXACTLY WHEN IT WILL BE RESTORED. WE WILL KEEP INFORMATION FLOWING AS SOON AS IT COMES TO HAND. I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS CAN BE FRUSTRATING FOR PEOPLE, AND IT CAN BE UPSETTING. IN REGARD TO FUEL, THE GOVERNMENT HAS SET UP THE FUEL SECTOR ENTITY UNDER THE NATIONAL FUEL PLAN, WHICH COMPRISES FUEL COMPANIES, AND RETAILERS. THIS IS HAVING A PICTURE OF OPEN FUEL STATIONS IN AFFECTED AREAS SO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CAN ACCESS FUEL TO UNDERTAKE RESPONSE ACTIVITIES AS REQUIRED. THE ISSUES ARE NOT ABOUT THE SUPPLY OF FUEL, BUT A RESULT OF POWER BEING OFF IN CERTAIN STATIONS AND AN INABILITY TO ACCESS BY ROAD SO VEHICLES CAN'T REFUEL. YOUR COMPANIES ARE WORKING TO BRING STATIONS BACK ONLINE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. THEY ARE WORKING TO RESTOCK AS ROADS OPEN SAFELY. FUEL IS CONSIDERED A LIFELINE SERVICE FOR PRIORITY ACCESS THROUGH ROADS AS THEY OPEN. THERE IS A FEW OTHER POINTS ON FUEL. STATE HIGHWAY 2 TO NAPIER HAS NOW BEEN OPENED TO LIFELINE SERVICES, INCLUDING FUEL, SERVICING TO THE REGION. MANY TANKERS ARE LOADING AT NAPIER AND SUPPLYING EMERGENCY SERVICES WITH DIESEL AS IT IS REQUIRED. WIRI AND MARSDEN POINT REMAIN OPEN AND OPERATIONAL. THE WHANGAREI HARBOUR IS OPENING TODAY. CONDITIONALS ARE LOOKING FAVOURABLE FOR BIRTHING. I WILL HAND OVER TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS ISSUES. THE THREE MAIN AREAS THAT HAVE AN IMPACT OF THE MOST FOR CONDUCTIVITY ARE NORTHLAND, COROMANDEL AND HAWKE'S BAY, WITH HAWKE'S BAY HAVING NAPIER, GISBORNE. I ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT OUR TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES ARE WORKING COLLECTIVELY TO IDENTIFY WHAT ASSETS AND OBSTACLES ARE IN EACH OF THESE AREAS. THERE HAVE BEEN FIVE MAIN BREAKS IN FIBRE ACROSS NEW ZEALAND. TO HAVE THESE HAVE BEEN RESTORED. COROMANDEL HAS BEEN RESTORED THIS AFTERNOON, AND ALSO NORTH OF TAUPO. IN TERMS OF NORTHLAND, THE MAIN AREAS WE ARE FOCUSING ON IS TO INCREASE THE GENERATOR REACH. THERE WILL BE GENERATORS IN PLACE TO INCREASE CELL PHONE TOWERS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN OPERATING. ONE OF THE MAIN AREAS WE ARE FOCUSING ON IN NORTHLAND IS TO GET POWER BACK UP, SO THE CELL PHONE TOWERS CAN BE ACTIVATED. IN TERMS OF COROMANDEL, WE HAVE FIBRE RESTORED IN THE AREA. WE EXPECT CONDUCTIVITY TO IMPROVE OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS. GISBORNE, THERE HAVE BEEN TWO MAJOR FIBRE OUTAGES. THERE ARE INTERMEDIARY SATELLITE AND GENERATORS. THIS WILL PROVIDE INTERIM TO CONNECTIVITY. VOICE AND TEXT WILL BE INSTALLED, BUT FURTHER INABILITY TO USE THE INTERNET WILL REQUIRE FIBRE TO BE INSTALLED. THE COMMUNICATIONS PROVIDERS ARE WORKING NOW TO PROVIDE AN INTERIM MEASURE OF OVERLAYING OVERLAND TO RESTORE FIBRE CONNECTION TO GISBORNE. THIS WILL TAKE A COUPLE OF DAYS TO HAVE IN PLACE. IN TERMS OF NAPIER, WE ARE CONTINUING WITH GENERATORS TO PROVIDE CELL PHONE CONNECTIVITY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. I APPRECIATE PEOPLE WILL WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH LOVED ONES. I WOULD LIKE TO CONFIRM THAT THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS EMERGENCY FORM AND HAS HAS BEEN STOOD UP AND IS MEETING DAILY TO ENSURE WE GET PEOPLE CONNECTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ONE FURTHER REQUEST FROM OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES, TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN EVACUATED FROM THEIR HOMES. PLEASE DON'T RETURN TO YOUR HOMES UNTIL YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE ALL CLEAR TO DO SO. WHILST THE WEATHER MAY IMPROVE IN SOME AREAS AND IT MAY APPEAR ON THE SURFACE TO BE SAFE, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN GIVEN CLEARANCE TO GO BACK, THERE IS A REASON. FOR THAT DON'T DO THAT UNTIL YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE OKAY TO GO BACK TO YOUR HOMES, BECAUSE YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PRESERVING THE ENERGY OF OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES TO SUPPORTING THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL BEING SEVERAL IS THE NEAREST THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET FROM THE POLICE, THEY HAVE NOT GIVEN US A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF PEOPLE MISSING. IS THERE A TALLY OF UNCONFIRMED DEATHS? NOT ONE THAT I HAVE AT THE MOMENT. THEY ARE PRIMARILY IN THE HAWKE'S BAY, THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONCERN AROUND HAWKE'S BAY. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ESKDALE? THAT HAS BEEN AN AREA OF CONCERN, THE NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE FORCE HAS SUGGESTED THEY HAVE CONCERNS, AT THIS POINT I'M NOT GOING TO SHARE INFORMATION THAT HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED, BUT CLEARLY THAT IS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE WILL BE TRYING TO GET BETTER INFORMATION ABOUT. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WE DON'T KNOW? AND LIFE THAT IS A DIFFICULT THING TO QUANTIFY, THERE IS STILL A GREAT DEAL THAT WE DO NOT KNOW, IN SOME PLACES WE NEED TO GET PEOPLE ON THE GROUND BEFORE WE CAN GET AN ACCURATE PICTURE. OUR BY OUR MORE INFORMATION IS COMING IN, INFORMATION IS STILL FLOWING AND THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE HEARD, THE BARBECUE TONIGHT, CAN WE PRESUME THAT PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO GET AROUND IN WAIRUA? AND TO GET TO THAT BARBECUE? THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT BETWEEN 10 AND 15% OF THE TOWNSHIP WAS AFFECTED BY THE FLOODING, WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT THE PERCENTAGE AS AT THE CURRENT MOMENT. BUT THERE WAS NO INFORMATION TO INDICATE THAT OTHER PARTS OF THE TOWN WERE INACCESSIBLE. TO BE FAIR, WE NEED TO CONDUCT A FULL ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION THERE, THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT A TEAM HAS GONE IN TO HELP WITH THAT RECONNAISSANCE. YOU DO NOT HAVE INFORMATION BACK YET? USAR IS URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE, AND THEY HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKING RECONNAISSANCE BY AERIAL MEANS, PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO GET TO CIVIL DEFENCE CENTRES AND MOVE AROUND, AND ABLE TO BE ATTENDED TO BY THE RAPID RELIEF TEAM, PEOPLE ARE GETTING EMERGENCY SUPPORT, AND AS THE HOURS AND DAYS GO BY THAT WILL INCREASE. 10 TO 15%? IS THAT PEOPLE THAT CAN GET? ACCESS? AT THAT STAGE IT WAS A PRETTY BROUGHT ASSESSMENT, NOT A PINPOINT NUMBER OF HOW MANY PEOPLE OR SQUARE METRES LIKE THAT. THERE IS SIGNIFICANT INUNDATION IN THE TOWNSHIP, BUT THOSE PEOPLE ARE BEING LOOKED AFTER BY CIVIL DEFENCE LOCALLY, AND EXTERNAL RESOURCES ARE COMING IN. WE HAVE MORE UNITS COMING AND FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE MOVING IN THE SITUATION. CAN WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE HOSPITAL IN HAWKE'S BAY? ARE PEOPLE WHO NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION ABLE TO GET THERE? THE HOSPITAL WAS CONTINUING TO OPERATE BUT THEY DO HAVE STAFFING ISSUES AS NOT EVERYONE IS ABLE TO BE THERE. BUT THE HOSPITAL IS OPERATING. ACUTE CARE IS AVAILABLE IN NAPIER, THEY ARE WORKING WITH PRIMARY CARE. I DO NOT HAVE INFORMATION ON BAYVIEW. TO HAVE THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT, DO WE HAVE THE QUESTION RIGHT? I CANNOT SPEAK TO THE SPECIFICS OF ANY LOCAL ACTION, FROM OFFICIALS OR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ` IT WAS A FAST MOVING EVENT, AND AT THE MOMENT WE ARE ENTIRELY SUPPORTING AN ENTIRELY OPERATIONAL SITUATION. WE ARE GOING TO NEED SOME TIME TO COMPLETE THAT. TO GET SOME PERSPECTIVE ON THE OPERATIONS AS THEY PLAYED OUT. DO WE KNOW MORE ABOUT EAST COAST COMMUNITIES? THIS MORNING, WE SPOKE TO CIVIL DEFENCE AND WERE ON A CONFERENCE CALL WITH THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND GROUP MANAGER AND SO ON, WE HAVE A REASONABLE PICTURE, AND SO TODAY. THEY HAVE A VERY RESILIENT AND ACTIVE REMOTE NETWORK THAT IS BASED ON LOCAL CIVIL DEFENCE, AND THEIR SENSE IS THAT ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE ISOLATED AND CUT OFF COMMUNITIES, THAT THEY HAVE BEEN WELL SUPPORTED BY THE NETWORKS. THEY HAVE LOCAL CIVIL DEFENCE RADIO SYSTEMS. THE PRIORITY FOR THEM IS WATER AND ITS CONSERVATION. IN TERMS OF POWER OUTAGES, AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS, CAN YOU TALK AS TO WHAT OCCURRED, FLOODS WASHING AWAY CABLES ETC? THERE ARE MULTIPLE OUTAGES ACROSS MULTIPLE PARTS OF THE NETWORK ACROSS THE NORTH ISLAND, THERE ARE A RANGE OF FACTORS. AT REDCLIFFE FOR EXAMPLE A SUBSTATION GOT FLOODED, IN OTHER PLACES HIGH WINDS HAVE TAKEN DOWN LOCAL DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS, THERE ARE A RANGE OF FACTORS THAT ARE NOT UNEXPECTED AND WEATHER EVENTS SUCH AS WE HAVE JUST GONE THROUGH. THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD. WE HAVE HAD ENGINEERS NOW BE ABLE TO ENTER THE SITE, THE REDCLIFFE SUBSTATION IN THE HAWKE'S BAY, THAT HAPPENED LATER THIS AFTERNOON, WE ARE STILL WAITING ON A REPORT OF THE DAMAGE AND WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO FIX. IN MANY CASES, AS THE WEATHER SUBSIDES, IT IS ONLY NOW BECOMING CLEAR WHAT THE DAMAGE AS, AND WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO FIX IT. THERE HAS TO BE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR STAFF TO OPERATE IN. I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE DISTRIBUTION BUSINESSES ARE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY ACROSS DIFFERENT COMPANIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DEPLOY RESOURCES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY TO WHERE IT IS NEEDED MOST. THIS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, HAS IT BEEN BUILT IN PLACES THAT, SHOULDN'T BE THERE? THERE HAVE BEEN QUESTIONS ASKED ABOUT THE REDCLIFFE SUBSTATION, AND THAT WAS BUILT IN 1927 ` THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS. OF COURSE WE HAVE TO CONSTANTLY GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE RESILIENCE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT DECISIONS WERE MADE NEARLY 100 YEARS AGO IN THE CASE OF SOME SUBSTATIONS. THESE ARE ALL QUESTIONS WE WILL CONSIDER CAREFULLY, BUT MY SOLE FOCUS AT THE MOMENT IS GETTING POWER RESTORED THERE WERE 25 OUTSTANDING RESCUES THAT NEEDED TO BE COMPLETED, AND THERE ARE STILL SEVEN OUTSTANDING ` HAVE THEY PROVED MORE DIFFICULT AND HOW PROTRACTED OR THE RECOVERY BE? THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE HAD IS THAT ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN THOSE SEVEN ARE SAFE, THE PEOPLE IMPERIOUS POSITIONS HAVE BEEN RESCUED, OF COURSE THERE MAY HAVE BEEN MORE ADDED ` I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER AS TO HOW MANY HAVE BEEN ADDED SINCE THEN. THEY WILL KEEP GOING UNTIL EVERYONE IS SAFE. YOU SAID IT WAS GOING TO BE A PROTRACTED RISK AND RESPONSE, HOW LONG WILL THIS GO FOR? THERE IS MORE RAIN COMING WHICH WILL COMPLICATE THINGS, THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL INCIDENTS THAT DID ADDED TO THE TALLY OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE RESPONDED TO. THAT'S PRIME MINISTER CHRIS HIPKINS THERE. HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM THAT UPDATE. WHILE ALL LOCAL BRIDGES BETWEEN NAPIER AND HASTINGS REMAIN CLOSED, ACCESS TO THE CITIES FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES AND LIFELINE SUPPLIES HAS BEEN RE-ESTABLISHED VIA SH51. THE NZ DEFENCE FORCE NOW HAS MORE THAN 700 PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN RELIEF EFFORTS ` THERE ARE FOUR AIRCRAFT, SEVEN HELICOPTERS, TWO SHIPS AND 58 TRUCKS INVOLVED. 160,000 HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS THE NORTH ISLAND REMAIN WITHOUT POWER. TEAMS ARE WORKING RAPIDLY TO RESTORE POWER, BUT HIGH WINDS AND BLOCKED ROADS, HAMPERING EFFORTS. SOME RESTORATIONS MAY NOT BEGIN UNTIL LATER THIS WEEK. EMERGENCY SERVICES ARE ASKING THAT PEOPLE WHO WERE EVACUATED FROM THEIR HOMES DO NOT RETURN UNTIL THEY RECEIVE THE ALL-CLEAR TO DO SO. THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS 1 NEWS SPECIAL. WE'LL TAKE A QUICK BREAK, THEN I'LL BE BACK WITH EXTENSIVE COVERAGE ON 1 NEWS AT 6. SEE YOU SOON. CAPTIONS BY FAITH HAMBLYN AND SEAN LYDIARD.