CAPTIONS BY SOPHIE PEARCE, KATE HARRIS, STELLA HUGGINS AND MAIA CARR HEKE. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2023 KIA ORA. GOOD AFTERNOON. WE'RE ABOUT TO CROSS LIVE FOR THE LATEST FROM THE PRIME MINISTER ON THE CYCLONE GABRIELLE RESPONSE OPERATION. THE DEATH TOLL HAS RISEN TODAY TO EIGHT, WITH POLICE IN HAWKE'S BAY INVESTIGATING THE DEATHS OF TWO PEOPLE IN FLOODWATERS IN WAIOHIKI AND IN PUKETAPU. IT COMES AFTER THE DEATH OF AUCKLAND VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER CRAIG STEVENS. HE'D BEEN IN HOSPITAL SINCE BEING CRITICALLY INJURED IN MONDAY'S MURIWAI SLIP THAT ALSO CLAIMED THE LIFE OF HIS COLLEAGUE, DAVE VAN ZWANENBERG. AND RESIDENTS ON A STREET IN MURIWAI WERE ISSUED AN URGENT EVACUATION ORDER TODAY. THEY WERE ASKED TO LEAVE ON FOOT AFTER LAND MOVEMENT WAS DETECTED UNDER THEIR HOMES. LET'S BRING IN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER BENEDICT COLLINS NOW. BENEDICT, THE PRIME MINISTER WAS ON THE GROUND IN HAWKE'S BAY TODAY. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US? GOOD AFTERNOON. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS DONE ANOTHER ONE OF THESE DAY TRIPS AND FLOWN UP TO HAWKE'S BAY TODAY. HE IS MEETING WITH WORKERS ON THE FRONTLINE WHO ARE RESPONDING TO THE CYCLONE. HE ALSO GOT OUT TO SOME OF THE HARDEST HIT AREAS, LIKE THE ESK VALLEY TO MEET WITH THE FAMILIES WHO ARE RECOVERING. HE SAID THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND THE FOOTAGE OF THE DESTRUCTION, BUT NOTHING REALLY PREPARES YOU FOR THE REALITY OF WHAT IT IS LIKE. IT IS TRULY TRAUMATIC, JUST DEVASTATING. HE ALSO TALKED TO THE MEDIA AND SAID THAT THEY WILL HAVE A REVIEW OF HOW THINGS PLAYED OUT HERE, BUT AT THE MOMENT, THE AUTHORITIES ARE FOCUSED ON TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE AND GET THEM THROUGH THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH. HE IS IN THE BEEHIVE RIGHT NOW, HEADING INTO THE PRESS CONFERENCE. CHRIS HIPKINS IS ABOUT TO SPEAK. LET'S GO TO THAT LIVE. GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM JOINED AGAIN TODAY BY DARREN WEBB WHO WILL UPDATE YOU ON THE NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE FORCE. GOOD PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE AND ASPECTS OF OUR RESPONSE, BUT ACTIVITIES HAVE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE SCALE OF THE JOB AHEAD. TODAY, I VISITED HAWKE'S BAY AND WITNESSED THE DEVASTATION FIRST-HAND AND HEARD DIRECTLY FROM THOSE ON THE GROUND WHAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT THEY MAY NEED FROM GOVERNMENT. TO PUT IT SIMPLY, IT IS VERY ROUGH UP THERE. THERE IS STILL NO POWER IN NAPIER, THOUGH EVERY EFFORT IS BEING MADE TO RESTORE IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. EVACUATION CENTRES ARE STILL FULL WITH PEOPLE. SOME ARE THERE TO STAY, BUT OTHERS ARE CIVILLY THERE TO PICK UP SUPPLIES OR HAVE A MEAL. THE ESK VALLEY IS FULL OF MUD. IT IS SETTLING OVER THE TOP OF GRAPE VINES AND FILLING HOMES. THE ATTRACT FLOODWATERS WITH NOWHERE TO GO, MAKING NEW LAKES OUT OF FARMLAND AND DESTROYING ORCHARDS AND CROPS. THERE IS STILL A HUGE WAY TO GO IN THIS RESPONSE AND THERE ARE STILL SMALL COMMUNITIES WHO ARE CUT OFF AND ISOLATED. FOOD, FUEL AND OTHER SUPPLIES ARE NOW MAKING THEIR WAY IN VIA ROAD, AIR AND SEA. GENERATORS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IN TO A CENTRAL POINT IN NAPIER, PROVIDING POWER TO SEVERAL SUPERMARKETS AND A CHEMIST, WHICH IS ALLOWING THEM TO BE OPENED. CONNECTIVITY IS RETURNING, BUT IT IS PATCHY. IT IS BETTER IN SOME AREAS THAN OTHERS. WE KNOW HOW VITAL IT IS TO HELP FAMILIES GET IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER. IT IS ALSO HELPING US TO GET A BETTER PICTURE OF WHERE SUPPORT IS NEEDED. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED I CYCLONE GABRIELLE. WE ARE SWINGING INTERACTION TO HELP THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED. WE HAVE PROVIDED 16 STARLINK UNITS. ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE ARE SEEING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THOSE WHO NEED IT. I SAW FIRST-HAND TODAY HOW MUCH THIS CYCLONE IS GOING TO AFFECT THE WHOLE COUNTRY. WE NEED TO PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THE FACT THAT IT IS GOING TO DISRUPT SOME PARTS OF OUR FOOD SUPPLY THINGS LIKE FRUIT AND VEGETABLES AND OTHER GOODS WE ARE USED TO GETTING FROM THESE REGIONS ARE LIKELY TO BE EFFECTED. TO SEE TODAY HOW HARD PEOPLE AND PROPERTY HAVE BEEN AFFECTED HAS HAMMERED HOME THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH THE EFFECTS OF THIS CYCLONE FOR SOME TIME. WE NOW KNOW THAT EIGHT PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES AS A RESULT OF THIS. OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES CONTINUE TO HOLD GREAT FEARS FOR OTHERS. POLICE REPORT THAT THERE ARE 4549 PEOPLE REPORTED AS AN CONTACTABLE. A TEAM OF 80 PEOPLE ARE WORKING TO NARROW DOWN THIS LIST AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND TO PRIORITISE CONTACT WITH THOSE WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE MISSING. AT MIDDAY TODAY, OR DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS FOR THE ESK VALLEY HAD BEEN COMPLETED. FURTHER AREAS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED WHERE FURTHER BISCUITS WILL BE CARRIED OUT. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO USE EVERY RESOURCE AVAILABLE TO SEARCH PEOPLE WHO ARE MISSING. A SPECIALIST TEAM OF FIRST RESPONDERS FROM AUSTRALIA HAVE ARRIVED IN THE COUNTRY THIS AFTERNOON TO ASSIST WITH THAT AS WELL, SO A BIG THANK YOU TO THEM FOR HELPING. THERE IS NO GETTING AWAY FROM THE FACT THAT LIFE ON THE GROUND IN THE AFFECTED AREAS IS INCREDIBLY TOUGH AND IS GOING TO BE FOR SOME TIME TO COME. MEANINGFUL PROGRESS IS STILL BEING MADE ACROSS A NUMBER OF AREAS, THOUGH. POWER CONNECTIONS ARE CONTINUING, WITH ABOUT 40,000 MORE HOUSEHOLDS CONNECTED SINCE YESTERDAY. THERE ARE ABOUT 62,000 THAT ARE STILL WITHOUT POWER. WE ARE TRYING TO GET POWER INTO PARTS OF NAPIER AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND WORK WILL CONTINUE ON THIS OVERNIGHT AND WE HOPE SOME PARTS OF NAPIER WILL HAVE POWER AGAIN SOON. HASTINGS TOWNSHIP IS NOW ABOUT 90% CONNECTED TO A LECTURE CITY, WHICH IS UP FROM AROUND 60% YESTERDAY. HAVELOCK NORTH IS NOW AT ABOUT 95%, WHICH IS UP FOR ABOUT 6% YESTERDAY. GETTING CELL PHONES TOWERS IS ALSO A HIGH PRIORITY, AS WE KNOW THERE ARE STILL FAMILIES WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT LOVE ONCE. AS OF 4 O'CLOCK TODAY, ACROSS NORTHLAND, GISBORNE AND HAWKE'S BAY, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED 70% CELL COVERAGED RETURNED. WE HOPE THAT COVERAGE WILL BE RESTORED TO AROUND 75% BY TOMORROW EVENING FOR CALL AND TEXT. DATA IS LIKELY TO TAKE LONGER. COVERAGE IS LIKELY TO BE PATCHY IN SOME AREAS, BECAUSE THE CELL TOWERS ARE BEING POWERED BY GENERATORS. A NUMBER OF STARLINK UNITS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED TO THE HAWKE'S BAY. I AM GLAD TO REPORT THAT NEARLY EVERY SUPERMARKET IN THE AFFECTED REGIONS IS UP AND RUNNING, WITH LARGE FOOD CONVOYS DELIVERING SUPPLIES YESTERDAY AND TODAY. FUEL TANKERS ARE GETTING THROUGH TO THE AFFECTED AREAS NOW, SO PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO FILL UP THEIR CARS. MANY ATMs HAVE BEEN TOPPED UP WITH EXTRA CASH. URGENT WORK IS UNDERWAY AND GISBORNE TO GET SAFE WATER BACK TO HOUSEHOLDS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AS WELL AS OTHER AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED. SEVERAL REGIONS HAVE BEEN ASKING LOCALS TO CONSERVE WATER, SO IF YOU ARE IN THAT CATEGORY, PLEASE BE MINDFUL OF YOUR WATER USAGE. PROGRESS CONTINUES TO GETTING ROADS OPEN. DIAMOND VALLEY IS NOW OPEN AS WELL AS THE STATE HIGHWAY TO GISBORNE. MEDICAL SUPPLIES ARE BEING AIRLIFTED INTO AREAS THAT NEED THEM. AND HASTINGS, ALL GPS AND PHARMACIES ARE OPEN. FOR GISBORNE HOSPITAL IS OPERATING, BUT WITH VERY LIMITED WATER SUPPLY. WAIROA HAS SOME GP AND PHARMACY SUPPORT, AND WE ARE WORKING TO GET MORE THERE FOR THEM. HEALTH ONE CAN DO CONSULTATIONS FOR THOSE WHO ARE ABLE TO ACCESS COMMUNICATIONS. RESPONDING TO THIS CYCLONE AND GETTING OUR COMMUNITIES BACK ON THEIR FEET IS GOING TO BE A BIG JOB AND IT IS GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME. WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS, BUT I CANNOT OVERSTATE THE SCALE OF THE TASK THAT IS AHEAD OF US. WE ARE GOING AS FAR AND FAST AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE. WE ARE THROWING EVERYTHING AT IT, BUT THERE IS A LOT TO DO. TO EVERYBODY WHO IS HELPING, TO OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES, IWI, SUPERMARKET STAFF, ROADIES, TRUCKIES, ARE VERY BIG THANK YOU. YOU ARE MAKING A HELL OF A DIFFERENCE IN AN INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES. FIRSTLY, CAN I OFFER OUR SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO THE SECOND FIREFIGHTER WHO LOST HIS LIFE FOLLOWING THE MURIWAI LANDSLIP. ALL OF OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH THOSE WHO HAVE LOST A LOVED ONE. THE NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE FORCE CONTINUES TO HAVE MANY PEOPLE DEPLOYED. WE CONTINUED TO HAVE TASKS ASSIGNED TO US AND I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE A QUICK SNAPSHOT ON WHAT THE DEFENCE FORCE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN IN THE PAST 24 HOURS AND WHAT WE ARE PLANNING OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. ON THE EAST COAST, ONE OF OUR SHIPS HAS MADE ITS WAY TO THE TAIARAWHITI REGION. SHIP WAS ANCHORED TODAY OFF GISBORNE AND IS CONDUCTING SAFETY ASSESSMENTS. ANOTHER SHIP HAS JUST LEFT AUCKLAND WITH A FURTHER WATER TREATMENT PLANT. IT WILL ARRIVE THIS EVENING. IT WILL ALSO HAVE ON-BOARD MEDICAL SUPPLIES, INCLUDING 80 OXYGEN BOTTLES AND THE ABILITY TO HELP WITH THE RECONNECTION OF POWER. THE LATE AHMAD ROAD CHECKS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE REGION HAVE BEEN COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY. THIS WILL NOW ALLOW HEAVY EMERGENCY VEHICLES TO MOVE CRITICAL SUPPLIES INTO THESE AREAS. THE TEAM ARE ALSO IDENTIFYING AREAS SUITABLE FOR HELICOPTERS TO LAND AND BRINGING FURTHER SUPPLIES. FOCUSING ON WAIROA, WE CAN CONFIRM THAT THE WATER TREATMENTS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED AND FRESHWATER WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY. RIGHT NOW, HELICOPTERS OVER FLYING AND VITAL WATER PUMP PARTS. BEYOND THE WATER SUPPORT, WE ALSO HAVE FOUR DEFENCE FORCE STAFF ASSISTING LOCAL RESPONDERS. WE CAN CONFIRM THAT ANOTHER OF OUR SHIPS HAS ARRIVED AND HAWKE'S BAY. IT HAS 26 TONS OF FOOD, WATER, SHELTERS, CLOTHING AND ELECTRICAL GENERATORS. IT WILL COMPLETE SAFETY CHECKS BEFORE OFFLOADING SUPPLIES. GIVEN THE SCALE OF THE DESTRUCTION, NEW ZEALAND ARMY HAS ESTABLISHED A HEADQUARTERS IN NAPIER. THAT WILL HELP US FOCUS OUR EFFORTS. ARMY ENGINEERS ARE PREPARING TO SUPPORT TEMPORARY BRIDGES. AROUND 480 ARMY PERSONNEL STAND READY TO BE CALLED FORWARD ON REQUEST, THESE INCLUDE PEOPLE WITH SKILLS SUCH AS BUILDERS, PLUMBERS, ALLOCATIONS, AND TRANSPORT. I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SIGNIFICANT ROLE PLAYED BY THE DEFENCE FORCE RESERVE PERSONNEL. THESE ARE COMMUNITY ORIENTATED PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN THE REGION'S AND ANSWERED THE CALL TO HELP WHEN ASKED. YESTERDAY, RESERVISTS WERE ABLE TO REACH A MARAE WHERE PEOPLE WERE SHELTERING. THEY WERE THE FIRST OUTSIDE OF THESE PEOPLE HAD SEEN IN DAYS. OF HELICOPTERS HAVE BEEN CONTINUING WITH EVACUATIONS AND TRANSPORTING PEOPLE AND EMERGENCY SUPPLIES THROUGHOUT THE REGION. IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL CAPABILITIES, OUR SHIPS HAVE COMPLETED TASKS IN THE ANTARCTIC ISLANDS AND ARE RETURNING TO NEW ZEALAND. THEY WILL BE HERE ON SATURDAY AND WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SUPPORT. IT IS A VERY VERSATILE AND CAPABLE SHIP. IT CAN CARRY MANY TONS OF WATER AND CAN PRODUCE MORE PER DAY. IT ALSO HAS A HELICOPTER ON BOARD. WITH A BETTER PICTURE OF THE RANGE OF MERGING TASKS, WE HAVE NOW REACHED OUT TO OUR COLLEAGUES IN AUSTRALIA TO SEEK ADDITIONAL HELP. AT THIS STAGE, WE ANTICIPATE AN ADDITIONAL AIRCRAFT AND SUPPORT STAFF. THIS WILL ENSURE CONTINUITY OF SUPPORT DURING THIS PERIOD OF HIGH TEMPO OPERATIONS. IS THE EXTENT OF THIS DISASTER BECOMES OBVIOUS, I WANT TO REASSURE YOU THAT WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO RESPONDING TO ALL THE NEEDS OF NEW ZEALAND. GIVEN THE SCALE AND EXTENT OF THIS DISASTER, DO WE RISK BEING OVERWHELMED OR ARE WE OVERWHELMED BY IT? ONE OF THE KEY THINGS WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON IS A GOOD DEGREE OF PRIORITISATION. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO THINGS. WE HAVE TO CAREFULLY THINK ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO DEPLOY RESOURCES SO THAT WE CAN GET TO THE MOST URGENT NEEDS FIRST. THAT IS ESSENTIAL IN ANY EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND WE ARE LIKELY TO BE DOING THAT FOR A WHILE. ONE OF THE ISSUES WE ARE HEARING ON THE GROUND IS THAT PEOPLE ARE RUNNING OUT OF CASH. IS THERE ANYTHING THE GOVERNMENT CAN DO? A LOT OF THE CASH SUPPLIES HAVE BEEN REPLENISHED TODAY. WE STILL HAVE A BIT OF A CHALLENGE AND GISBORNE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING CASH INTO GISBORNE. THERE ARE LOGISTICAL ARRANGEMENTS THAT I CANNOT SHARE TO GET A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CASH TOMORROW. WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU SAW TODAY OR YESTERDAY THAT WAS A REAL GUT PUNCH THAT HAMMERED HOME TO YOU THE SCALE OF THIS DISASTER? A LOT. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES, LOST ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. I HAVEN'T SPOKEN DIRECTLY WITH PEOPLE, FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS, BUT I HAVE SPOKEN TO PEOPLE WHO KNOW FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS, AND THAT IS INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING. I HAVE SPOKEN TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND PEOPLE ON THE GROUND TO HAVE BEEN DOING AMAZING WORK AND WHO ARE EXHAUSTED BUT THEY ARE GOING TO KEEP GOING. THEY ARE RESOLVED TO DOING THE BEST JOB THEY CAN POSSIBLY DO. IT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY TIME AND WE ARE SEEING EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT BY SOME AMAZING NEW ZEALANDERS. YOU WILL HOW MANY REMOTE COMMUNITIES HAVE WE MADE CONTACT WITH? WE HAVE MADE SOME CONTACTS, IT MAY HAVE BEEN A QUICK CONTACT. AS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THAT CONTACT IS REGULAR AND ONGOING YET, AND DOES NOT ISRAELI MEAN WE HAVE AN OPEN SUPPLY LINE, TEAMS ARE ESSENTIAL TO GET INTO THOSE AREAS WHERE IT IS DIFFICULT TO ASSESS THE TRUE NEED. I JUST WENT THROUGH THE LIST OF SOME OF THOSE AREAS. THE WATER SITUATION IN GISBORNE SEEMS DIRE. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT SOLUTIONS, AND HOW LONG THEY WILL TAKE? GETTING EXTRA BITS TO THOSE AREAS IS A KEY FOCUS AT THE MOMENT. I AM NOT A WATER EXPERT, BUT PARTS ARE INBOUND FROM AUCKLAND THIS AFTERNOON, AND SHOULD ARRIVE TONIGHT. THOSE PARTS ARE THERE TO HELP RESTORE THE ORIGINAL INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENTS FOR THE GISBORNE RETICULATION SYSTEM. YOU WILL NEED TO SPEAK TO LOCAL COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR HOW LONG THAT MAY TAKE, AND WHAT TESTING REQUIREMENTS MIGHT BE. YOU MENTIONED HMSNZ CANTERBURY, BUT THERE IS ANOTHER SHIP THAT CAN DESALINATION WATER. HMNSNZ AOTEAROA IS A CAPABLE SHIP. IT IS UNFORTUNATELY NOW UNDER A PERIOD OF MAINTENANCE. AS WOULD BE QUICK TO RELEASE THAT, BUT WE HAVE MOVED ON WATER BY AIR AND LAND. CANTERBURY, IF DIRECTED, IT CAN BE ON SITE IN NAPIER AND PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS. WHAT ARE WE ASKING AUSTRALIA TO PROVIDE? IT WILL BE UP TO THEM TO DECIDE, BUT ON A ROUTINE PERSPECTIVE IN NEW ZEALAND, AS MAY BE SOMETHING LIKE A C-130. FOR THE TEMPORARY BRIDGES, HOW MANY CAN THEY BUILD? WE WILL BE PROVIDING PERSONNEL TO SUPPORT WAKA KOTAHI AND THOSE BRINGING FORTH MATERIALS THEMSELVES. I DO NOT HAVE THE SPECIFICS OR THE RAPIDITY OF HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE, BUT WE WILL PROVIDE MANPOWER. HOW LONG WILL THOSE BRIDGES LAST, GIVEN HOW MANY WERE KNOCKED OUT, AND THE STAFF NEEDED TO REBUILD THEM? THEY ARE A TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENT. AND SOME SMALL COMMUNITIES, THAT CAN BE 60 YEARS, OR A FEW WEEKS. IDEALLY, IT WILL BE TEMPORARY UNTIL A BETTER APPROACH CAN BE TAKEN. IF THOSE TEMPORARY BRIDGES ARE THE SOLUTION? LET'S NOT GET INTO THAT YET, THE KEY PRIORITY IS RE-ESTABLISHING SOME PHYSICAL CONDUCTIVITY. OBVIOUSLY, SOME WILL BE TEMPORARY. HAVE YOU BEEN BRIEFED ON WHAT CAUSED THE BRAKES ON THE SUPPLY LINE FOR WATER? IT IS A LONG SUPPLY LINE FROM WHERE WATER IS STORED AND USED. SOMETHING LIKE 40 OR 50 KM. THERE HAS BEEN EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ALONG THAT ROUTE, INCLUDING BRIDGES THAT HAVE BEEN WASHED OUT COMPLETELY. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF BREAKPOINTS THERE WHICH WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO REPAIR. THEY ARE LOOKING AT WHAT THEY CAN DO AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE, OR OTHER ALTERNATIVES THERE. THEY HAVE SOME IDEAS, AND ARE WORKING REALLY FAST TO GET AS MUCH WATER BACK ON AS THEY CAN. DOES THIS RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT CLIMATE RESILIENCE, AND HOW THAT IS CRITICAL GOING THROUGH A VULNERABLE PERIOD? I THINK WE CAN AGREE THAT IT HAS HIGHLIGHTED WEAKNESSES IN THE OVERALL RESILIENCE TO NATURAL DISASTERS THAT WE MUST RECKON WITH. WE NOW MUST OVERCOME THOSE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT AS WE LOOK TO REBUILD, WE MUST LOOK CAREFULLY AT HOW AND WHAT WE REBUILD, SO WE MAY DO SO IN A MORE RESILIENT WAY. I UNDERSTAND YOU DON'T WANT TO SPEAK ON THEM UNTIL THEY ARE CONFIRMED, BUT WHAT IS THE SCALE OF THE TRAGEDY UNFOLDING AND A PRECISE WAY? THE THING IS, WE DON'T KNOW. WE'RE NOT TALKING HUGE NUMBERS. I AM NOT AWARE THAT THERE ARE LOTS OUT THERE THAT WE ARE NOT REPORTING. WE ARE STILL PICKING UP THIS ONE OR TWO AT A TIME. AND WE WILL SHARE THAT INFORMATION AS SOON WE ARE ABLE. THE RAPID ASSESSMENT MEANS GOING DOOR-TO-DOOR, HOUSE TO HOUSE BUILDING BY BUILDING, TO CHECK THERE ARE NO PEOPLE STILL IN THEM. THAT WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED. IN THE PAST, I HAVE SEEN PHOTOS TODAY. HOUSES GET SPRAY-PAINTED TO IDENTIFY THEY HAVE BEEN CLEARED. THEY DO THAT BUILDING BY BUILDING, THEY ARE NOW MOVING ON TO OTHER AREAS. HOW YOU CONSIDER WHETHER IT IS APPROPRIATE TO BUILD THAN THE FUTURE? IF YOU LOOK AT THE LEVELS OF DEBT IN CELLS THAT HAVE BUILT UP THERE, A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE HAS BEEN BURIED. SO WE ARE TALKING SOME BIG CONVERSATIONS TO BE HELD YET. I JUST WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL AND MINDFUL THAT THESE ARE PEOPLES LIVES, LIVELIHOODS AND HOMES. YOU MENTIONED A MORTUARY UNIT, CAN YOU GIVE SOME MORE DETAILS? THAT IS A NORMAL CAPABILITY THAT WE HAVE. WE ARE PREPARED TO SUPPORT POLICE AT THE REQUEST OF NEMA. THAT IS A SMALL GROUP, THAT WE HAVE SET UP AT THE PORT OF NAPIER. CAN YOU SPEAK UPON A WAGE SUBSIDY OF SORTS FOR THE AREA? THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND I WILL DISCUSS SOME POSSIBLE STEPS FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, AND WHAT WE MAY DO OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. OVER THE LAST FIVE DAYS HAS BEEN THAT IMMEDIATE RESPONSE, BUT WE ARE CERTAINLY MINDFUL THAT WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO SUPPORT PEOPLE TO GET THEIR LIVES BACK ON TRACK, AND HELP BUSINESSES TO GET UP AND RUNNING AGAIN. I DON'T WANT TO PUT PARAMETERS AROUND WHAT THAT MAY INVOLVE. WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH IT. HOW PROTRACTED IS THE RESPONSE IS GOING TO BE, I'LL BE GOING TO NEED TO SHIFT COMMUNITIES TEMPORARILY TO OTHER PARTS OF NEW ZEALAND, BECAUSE THEY CANNOT EXIST WHERE THEY WERE? FOR SOME, THAT IS HAPPENED ALREADY DUE TO THE WEATHER. SOME PLACES ARE UNINHABITABLE AT THE MOMENT. WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE CAN RETURN, IT IS TOO SOON TO SPECULATE. CAN YOU TALK TO WHAT OPTIONS ARE ON THE TABLE FOR REHOUSING? OUR FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS TO GET A ROOF OVER PEOPLE'S HEADS WHO HAVE BEEN DISPLACED. SOME OF THAT IS TEMPORARY, PEOPLE LIVING IN HALLS AND TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION. WE CANNOT SUSTAIN THAT FOR A LONG PERIOD, IT WILL NOT BE RIGHT FOR THOSE PEOPLE. ONCE WE IDENTIFY HOW MANY CAN RETURN HOME, WE WILL KNOW HOW MANY WE ARE WORKING WITH TO TRY AND FIND MORE PERMANENT TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THEM. WE WILL DO WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO THEIR. WE WILL WORK WITH OTHER ACCOMMODATION PROVIDERS, HOTELS, MOTELS, LANDLORDS. WE'LL END OUR COVERAGE OF THAT MEDIA CONFERENCE NOW AND JUST RECAP SOME MAIN POINTS FOR YOU. MORE THAN 4000 PEOPLE IN HAWKE'S BAY ARE STILL UNCONTACTABLE, AND A TEAM OF 80 IS WORKING TO GET THROUGH TO THOSE PEOPLE. AN AUSTRALIAN TEAM HAS ARRIVED AND WILL JOIN SEARCH EFFORTS ON THE GROUND FOR THE MISSING. FOOD CONVOYS ARE ARRIVING IN AFFECTED REGIONS, WITH OUR DEFENCE FORCE ALSO DELIVERING SUPPLIES. AT LEAST 62,000 PROPERTIES IN THE NORTH ISLAND ARE STILL WITHOUT POWER. AND THE PRIME MINISTER WARNED THAT THE DEVASTATION IN HAWKE'S BAY AND OTHER REGIONS IS LIKELY TO IMPACT NEW ZEALAND'S FRESH FOOD SUPPLIES FOR SOME TIME. THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS 1NEWS SPECIAL. WE'LL TAKE A QUICK BREAK, THEN I'LL BE BACK WITH EXTENSIVE COVERAGE ON 1NEWS AT SIX. SEE YOU SOON.