11. GEORGINA BEYER (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Civil Defence
Was he satisfied with the response of regional civil defence and emergency management personnel in the Wairarapa and Wanganui regions in the last 2 weeks; if so, why?
Hon RICK BARKER (Minister of Civil Defence) Link to this
I am very satisfied with the response of the local civil defence personnel during the periods of adverse weather throughout New Zealand. Coordination activities undertaken by civil defence and emergency management personnel in the Wairarapa and Wanganui regions were swift and effective. I congratulate all personnel on their efforts in response to the various emergencies.
Can the Minister advise on any specific action, as a result of effective agency engagement between the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management and other key agencies, in the areas during the response phase of those emergencies; if so, what?
Yes, I can. On Sunday, 9 July, a three-span bridge was knocked out at Mangamahu, cutting the area off. On Wednesday, 12 July, I contacted Transit, which said it had a bridge and, if requested, was willing to build it, but it had no funding to do so. The office of the Minister of Transport suggested that I contact Land Transport New Zealand, and within hours of my having done so, Land Transport had agreed to fund the Bailey bridge in its erection. We had a bridge, engineers, and funding—all to the delight of the local mayor, Michael Laws. I thank the good Minister of Transport, Annette King, for responding to my request, and I thank local government staff for their hard work during that time. This response shows how effective local decision-making, with national support, can be.
John HayesI seek leave to table a request from the Carterton District Council that appeared in today’s edition of the Wairarapa News, which asks the Government for $200,000 for flood repair to damaged roads.
Madam SPEAKER