Hawke’s Bay, 7 November 2023 – The Hawke’s Bay Independent Flood Review is calling on home, business and property owners, iwi/hapū, communities, business groups and regional infrastructure owners impacted by flooding from Cyclone Gabrielle to contribute information relevant to the Review, via its website.

Dr Phil Mitchell, Chair of the independent panel conducting the Review says inviting the public to provide information is an important part of the fact-finding phase of the review process.

“We want people to share with us any information they have that can help inform our review and we have endeavoured to make it easy for people to do that via our website, www.hbifr.nz.

“The website has a simple-to-use portal (www.hbifr.nz/fact-finding) where people can answer specific questions either in writing or with a voice recording, and upload photos or videos they may have as well. The portal will be open until the middle of December.”

Phil Mitchell says the panel is keen to hear from people about:

• their experience of river management and the maintenance of flood management assets prior to the cyclone
• what they saw happen to rivers and flood management assets during the cyclone
• their ideas about how flood risk can be better managed in future.

“The information we receive, alongside the information we have requested of Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and others such as MetService, will then be used to inform our report and recommendations.”

Dr Mitchell says once the public information has been assessed, the Review Panel will consider how contributors will be able to discuss their information with the panel.

Relevant documents provided to the Review by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council are also available for people to view on the website.

“We urge anyone who feels they have information that could be relevant to our Review to check out the website and make use of the public information portal between now and mid-December.

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