The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council welcomes the appointment of Lawrence Yule as a Crown Manager to assist the Regional Council and Wairoa District Council in achieving flood protection for the community as quickly as possible.

Regional Council Chair Hinewai Ormsby says, "We’re glad to have Mr Yule’s expertise on board, to ensure the effective use of Crown and local funding in a timely manner and to progress flood mitigations solutions faster for Wairoa.”

“The Crown is a critical partner for the project, not just as funder but also to help with the complex decisions ahead. I conveyed the importance of the Crown’s involvement to Ministers in recent weeks. Mr Yule is well connected in the region and like us, well aware of the critical need for the right solution for the people of Wairoa. We are encouraged by his appointment by Minister Brown.

“Good progress has been made on flood mitigation options for Wairoa but there is more still to do. Significant technical work has been developed under the tripartite agreement between Regional Council, Wairoa District Council and Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa, and a Wairoa Stakeholder Group has reviewed flood mitigation options.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the Wairoa community around solutions to reduce the risk of future flooding. Our changing climate means these mitigations are critically important and need to be done with urgency.”

For more information about the Crown Manager, go to: www.beehive.govt.nz/release/former-hastings-mayor-appointed-crown-manager

© Scoop Media