A casual chat about how to connect communication blackspots around Tairāwhiti has led to an ingenious system that will work when all else fails. It all started when Tairāwhiti went dark during Cyclone Gabrielle – all communications were cut off. Cell towers and data networks went offline and there was no Wi-Fi or phone coverage.

Spirited discussion and plenty of learnings were the order of the day when 30-odd people from all over the country converged on the Tairāwhiti Emergency Coordination Centre for the National Public Information Management (PIM) hui.

A small delegation from the Cook Islands emergency management team are heading out of the region buoyed by what they hope they can introduce to their country after visiting Tairāwhiti Civil Defence.

The Tairāwhiti community have become all too familiar with different types of natural hazards in recent years, but there's an even bigger risk lurking off our coast.

The effort to rebuild and repair Tairāwhiti’s cyclone and storm damaged bridges is making steady progress. In a major milestone, over half of the 97 bridges requiring major repairs are now complete. Minor repair work is also advancing, reaching 47% completion for the 36 affected bridges.

Following Cyclone Gabrielle, communities were encouraged and supported to develop recovery plans to identify and prioritize their needs. Funding was made available through the Council to support these plans. Tiniroto was one of 25 communities that embraced this opportunity as part of the region’s pathway to recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle.

Woody debris in rivers and on our beaches is an all-too-familiar sight following heavy rain events. While it's not something we welcome, it's now an expected consequence of nature's forces.

Over 370 slip and dropout repairs, 87 culvert replacements and hundreds of kilometres of drainage upgrades across more than 145 rural roads. And the list goes on . . . 

Mayor Rehette Stoltz reflects on 2 years since Cyclone Gabrielle changed our region forever.

It seems there’s a bit of confusion out there about the opt-in text alert system.
When TEMO sent out the MetService Orange Heavy Rain Warning the other day, it went to more than 4000 subscribers with a less than 1% fail rate.