WAIROA IS BUILDING BACK BETTER

Wairoa aims to build back from Cyclone Gabrielle better, stronger, and more resilient for the future.
Recently, the town received a total of $3.7m in funding through a regional recovery package supporting:
River Reserve: $1.5 million to the Wairoa District Council to restore and improve the River Reserve area east of the lighthouse.
Wairoa Airport Runway Extension: $1.2 million to the Wairoa District Council to extend the operational distance of the Wairoa Airport Runway, improving access for
air ambulance services to fly-in equipment and supplies in times of emergency.
Accommodation for rebuild workforce: $1 million to Tātau
Tātau o Te Wairoa to develop accommodation for tradespeople working on the residential rebuild of Wairoa.
The funding announcement also
included $1.5 million to support small businesses across Hawke’s
Bay through extended delivery of Regional Business Partner services and $1.2 million to Hawke’s Bay Tourism to fund a programme to support the Hawke’s Bay region’s visitor industry. The funding provides much-needed support for small businesses and the region’s visitor industry, as well as resilience and key recovery priority areas.
In Wairoa, the riverbank restoration funding will see the central town area riverbank restored to its pre- Cyclone Gabrielle beauty. This area is a drawcard for locals and tourists, and enhancing the riverbank area will be a visible sign of Wairoa’s recovery.
The project will provide local training and employment opportunities
and complement the main street redevelopment project, which should see phase one, the community courtyard, completed by the end of the year.
The airport runway extension will improve Wairoa’s resilience and operational capacity. The project will extend the operational distance of the Wairoa Airport runway, improving access and making it easier to fly in support equipment and supplies in times of emergency and allow for bigger planes to land in Wairoa and during inclement weather conditions.
During Cyclone Gabrielle, the airport runway length limited the aircraft types, meaning helicopters were predominantly used to transport supplies, and a relatively small payload restricted them.
An extended runway will accommodate bigger planes with larger capacity and the ability to
fly in inclement weather. Additional advantages are that Skyline Aviation’s Cessna Mustang jet, used in Hawke’s Bay for the Air Ambulance Service, will be able to be utilised, which will save lives through quicker and smoother flights. 

21 October 2024

Back to Updates