Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty says the country is "not out of the woods yet" following the national emergency declaration over Cyclone Gabrielle earlier today.
His comments were made in Parliament on Tuesday afternoon.
He said it has been an exceptionally tough time for those affected by adverse weather this summer.
He acknowledged the firefighter missing in Muriwai west of Auckland and recognised "extraordinary efforts" of all emergency workers, but said: "We aren't out of the woods yet."
McAnulty said he was heartened by images of people supporting one another through the natural disaster.
He acknowledged members from all parties working in their local areas, particularly his National Party emergency management counterpart Gerry Brownlee.
McAnulty said the recovery was expected to be "long and complex", but for now the focus was on the immediate response to the event and the Government would continue working with regions on their local responses.
Brownlee thanked McAnulty for his engagement and the work he was doing.
He said the National Party supported the national emergency declaration and also acknowledged the work of local responders.
The Green Party also expressed its support for the declaration, with co-leader James Shaw saying he didn't think he'd ever felt "as sad or as angry" about "lost decades" Parliament had spent "bickering" about whether climate change was real.
"It is clearly here now."
He said the era of procrastination was coming to a close and one of the consequences was already here.
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