Dave Letele calls for PM to visit flood-stricken areas again

March 13, 2023

It comes after Hawke's Bay and Gisborne were lashed by Cyclone Gabrielle. (Source: Breakfast)

Community advocate Dave Letele is calling for more Government help in cyclone-ravaged areas like Hawke's Bay and Gisborne.

Speaking to Breakfast this morning, Letele said it "broke his heart" visiting those areas and seeing the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle.

"I didn't see officials there, you'd think a month later there'd be trucks and diggers everywhere, but you know there's just not and it's a total lack of support, lack of communication and people there feel abandoned.

"From abandonment comes anger, and then there can be a revolt, you know no one knows what's going on, it didn't discriminate, it's affected everyone."

Letele said he visited Esk Valley, one of the regions hardest by the cyclone, where Mike King has set up a wellness centre.

"It's like if you can imagine walking into a war zone where a city's just had a bomb dropped on it, that's what it's like.

Mountains of silt in Esk Valley.

"The houses are now surrounded by sand dunes but those sand dunes are silt, with containers and cars littered everywhere.

"People don't know what to do and there's no one there communicating the plan so there is no plan, so I'm calling for Chris Hipkins, he needs to be there for at least two weeks. He can't just fly in and fly out."

He said Hipkins needs to be there to offer solutions and come up with answers, because all he's [Letele] been able to do is give money.

Letele said on the day they visited, they donated $30,000 to different marae and people.

"If I can do that, with limited resource, imagine if the prime minister can go in there and speak directly to communities."

He said people have been looking at him as if he "is the Government" but Letele said he doesn't have the resources to help everyone in the way they need.

"They're looking to me like please help us, and that breaks my heart because I want to help everyone but I can't, I can't help everyone so I'm just trying to raise awareness."

The Government has been contacted for comment.

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