As they repeatedly come to the rescue during civil emergencies, iwi must become a meaningful part of civil defence planning.

This is one of the conclusions of Ōpōtiki Mayor David Moore following the closure of State Highway 2 and Wainui Road because of flooding last week.

Tauranga Mayor Mahe Drysdale has advocated for Bay of Plenty councils to be amalgamated under one council centred in Tauranga, which would also handle civil defence, but events last week have shown the importance of making decisions locally.

“The flooding last week was serious – had it rained longer at that intensity on Wednesday, I think we would have been looking at a state of emergency, Mr Moore said.

“What we had going for us was the fact that there were experienced roading crews in the area who really stepped up and had the roads (between Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki) cleared by Thursday morning.

“Local contractors saved so many people from getting in real danger, though this will probably never be fully realised by the wider public.

“The police stepped up too, directing traffic and looking after people and, of course, the local hapū, who know very well what is needed there, because they have seen it all many times before.

“This situation is not going away. As well as the big, beautiful roundabout being built at the intersection of Wainui Road and SH2, we must replace Matekerepu Bridge. This is the choke point which stops traffic between Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki during major flooding events, and hence the key route to Gisborne. There is no alternative route when it is closed.

“If a slip comes down at Waiotahe, there are other roads to use – not here. If the Government says it can’t afford to build a bridge that can cope with the flooding, I ask whether it can afford to have the East Coast’s main transport route knocked out.

“To me, this underlines that decisions must be made locally, both during the present civil emergency and when planning for the next one. Locally, not in Tauranga or Wellington.

“Decisions made outside the area can be ill informed, such as [New Zealand Transport Agency] Waka Kotahi showing on its website that Wainui Road was open, when the route remained closed at Matekerepu Bridge.

“This caused grief to motorists who took the advice and ended up stranded.”

Mr Moore drove East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick to Kutarere Marae after she asked if she could personally thank the people there for hosting stranded motorists and truckies on Wednesday night.

Seventy people sheltered at the marae that night, the third time in 18 months the hapū has stepped up to help travellers stranded by flooding.

“Ms Kirkpatrick wanted to come straight away but was prevented. After the water receded on Friday, I was able to pick her up and show her firsthand where the road had been blocked (at Matekerepu Bridge).

“She is very aware that this route is not just serving Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki – it is serving the entire Coast. She knows it is a lifeline for Gisborne.

“There are alternative supply routes into Gisborne, but tremendously further than via SH2.

“For example, fuel for Gisborne comes from the Mount, the alternative route would be from Napier, which is far from ideal.

“Gisborne has one of the best civil defence bunkers in the country, where iwi partners are an integral part of the operation. It should be the model for the whole country. They know full well iwi save the day in a crisis.

“Elsewhere, iwi is invited to come and have cups of tea, but they are not really at the table, where they should be part of the decision making.”

The mayor said a debrief following the weather event was on the way, meanwhile some of his conclusions:

■ The Civil Defence Emergency Management Group, a collaboration of local authorities, emergency services and other stakeholders must regard iwi as equal partners in terms of defence planning.

■ The habit of motorists putting themselves and others at risk by driving into flood waters is unresolved. In a previous career with the police, Mr Moore has twice seen people drive into flood waters on SH2 and destroy their cars. Years of telling the public not to do this has not worked, so education must continue.

■ Locals were inconvenienced during the crisis, but most cars and trucks affected were on their way to Gisborne or around the coast. Overall, people dealt with the delay sensibly.

“It is inconvenient and frustrating when the road is closed, but the safest thing is not to take any risks. You don’t know if the road has been undermined.”

Mr Moore said if he was lucky enough to be re-elected mayor, he would be joining with the other Eastern Bay mayors who oppose amalgamation.

“We want to see the command structure for civil emergencies remain with local councils.”