Cyclone Gabrielle Review - Frequently Asked Questions

This Review is focused on the lessons and opportunities that can be drawn from a targeted period of time, involving the days immediately leading into the event and the immediate emergency response, prior to the region’s move toward recovery.

This Independent Review is separate to the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council-commissioned Independent Review of the performance of the region’s flood protection assets during Cyclone Gabrielle, and again separate from the Government Inquiry into the Response to the North Island Severe Weather Events.

This Independent Review is focussed on assessing the operational performance of the Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group’s response to Cyclone Gabrielle, focussed on the period during the days immediately leading into the cyclone and the immediate emergency response - prior to the region’s move toward recovery.

You can read about the two other reviews underway by clicking on the following links:

• Hawke’s Bay Independent Flood Review
• Government Inquiry into the Response to the North Island Severe Weather Events

Bush International Consulting has been commissioned to complete the Independent Review.

The Review Panel is being led by Mike Bush, former Commissioner of NZ Police, with the other members of the Review Panel being:

• Debbie Francis, who has been involved in multiple large-scale and high-profile reviews for Government and private industry.
• Gary Knowles, the former Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Operations at the New Zealand National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
• Paul Vlaanderen, who has an extensive law enforcement background, including Search and Rescue (SAR) roles with NZ Police in Wairoa and Taupō.

This will include identifying opportunities to improve the resilience of Hawke’s Bay’s emergency management capability and capacity where possible.

• Outcome one – Hawke’s Bay CDEM Group has appropriate capability and capacity to support community resilience, considering the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle on communities.

• Outcome two – Hawke’s Bay CDEM Group has appropriate capability and capacity to coordinate and effectively manage a response before, during and after an emergency.

• Outcome three – strengthened relationships with Mana Whenua, Iwi, Hapū; partner agencies; and communities that support a coordinated approach to emergency management capability.

• Outcome four – emerging response practice is recognised and assessed with a view to informing future emergency management approaches (including community arrangements).

• Outcome five – identification of key lifeline vulnerabilities and planned contingencies that can inform recovery and improvement programmes.

• Outcome six – review findings identify strategic themes to share with NEMA that can inform future emergency management legislative changes.

• Outcome seven – Hawke’s Bay CDEM Group has appropriate arrangements in place for future transition recovery situations. 

The Review panel invited Hawke’s Bay communities and mana whenua to anonymously share their experiences and their views on the response to Cyclone Gabrielle by completing a short and simple online survey. The survey was open for two months, closing on Monday, 15th January 2024. 

The survey forms an important part of the engagement programme to capture a range of peoples’ experiences and opinions, with this community input and feedback helping the Review Panel to identify learnings to improve resilience and ensure Hawke’s Bay has the capability and capacity to support better emergency management outcomes for its communities.  

The Review is expected to be completed and the final report provided to the Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Joint Standing Committee in 2024. 

The Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group is formed under the CDEM Act 2022 and covers all areas of Hawke’s Bay.

The Group’s Joint Standing Committee is represented by each of Hawke’s Bay’s five councils – Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Napier City Council, Hastings District Council, Wairoa District Council and Central Hawke’s Bay District Council.

Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Inc and Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa are also invited to be a part of the Hawke's Bay CDEM Group Joint Committee.

The final outcomes will be future focussed and aligned with identifying learnings to improve resilience and ensure Hawke’s Bay has the capability and capacity to support better emergency management outcomes for its communities.

The Review Panel’s final report will provide more detail once it has been completed and released to the public in 2024.

It is important to note this review is future focused and about identifying learnings and opportunities to improve future resilience.

Ultimately, this is about ensuring Hawke’s Bay has the capability and capacity to support better emergency management outcomes for its communities going forward.

This will be a shared responsibility for communities and mana whenua across the entire region, led by the Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group and representatives of each of the Hawke’s Bay’s five councils – Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Napier City Council, Hastings District Council, Wairoa District Council and Central Hawke’s Bay District Council.