Cyclone Gabrielle Response

Transport 

Across the roading network there is extensive damage, including severe slips and unprecedented levels of downed trees. Our commitment remains on maintaining critical transport routes, and re-establishing levels of service to approximately 16 road closures.

Telco

We relocated four crew members, who are Specialists in Outside Plant work, from the South Island and one from the lower North Island to Whangarei. The team are doing fault repairs to help reduce a high volume of work in that area.

Water 

Work continues on restoring wastewater, stormwater and reticulation networks.

Transport 

We are working with Auckland Transport on slip remediation and repairs to the roading network.

North Rural area is one of the most affected areas and there are multiple road closures. 

Work for the next few days includes clean up and restoration work.

Some major detour routes are closed, including West Coast Road, Wishart Road, Pakiri Road and Tauhoa Road. 

Matakana Valley Road has now reopened after Geotech investigation. 

The priority for the next few days is to continue with the clean up across the network and make roads operational again.

The teams focus for the next few days is clearing trees, repairing slips and prioritising making roads operational.  

All roads have now reopened in Waiheke with some slip restrictions. 

Transport 

All key routes, excluding SH5 to Hawkes Bay, are now open.   

Downer is collaborating with neighbouring Bay of Plenty East contractor, Higgins, to restore access. There is a significant amount of work ahead due to the number and magnitude of slips across the network, and collaboration will continue to be a critical element in delivery. 

Energy

Across Powerco’s electricity distribution network, our team has significantly decreased the number of installation control points (ICPs) without power to under 800, from 100,000+ over the last few days in several parts of the North Island. The team is continuing repair work to get power to the remaining customers.

Transport 

Significant roading network clean-up continues from both Ex-Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle and previous severe weather. Full scoping is underway which will give clarity to both the short and long-term remediation options. 

All essential access and services within the wider Western BoP region have been restored, including access on SH 29 (Kaimai Ranges), key freight route to the Port of Tauranga.  

Telco 

We now have internet and broadband connection back up into Tauranga. We reconnected fibre pairs to connected 10,000 broadband customers that were affected by fibre damage due to flooding.

Energy

Across Powerco’s electricity distribution network, our team has significantly decreased the number of installation control points (ICPs) without power to under 800, from 100,000+ over the last few days in several parts of the North Island. The team is continuing repair work to get power to the remaining customers.

Transport 

The wider Hauraki Region has been extremely affected by flooding and minor slips.   

Downer and Hauraki District Council are focused on restoring the network by clearing slips, flooding and wider debris. Our people continue to scope the extent of work and this is progressing well. 

Energy  

The number of people without power in the region has now reduced significantly. The number of Installed Control Points (ICPs) without power reduced from roughly 7,000 to approx. 4,500. 

Telco 

As power issues are resolved, we are focused on getting communities connected to the telecommunications network. We are now investigating and monitoring the extent of the damage to the networks in all areas and developing solutions and methods of delivery. 

Waka Kotahi is now able to let us into blocked areas for Thames, Paeroa and Whangamatā, and Wentworth Valley today to start restoration.

Telco 

Communications were up and running last week, however there were more fibre outages over the weekend, following heavy rainfall on Friday 24 February from North of Te Puia Springs to Ruatoria. Downer telco technicians and fibre jointers travelled from Whanganui, Taranaki and Whakatane to complete repair works. They were flown to affected sites by helicopter, as there was no road access and worked all of Saturday and then again Sunday to assess damage and complete repairs to the fibre network.

Generators are continuing to run some telecommunications sites across the country. Our team is ensuring these are continually refuelled and serviced. Planning is underway with our customers for major rebuilds on the network.

Teams are now focusing on restoring the Northern comms link from Gisborne North. 

We are investigating a major slip (7 km South of Te Puia Springs) and safe options for restoration, as well as continuing to investigate the connection between Gisborne South and Napier. 

We have had four crews helicoptered in on Thursday to the Hikuwai River Bridge area, which we are working to repair. 

We are still working to understand the extent of the damage from Napier to Gisborne.  

We are working on restoring communications to the Gisborne area, however gaining access to parts of Gisborne is extremely challenging, particularly getting fuel to key generators up the East Cape, for example at Tokomaru Bay and Tolaga Bay cell sites. These are helicopter-only sites. 

From Gisborne North, we have crew members surveying the area around the 50-metre long Hikuwai Bridge. The team is assessing where the fibre is and, if possible they will be reconnecting via poles on 16 February. 

We are working to support emergency services on behalf of our clients.  

Our focus is on stabilising the network across the Hawkes Bay / East Cape region, ensuring we have generators in place where power has been lost, in parallel to pulling together a re-fuelling programme.

Our Transport team is continuing to assist us in transporting generators between regions without power, as well as helping us deliver food and water to our people.

The team continues to work with our customers on optimising diversity across the network ensuring we have flexibility where and when we experience further outages.

Transport 

Fatigue management of our teams is a priority and there is a plan to bring in more support and resource from the South Island.

Downer has a concentrated presence in Tairawhiti to restore critical infrastructure, with significant damage reported on all main routes. All available inspectors are gearing up across Gisborne’s state highway network, which will help us understand the full extent of the damage.   

At State Highway 2 North, focus is on unblocking and reopening to allow essential vehicles access to the area. 

Across the wider network, road washouts, slips, flood damage and downed trees are prevalent. 

Transport is assisting our Utilities whānau with gaining access to affected sites and moving equipment to different areas. 

A Downer pilot has landed on Friday morning at the Gisborne Airport to deliver essential items to the Gisborne community, to the most affected areas.

A main priority for the team is fixing the Hikuwai bridge, to connect communities that have been cut off, alongside Downer Utilities.

Our depot has been without internet and StarLink is being installed this morning. Our ability to access the full network is still restricted but we are prepared and ready to hit the ground running as soon as access is cleared.

Current priorities for our teams include fixing SH2 North up to Opotiki and repairing the SH35 bridge. 

Slip's will be compromised if it rains.

Internet has been connected in the depot, however it is still slow.    

Telco 

We have put a back-haul link in place from Napier, down to Wellington.  

We are moving 15 generators up from Wellington to Hastings, and we have four technicians travelling up to support the crew, who will then start deploying generators to key client sites.  

Our next priority is getting fibre restored between Napier and Wairoa. We have a team member in a helicopter flying the fibre route to identify where all the faults are. We are also planning to put in a satellite link for customers to Wairoa Bay, which will provide cellular services for the area. 

We have been working alongside our customers to get generators deployed and refuelled at cell sites across Napier and Hastings areas. In Hastings, the majority of power is up and running, and in Napier, power continues to be restored.  

We have been working on repairing the fibre backbone across this region, which provides connectivity out of the region. We are also repairing damage to telecommunications cabinets, caused by extensive flooding. We have a large number of technicians in the region repairing telecommunications infrastructure and will continue to do so over the coming weeks.

Our Telecommunications crews have been extremely busy, and only have one more large cable to complete – which is a section of faulty cable at the Waikare Gorge just north of Napier. Once this overlay is completed, full connectivity will have been provided from Opotiki through to Napier.

Transport 

Our teams are actively investigating and clearing road closures, though the situation is fluid and our priority is their safety.  Geotechnical assessments will be undertaken as we can bring resource into the area.   

Extra Downer staff have begun to arrive and are providing relief to our teams who have been responding since Cyclone Gabrielle landed.   

We are focused on opening the 44 closed roads in Central Hawkes Bay and five unpassable bridges.   

Bluff Hill is an area of focus with many trees, flooding and slips inhibiting travel.   

Waitangi Bridge connecting Hastings to Napier has now reopened to emergency services and critical storm response workers. 

Contaminated dust is a health and safety concern. 

Transport 

Minor clean up repairs are ongoing, mostly involving downed trees particularly in Taranaki.   

Staff and resources from the region have been mobilised or are ready to mobilise to relieve and provide support to our teams in critical areas. 

Energy

Across Powerco’s electricity distribution network, our team has significantly decreased the number of installation control points (ICPs) without power to under 800, from 100,000+ over the last few days in several parts of the North Island. The team is continuing repair work to get power to the remaining customers.

Transport 

In Tararua, in excess of 50 routes are impacted. This number will likely rise as full extent of damage and impacts are understood. 

We are focused on restoring 4WD access to Herbertville with additional teams starting to arrive on the ground.   

30% of the Tararua network has been inspected, 60% is open to public and 90% is open to emergency services.

Energy

Across Powerco’s electricity distribution network, our team has significantly decreased the number of installation control points (ICPs) without power to under 800, from 100,000+ over the last few days in several parts of the North Island. The team is continuing repair work to get power to the remaining customers.

Energy

In Masterton, our teams are currently assessing the damage at the Tinui substation.

Our Energy team is busy responding to faults on the network. We have been able to reduce fault call-outs from 827 on Wednesday to 262 on Thursday. 

Across Powerco’s electricity distribution network, our team has significantly decreased the number of installation control points (ICPs) without power to under 800, from 100,000+ over the last few days in several parts of the North Island. The team is continuing repair work to get power to the remaining customers.