Fuel limited, bridges down - Cut-off communities try to keep thriving

5:27 am on 3 March 2023

Rissington, North West of Napier, remains cut off, with supplies and people still being shuttled accross the Mangaone River by boat.

Supplies being shuttled to Rissington, North West of Napier, across the Mangaone River by boat Photo: RNZ / Maja Burry

Many North Island communities isolated by Cyclone Gabrielle are making the best of a bad situation as Civil Defence remains focused on helping them get back on their feet.

Across Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti 24 areas are cut off by road, making it difficult for essential supplies to get through.

In Tokomaru Bay a freight route was meant to be running along Ihungia Road, Tuakau Road and Mata Road.

But Tokomaru Bay Civil Defence lead Lillian Te Hau-Ward said the road had "dropped out all under the tarseal" along part of Mata Road.

Crews were attending to the issue and hoped to see it resolved by the end of Friday, she said, but warned that once it reopened the road would only be suitable for off-road vehicles.

In the meantime, Four Square owner Calum Sutherland said they had received supplies by helicopter but without the freight road, fuel was an issue.

"There's no more LPG," Sutherland said, and petrol would also soon become an issue if it was not replenished.

Farmers in particular were feeling the petrol pinch. "They're trying to conserve their petrol and their diesel supplies so that they can do what they need to do around their farms," Te Hau-Ward said.

Flood damage as seen from the sky over Tokomaru Bay around the Mangahauini river.

Flood damage to the road in Tokomaru Bay, near the Mangahauini River Photo: RNZ / Ashleigh McCaull

Civil Defence considered farms one of the priority areas for supplies, she said.

Once priority groups were attended to, Te Hau-Ward said, the rest of Civil Defence's supplies were set up at Tokomaru Bay United Sports Club.

"It's a bit of a Pak'n'Save, but you don't need to pay for it."

Whānau could grab whatever they needed, but people were being encouraged not to be greedy so no one missed out.

Sutherland said those with off-road vehicles were also driving across farmland to pick up supplies.

But there was a bright side: "We are so happy to be isolated in paradise."

Isabelle Crawshaw is a Hawke’s Bay farmer and competitor.

File photo. Isabelle Crawshaw is among those in Patoka with no reliable access in or out. Photo: RNZ / Anusha Bradley

In Hawke's Bay, Isabelle Crawshaw, a farmer and rural community board member in Patoka, said the two main bridges in and out of the area were destroyed during Cyclone Gabrielle.

Locals were worried there was no clear timeline for when vehicle access would be restored, she said.

Crawshaw said temporary river crossing solutions were few and far between, and all of their temporary options were weather dependant - and it kept raining.

"So just as we feel like we almost have temporary sort of crossing or forward solution it rains again and unfortunately we have to start from scratch."

A make-shift flying-fox type pulley system is being used to get supplies to the cut off farming community of Rissington.

Supplies being sent over to cut-off Rissington using a makeshift flying fox Photo: RNZ / Maja Burry

On Thursday, Transport Minister Michael Wood said the government was deploying Bailey bridges across six sites in the North Island to reconnect isolated communities.

"The roading network has been hit hard in cyclone and flood-affected areas.

"Our primary focus has been getting lifeline roads open and reconnecting isolated communities."

But the temporary bridges were only an interim solution.

Areas cut off by road, listed by Hawke's Bay Civil Defence: