The Government’s response and recovery from the North Island extreme weather events is focused on being locally led and centrally supported. To enable this, the Cyclone Recovery Unit was established in March 2023 to lead, coordinate and monitor the severe weather recovery across government.
The purpose of the Unit is to support locally led engagement with communities, iwi, business, local government, regional groups and others, coordinate planning and reporting, as well as provide advice on system risk and assurance, ensure alignment with wider policy decisions on long-term resilience.
The Unit is responsible for advising the Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery on leadership and coordination of the Government’s recovery work programme, alignment with wider policy decisions relating to long-term resilience, and providing regular assurance about delivery of the recovery.
The Unit is led by Chief Executive Katrina Casey.
Contact the Cyclone Recovery Unit by email at [email protected].
Whenua Māori and Marae Pathway
The Crown is working with affected Category 3 whenua Māori landowners and residents to ensure they are safe from future severe events This process is called the Whenua Māori and Marae Pathway (‘the Pathway’).
The Pathway involves the Crown working directly with residents and owners of whenua Māori assessed by local councils as Category 3 to provide a support package to ensure they are safe from future severe weather events.
The Pathway recognises whenua Māori considerations are more complex due to whakapapa, collective governance and ownership arrangements, and the specific regulatory context.
Within the Pathway, Whenua Māori is a term that encompasses Māori freehold land under Te Ture Whenua Māori, Māori-owned land that meets certain criteria to be treated as whenua Māori, and Māori customary land.
The Crown leads the Pathway in parallel with work local councils are leading on the general Category 3 voluntary buy-out process.
The Cyclone Recovery Unit is leading the Pathway for the Government with assistance from Te Puni Kōkiri and Te Arawhiti.
For any questions about the Pathway, contact the Unit at [email protected].
Cyclone Recovery Complaints
If you believe you haven't been treated fairly in a matter related to cyclone recovery by a public sector agency , the Ombudsman can provide you support to make a complaint. A public sector agency includes a central government agency or a local council.
The Ombudsman is an independent person who can consider whether an agency’s acts or decisions were unreasonable, unfair or wrong. If they were, the Ombudsman will say so and may suggest a solution.
Visit the Ombudsman's website to learn more or for general enquiries and complaints call 0800 802 602.
Cyclone Recovery Taskforce
The Cyclone Recovery Taskforce was established to pull together and align the economic and infrastructure recovery efforts and those who will work on the recovery; and ensure local, iwi, and business voices have input into decision making.
The Cyclone Recovery Taskforce was wound down in February 2024 with responsibilities transferred to the Cyclone Recovery Unit.
The purpose of the Taskforce was to provide advice to ministers on the prioritisation and sequencing of needs for each region and provide assurance that those needs are being met.
The full membership of the taskforce was:
- Sir Brian Roche (chair)
- Bayden Barber
- Adrian Littlewood
- Katie Murray
- Selwyn Parata
- Craig Renney
- Anne Tolley
- Leeann Watson
Severe Weather Recovery Review Panel
The Severe Weather Events Recovery Review Panel was established under the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Act 2023. The function of the Severe Weather Events Recovery Review Panel is to review draft Orders in Council and to provide advice on request to both the Minister for Cyclone Recovery and the relevant Minister in relation to said Orders in Council. The members of the Severe Weather Events Recovery Review Panel are:
- Hon Denis Clifford
- Rachael Schmidt-McCleave
- Natalie Coates
- Horiana Irwin-Easthope
- Liana Poutu
- Rachel Devine
- Dr Charlotte Severne
- Dr Veronica Jacobsen
- Anne Carter
- Associate Professor Dr Hamish Rennie
- Steve Wyn-Harris
Under section 16(5) of the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Act 2023, the Severe Weather Events Recovery Review Panel’s recommendations on draft orders are made publicly available.
Publications
Newsletters
- Cyclone Recovery Unit newsletter for 17 July 2023
- Cyclone Recovery Unit newsletter for 24 July 2023
- Cyclone Recovery Unit newsletter for 31 July 2023
- Cyclone Recovery Unit newsletter for 7 August 2023
- Cyclone Recovery Unit newsletter for 14 August 2023
- Cyclone Recovery Unit newsletter for 28 August 2023
- Cyclone Recovery Unit newsletter for 11 September 2023
- Cyclone Recovery Unit newsletter for 25 September 2023
Fact Sheets
Public Notices
Invitation to whenua Māori landowners and Trustees in Tangoio and surrounding areas
The Cyclone Recovery Unit invites trustees, landowners and residents of provisional Category 3 whenua Māori land blocks surrounding Tangoio to attend online and in-person discussions about their cyclone-affected whenua and residential dwellings. Details of the whenua Māori land blocks provisionally Category 3 and details of times for discussions are available in the notice.