Publicly released documents
The Government has publicly released documents relating to decisions about its response to the North Island Weather Events. These documents are made available to the public in keeping with the Official Information Act 1982.
Some documents may contain redacted information. Any documents with redacted information will include a short explanatory note about why that information has been redacted (this may be on the cover sheet included with the document, or an annotation on the redacted information).
Recovery systems and Business Units
This section provides documents about the establishment and funding of business units, systems such as regional and local recovery structures, and ongoing recovery progress.
Legislation and Orders in Council
This section provides documents about legislative changes to support the recovery from the North Island Weather Events, including decisions relating to Orders in Council enacted under the Severe Weather Emergency Response Legislation Act 2023.
Land Use
This section provides documents regarding the future use of severely affected locations work programme, including: the design of a locally led approach, categorisation of properties, and provision of buyout offers.
Whenua Māori and Marae Pathway
This section provides key documents about the whenua Māori and marae pathway, which is part of the wider future of severely affected locations (FOSAL) work programme. The whenua Māori and marae pathway aims to support people residing on whenua Māori and in Māori communities severely affected by the North Island Weather Events to relocate to safer places. The Crown will offer support packages to help enable relocation of marae, residential properties and assets of cultural significance (such as urupā). The papers released here build on previous policy decisions and sought to establish and confirm the scheme design, funding and policy settings for the pathway.
| Date | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 6 June 2023 | Cabinet Paper and Minute | Regional and Māori Flood and Cyclone Recovery Engagement Planning |
| 31 July 2023 | Cabinet Paper and Minute | Future of Severely Affected Land - July 2023 Report |
| 4 September 2023 | Cabinet Paper and Minute | Future of Severely Affected Locations: Kaupapa Māori Pathway Report |
| 25 Nov 2024 | Briefing | Whenua Māori and Marae Pathway – Formal written offers to Tairāwhiti Marae: Hinemaurea ki Mangatuna, Ōkuri, Puketāwai, Rangatira, Takipū, and update on forecast expenditure across the pathway |
| 28 Jan 2025 | Briefing | Ministerial Approval to draw down tagged operating contingency for the Whenua Māori and Marae Pathway Cost Pressures |
Recovery settings and Decision-making Tools
This section provides documents about work on a of suite of tools to support immediate ministerial decision-making about recovery settings following a significant natural hazard event.
| Date | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Oct 2024 | Cabinet Paper and Minute | Proactive Release ECO-24-SUB-0237: Recovering from Significant Events: Decision-making Tools |
| 14 May 2025 | Cabinet Paper and Minute | Proactive Release ECO-25-SUB-0067: Recovering from significant natural hazard events - decision-making tools |
Briefings to the Incoming Minister
This section provides links to the Briefing to the Incoming Minister responsible for Cyclone Recovery, and two accompanying in-depth briefings which provide additional information on the Future of Severely Affected Locations work programme and an overview of Government funding.
| Date | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Nov 2023 | Briefing | Briefing to the Incoming Minister Responsible for Cyclone Recovery |
| 27 Nov 2023 | Briefing | Overview of the Future of Severely Affected Locations Policy and Implementation |
| 27 Nov 2023 | Briefing | Overview: Funding Allocation and Sources for Cyclone Recovery |
| 2 Feb 2024 | Briefing | Options for consideration: Cyclone Recovery dispute resolution mechanisms |
Economy and tax
This section provides documents about decisions made to support the economy, as well as tax-related support for the recovery from the North Island Weather Events.
Social sector
This section provides documents about social sector support for communities and community providers following the North Island Weather Events.
| Date | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Feb 2023 | Cabinet Paper and Minute | Support for Communities and Community Providers Significantly Impacted by Flooding |
| 7 Mar 2023 | Cabinet Paper and Minute | Continuing to respond to immediate needs for communities and community providers impacted by recent flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle |
| 13 Mar 2023 | Cabinet Paper and Minute | Cyclone Gabrielle: Improving access for community groups to Government support for emergency response costs |
| 15 Mar 2023 | Briefing | Spending $2 million for small-scale community led initiatives |
| 28 Jun 2023 | Cabinet Paper and Minute | A Social Sector Recovery Plan to Ensure a Coordinated Approach to Social Sector Recovery Over the Medium Term |
Rural communities
This section provides documents about the impact on rural communities of the North Island Weather Events, and the recovery from it.
| Date | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Sep 2023 | Cabinet Paper and Minute | Extending Funding for Primary Industries Following Cyclone Gabrielle Minute of Decision: Extending Funding for Primary Industries Following Cyclone Gabrielle |
Housing and emergency accommodation
This section provides documents about housing and emergency accommodation needs and support resulting from the North Island Weather Events.
| Date | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Jun 2023 | Cabinet Paper | Cabinet Paper: Sediment and debris management package: report back and administrative changes |
| 21 Jun 2023 | Cabinet Minute | EWR-23-MIN-0047 Minute: Sediment and Debris Management Package: Report Back and Administrative Changes |
| 31 Jul 2023 | Cabinet Paper and Minute | Taking a coordinated and place-based approach to housing recovery |
Environment
This section provides documents about environmental impacts, including climate adaptation measures and decisions in response to the North Island Weather Events.
| Date | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Jun 2023 | Cabinet Paper and Minute | Advancing climate adaptation through the recovery |
| 28 Aug 2023 | National Policy Statement | Developing national direction under the RMA to provide for a natural hazard planning framework |
Inquiries
The section provides documents about inquiries such as the Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use, and the Government Inquiry into the Response to the North Island Weather Events.
| Date | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Jun 2023 | Cabinet Paper and Minute | Next steps following the Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use in Tairāwhiti-Gisborne and Wairoa |
| 26 Jul 2023 | Cabinet Paper and Minute | Government response to the Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use in Tairāwhiti-Gisborne and Wairoa |
Cyclone Recovery Taskforce
This section provides documents relating to the Cyclone Recovery Taskforce.
| Date | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Mar 2023 | Briefing, Cabinet paper and Minute | Proactive Release EWR-23-SUB-0023: Cyclone Recovery Taskforce: Appointments |
| 14 Mar 2023 | Cabinet oral item | Proactive Release EWR-23-SUB-0017: Oral Item: Insurance and Risk |
| 3 Apr 2023 | Cabinet oral item | Proactive Release EWR-23-MIN-0024: Oral Item: Update on Insurance Issues |
| 11 Apr 2023 | Cabinet oral item | Proactive Release EWR-23-MIN-0029: Oral Item: Update on Insurance Issues from the Chair of the Cyclone Taskforce |
| 24 Jul 2023 | Cabinet oral item | Proactive Release EWR-23-MIN-0057: Oral Items: Update from the Chair and Update on Regional Recovery Plans |
| 21 Dec 2023 | Briefing | Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Taskforce Report Back |