Remarks by Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown at Sunnynook Community Centre, 148 Sycamore Drive, Sunnynook, Auckland, 3pm; 30 January 2023
Thank you for being here. And thank you to the media who have been putting out very important emergency-contact and other information through your websites and other channels.
It has taken time to appreciate just how big and widespread an event this is. And it hasn’t finished yet. Severe damage has occurred in all parts of our region. The downpour was by far the biggest in Auckland’s history. It was well beyond what even our emergency people had imagined or planned for.
We are all in this together. On Saturday, Sunday and today, I have visited communities in West Auckland, South Auckland, Central Auckland and the North Shore – and I’ve seen them rise to the occasion. Even after these visits, I have only seen a portion of the impact Aucklanders have endured – and, also, only a small part of the community spirit and heroism of our emergency services, council staff, volunteers and neighbours.
Four people have died. Their families and friends are grieving, and in everyone’s minds. It underlines that this was a downpour that none of us has ever seen before, or even imagined. As the Prime Minister has said, this is climate change. And I agree.
I would like to thank the Prime Minister for his support. Yesterday I asked him for more senior NEMA communications staff, to ensure we do that better – by benefitting from their experience, especially in Christchurch. The Prime Minister has told me that whatever we need, we will get – and he promptly made them available. National Emergency Management Agency staff were in our command centre, helping make all the decisions and recommendations, right from the start on Friday afternoon. More resources have been forthcoming.
To again update the numbers: at 11am, there were already over 400 households requiring assistance. Five hundred Aucklanders have requested accommodation assistance. Over 60 people had to stay overnight in one of our emergency centres. Another 80 or so have been moved into emergency accommodation. And there are 40 properties that have already been red-placarded, and I have seen some of them. Seventy-two stormwater staff and 130 building inspectors, who I joined with yesterday, have been out in the field, working hard.
We focus on numbers. And the numbers needing assistance will rise before they fall. They are always out of date as soon as they are announced. Let’s remember they’re not numbers. They are Aucklanders, families, neighbours. And Aucklanders have risen to the occasion to support them.
I want to say to Aucklanders that, yes, there have been hiccups, of course. I accept that our communications – including mine and my office – were not good enough, especially on Friday night. I am commissioning a full, independent review of all the decisions and actions taken in the first 24 to 48 hours – including mine and my office. We want recommendations for improvement. And we will act on them. I expect to have some more details on that by the weekend.
But my team’s current focus, and our big worry, is that some Aucklanders might think the worst is behind us. But it isn’t. This morning, MetService was telling is to expect 60 to 80 mm of rain north of the city – and perhaps 80 to 120 mm in localised places. That’s nothing like Friday night. But the ground is so saturated, and the drains are so full, that – if anything – it could be more dangerous than even Friday. That’s why I’ve asked emergency authorities to consider advising schools and workplaces about staying closed tomorrow. And it’s why I have asked Defence Minister Peeni Henare to prepare to bring in the Army to help with things like sandbagging and other tasks – just in case, just to make sure we are prepared. I know he is in Auckland and he has offered his assistance, which I appreciate.
Councillors and Local Board members are doing fantastic work – helping out on the ground personally, and also acting as eyes and ears for me, and for the team back at Bledisloe House. With my support, councillors and local board members have been instrumental in making sure resources get where they are most needed. My thanks to our councillors and local board members in South Auckland. Your hard work meant the Mangere Emergency Hub was open all last night, and will be at its new location, at least until tomorrow morning – depending on what the climate throws at us. In West Auckland, thank you to councillors for your work in getting the Kelston centre to stay open for the rest of this week. Here on the North Shore, pressure from Councillor Richard Hills and Local Board chair Toni van Tonder and her team have been instrumental in getting the clean-up underway faster than it otherwise would have been.
Progress may be interrupted a bit tonight if the weather gets worse – but the importance of the clean-up is the message your elected representatives have heard loudest and clearest. That’s why today I’m announcing some simple ways that Aucklanders can dispose of storm waste on their properties. Effective immediately, Aucklanders can take their storm waste to their closest waste transfer station at no cost. We also have Council teams out, removing the storm waste that’s built up on the footpaths, where it’s safe to do so. And I’ve asked the team to look at other support we can provide, with staff from our parks and community facilities team on standby to help with the clean-up. More details of the The Big Auckland Clean Up will be announced by council officers tomorrow at the 8am briefing.
Finally, let me repeat: First, Stay Home, if you can, or as close to home as possible. Second, Stay Safe, including when driving or anything else. Stay away from areas which might slip. And do not go near flooded waters. You don’t know what manhole covers, or other debris there may be. And, third, follow the instructions of the emergency services. So far, I have had no reports of the authorities needing to use my emergency declaration powers– which says, to me, Aucklanders are cooperating voluntarily. Thank you Auckland. And let’s keep it that way.
