Marlborough Civil Defence volunteers Oliver Rathmill, left, Pete Rasmussen, Dave Parsons, Amaroa Katu, Hemi Priestley and Gary Spence. Photo: MDC/ Supplied
Marlborough has sent a team of volunteers up to Auckland to help in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.
The team, lead by community resilience senior advisor Dave Parsons, includes Marlburians Oliver Rathmill, Pete Rasmussen, Amaroa Katu and Hemi Priestley, and Cantabrian Nicole Langedijk.
The volunteers left for Auckland on Friday to help with a "variety of logistical tasks", and were expected back in the region on Thursday.
Marlborough emergency management officer Gary Spence said they were initially tasked with convoy driving - which included dropping fuel to outer Auckland communities including Muriwai Beach, Bethells Beach and Piha.
"They're doing vehicle searchings in flood contaminated area... searching for possible casualties or victims," Spence said.
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"They're also assisting with clearing contaminated material from houses, and they're doing reconnaissance ... they're tasked with going to certain areas to ascertain whether the road is drivable or not drivable, are there any blockages or anything like that.
"It's still all around information gathering and assisting with evacuations and advising of evacuations and basically assisting USR (Urban Search and Rescue), under the direction of Auckland emergency management."
Spence said it was possible further deployment would be needed, depending on direction they received from the National Emergency Management Agency.
"They may go back to Auckland, I would say they will probably go to Hawke's Bay, but we just don't know," he said.
"It's a changing game, and it changes very, very quickly, it could even change when they're in the air.
"The thing is with this type of deployment is you just never know what's around the corner. You never know what the next task is.
"This is a big game, it is not over in a week."
Marlborough emergency management officer Gary Spence. Photo: Anthony Phelps / Stuff
The ex-tropical cyclone ripped through the upper and eastern North Island last week, leaving a devastating path of destruction, particularly in the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne regions.
On Monday, 11 people had been confirmed dead after Cyclone Gabrielle, and more deaths were expected, with over 3215 people still unaccounted for that morning.
About 11,000 homes were still without power in Hawke's Bay and Gisborne.
Marlborough's emergency response team had previously worked on a number of emergencies, including the Kaikōura earthquake response, the Pigeon Valley fires in Nelson and two flood responses in Marlborough in 2021 and 2022.
Spence said the team went stocked with everything they would need to survive for 72 hours on their own - and that their own health and safety was paramount.
"If we go somewhere we have to literally expect nothing from the region that have tasked us. So no accommodation, no water, no food, no fuel, no vehicles.
"Everything we take in, and everything we take out."
He said they had to plan for the worst and hope for the best and in this case, they had been put up at Whenuapai New Zealand Airforce Base in Auckland.
Spence said the response would no doubt be emotional for the team.
"So far we're looking at 11 fatalities and that's before the water has gone down, and we find out what is underneath it.
"I know that the incident management team dealing with this up in Hawke's Bay are struggling as well. They're under-resourced, they're working 12- to 14-hour shifts, it's their community that's impacted - that plays on their head, and once again they're volunteers."
He said for the team to step up was a "really big ask".
"A lot of these guys have to take leave from work, and they don't get paid for that, so it costs them.
"They're volunteering for their community, and they're going to get charged for it at the same time."
Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor said the team were a very special group of people.
"Marlburians can be proud they have a dedicated, skilled and respected response team who can respond effectively in an emergency," Taylor said.
"Marlborough is fortunate to have such community-minded volunteers, and it is great that we are able to send them north to help with the Cyclone Gabrielle response.
"My special thanks go to Gary Spence, who has nurtured and built the team from humble beginnings back in 2013."
Marlborough's emergency volunteer team is made up of 26 volunteers who train weekly. They are qualified in ground-based rescue, Civil Defence set up and supervision, mass rescue response, helicopter and 4WD response. For further information on the Marlborough Response Team go to www.marlborough.govt.nz/civil-defence-emergency-management/about-us.
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.
