A maize crop flooded after cyclones and months of rain hit Tai Rāwhiti in 2023 Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
A handful of reviews into how emergency authorities did during the year's biggest storms are carrying on months after defences were tested and found wanting.
The government's look into how it did during Cyclone Gabrielle and January's Auckland storms has heard from about 300 people.
The review of the centralised emergency response is due to make preliminary recommendations next month on 7 December.
The Weather Events Secretariat says it has so far done 170 interviews and had 145 written submissions, and is open to hear more up to 15 December.
It has to report back in full next March.
At the same time, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is further on than that in its review.
"The... report is in early draft form and not yet finalised," it said.
A third review into how Hawke's Bay civil defence performed, has launched a short survey that is open till 7 December.
It had an independent group looking at five councils - Hawke's Bay Regional Council, Napier City Council, Hastings District Council, Wairoa District Council and Central Hawke's Bay District Council.
This was separate from yet another inquiry, the Hawke's Bay Independent Flood Review or Pae Matawai Parawhenua, by the regional council.
An independent three-person panel is looking at flood management schemes and programmes from Wairoa to Pōrangahau, as opposed to investigating district or city council roles.
It was due to give its findings in May next year.
A Wairarapa review in its findings out a few days ago found its responses after Gabrielle was not as coordinated or delivered as early as they could have been.
