Midday Report

For the next week, there will be regular civil defence announcements around 1240 for listeners in the Tai Rāwhiti and Hawke's Bay regions, many of whom still have no or poor communications.

News from the rural farming sector

Midday sports News for 21 February 2023. The Saudi back LIV golf tour have confirmed New Zealander Danny Lee has joined the tour.

News from the business sector

Work has been going on to clear mud-filled roads in rural Hawke's Bay.

RNZ reporter Phil Pennington has been out with road crews in Pakowhai - he told Māni Dunlop about the job ahead.

In Wairoa, the silt that swirled through homes in rising floodwaters is now swirling through the air, being kicked up by the heavy vehicles in the town.

The town's mayor Craig Little says more donations will help struggling whānau.

RNZ's Māori News director Jamie Tahana spoke to Māni Dunlop.

In Turanga nui a kiwa, Gisborne, businesses are digging deep into silt, and into their pockets for money they say they don't have. As they try clean up and get back onto their feet.

But there is support coming into the region - as well as the first tranche of the government's 'rolling maul' of relief funds, business groups are rallying to prop each other up. 

RNZ reporter Amy Williams spoke to Māni Dunlop.

With much of the North Island's landscape destroyed, as well as homes and livelihoods, one of the big questions since Cyclone Gabrielle is just how so much forestry slash was allowed to sweep through the country - taking out bridges, and worsening the devastation.

Pressure is mounting on the government to fast-track an inquiry into slash - which is basically all the woody debris leftover after the clear-felling of forestry, 

Scion principal scientist Dr Tim Payn spoke to Max Towle.

Landslides have destroyed homes and infrastructure across the North Island in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle; they've also killed people, including two firefighters in Muriwai.

Engineering Geologist Chris Massey is surveying the ground damage in Auckland and Northland.

He told Max Towle they'd counted thousands of slips so far, and some were still moving.

Allied Petroleum says all of its 12 sites in East Coast, Gisborne and Hawke's Bay are now back working.

Late last week, none were operational due to the power outages.

Its sites include the only pumps in Ruatoria.

Several fuel supply chains earlier told RNZ there is enough fuel in stock, it's just about getting power to the pumps.