Ministerial Statements — Nelson—Bushfires

I wish to make a ministerial statement on the Nelson bushfires. I rise on behalf of the coalition Government to inform the House of the progress made by emergency services with managing the fires in the Nelson-Tasman region. The fire started on Tuesday, 5 February. Nelson mayor, Rachel Reese, and Tasman mayor, Richard Kempthorne, declared a state of local emergency the following day. The declaration allowed emergency authorities to respond quickly and activate the emergency operation centre. The fire has covered over 2,300 hectares, destroying forest and agricultural land, impacting stock, and leading to the evacuation of 2,500 people.

While the fire has destroyed two homes and caused widespread damage, I do want to acknowledge that loss but also thank those who were involved in the response. Their action has saved homes, stopped the spread of the fire, and protected the lives of those living in the area. We’re advised that the fire is currently being held within control lines and the weather forecast is for favourable conditions. That is encouraging, but we remain cautious for the large number of hot spots throughout the fire zone that could become active, should there be a change in the wind. Emergency authorities are doing everything that they can to get people back into their homes and farms as soon as it is safe to do so.

The declaration of a state of local emergency will now be extended for a further week to allow authorities to continue to control the fire and deal with the current situation and if conditions change and if the fire risk increases. I know you will join with me in expressing that our thoughts are with all those people impacted by this emergency. On behalf of the Government, I’d like to thank the local residents for their continued patience and the community spirit that they have displayed. Since the fire started, more than 1,000 properties have been evacuated. It was incredibly encouraging to see Wakefield residents return home yesterday. Emergency authorities are today assessing when the remaining 228 households will be allowed to return. Many evacuated residents are staying with family and friends, and a number of marae have played a valuable role in the response by opening the doors to all those who needed support, and I thank them for their manaakitanga.

To the people of Nelson-Tasman: we want to reassure you that the Government is making available the necessary resources to the agencies working to gain control of these fires and preserve life and property. Recovery planning is already under way to get the area and the community back on their feet as soon as possible. The Government has now committed a contribution of $70,000 to the Tasman District Council mayoral relief fund and to providing $50,000 for the rural support trust and primary industry groups to help speed up the recovery of farming and horticultural businesses.

I do want to highlight, though, that this funding is only intended to plug gaps that are not already covered by other Government funding. The fire has had a significant impact on Nelson-Tasman’s rural communities, with animal welfare, access to stock, and dealing with property and infrastructure damage remaining a significant concern for many, even after this fire is brought under control. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has deployed additional animal welfare staff to the region to look after animals from affected areas, with the showgrounds being used as a temporary home for evacuated animals. These staff have been really well supported by the SPCA, NGOs, and local veterinarians, and I want to acknowledge that.

Finally, I want to commend the wide range of agencies involved in this response for their decisive, coordinated action. The Nelson Tasman Civil Defence Emergency Management Group is leading the response with support from multiple agencies who have deployed additional personnel from around the country to assist. Over the past week, hundreds of staff from Fire and Emergency New Zealand, the New Zealand Police, the New Zealand Defence Force, the Ministry for Primary Industries, as well as the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management and regional civil defence management (CDM) groups have been on the ground in Nelson-Tasman. They have our sincere thanks.

Welfare service agencies are on hand to assist with people’s needs. Alongside other organisations such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, the district health board and primary health organisations have set up support services which include free GP visits for those affected. Support is available through the rural support trust, and the Ministry of Social Development has activated an 0800 Government helpline, providing urgent financial help for people affected by the fires, with staff working through the weekend, and to them goes our thanks as well.

There is still some uncertainty ahead, but we can all, I believe, be very proud of the extraordinary efforts of all of those involved. The Government again thanks those agencies, those community groups, and individuals working tirelessly to fight the fire and support people in affected communities.

I want to thank the Prime Minister for the update on the progress of emergency services in managing the fire in the Nelson-Tasman region, and I’d also like to echo all of the sentiments that she’s made. I’d also like to pay tribute to the heroic work by so many in the Nelson and Tasman districts over the past week: those in the local communities who have worked around the clock in preventing the loss of life, saving dozens of homes, and providing refuge for animals. We thank you.

There have also been so many levels of support involved in the recovery and the rescue efforts, from assisting people in evacuation procedures to getting access to care for animals, income support, alternative schooling, and transport.

My strongest praise goes to those directly involved in fighting this wild fire. The volunteers from the local Richmond, Stoke, Māpua, Motueka, and Tākaka brigades have been outstanding; so too have the Brightwater, Appleby, Hira, Upper Tākaka, and Ngātimoti rural fire forces. Many of the firefighters in the region are rural volunteers, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for the prevention and assistance work they are undertaking. These firefighters have been doing the hard, dirty job on the ground. We should be equally grateful for the skilled helicopter pilots in the air and the workers driving the water trucks, bulldozers, and excavators that are containing the fire. They have been doing extraordinary hours in tough conditions.

I also acknowledge the work of the local mayors, civil defence, police, army, and Ministry for Primary Industries. This fire is the largest in New Zealand in some 64 years, and is a tough test for the newly merged Fire and Emergency New Zealand. This response has been well led and is a credit to them. I applaud the efforts of national incident controller John Sutton and our local Principal Rural Fire Officer, Ian Reade.

The volunteer effort to support our emergency services has been unbelievable. Red Cross, St John’s, Rotary, Helping You Help Animals, and our local marae and churches have stood out. I’d also like to acknowledge the hard-working local MPs in the region, who have all been involved in the response efforts, particularly in coordinating assistance for constituents.

As we speak, emergency services are still battling the wildfires in the region. It’s good news that most people are back in their homes, but we are not out of the woods yet. I’d encourage ongoing vigilance on any activities that could spark another fire, given the extreme conditions, until we get significant rain. There are weeks of work still required on this fire, and I wish those hard-working officials and volunteers all success as they continue to battle the fires.