KIA ORA, GOOD AFTERNOON. WE'RE ABOUT TO CROSS LIVE FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S LATEST UPDATE ON RECOVERY EFFORTS FOLLOWING CYCLONE GABRIELLE. LET'S BRING IN POLITICAL EDITOR JESSICA MUTCH MCKAY. HE WILL PROVIDE A DETAILED PICTURE OF THE DEFENCE FORCE MOVEMENT AND OPERATIONS. I RETURNED TODAY FROM GISBORNE, WITH THE DAMAGE IS EXTENSIVE AND IT WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY A NUMBER OF THE PEOPLE I SPOKE TO ARE IN SOMEWHAT OF A STATE OF SHOCK. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY RECENT WEATHER EVENTS ARE UNDER ENORMOUS PRESSURE. WE KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE FINDING IT INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER, AND WITH FAMILY MEMBERS AND OTHER REGIONS. WE ARE WORKING AS FAST AS WE CAN TO TRY AND GET TELECOMMUNICATIONS RECONNECTED. BOTH THE FIBRE ROUTS INTO AND OUT OF GISBORNE HAVE BEEN DAMAGED. ENGINEERS ARE WORKING ON REPAIRS AS FAST AS THEY CAN. WE ARE ALSO TRYING TO GET TEMPORARY MEASURES IN PLACE WE NEEDED, LIKE HOT SPOTS, SO PEOPLE CAN KEEP IN TOUCH, ALBEIT IN A LIMITED WAY. 10 MORE START LINK UNITS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO GISBORNE AS WE SPEAK. FURTHER SOUTH, FIVE START LINK SATELLITE COMMUNICATION UNITS HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO WAIROA AND THE HAWKE'S BAY. MORE ARE ON THE WAY. WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REACH WAIROA AND THE HAWKE'S BAY BAY ROAD TODAY, AND STATE HIGHWAY 2 TO GISBORNE HAS BEEN OPENED ON A LIMITED BASIS FOR CONVOYS OF EMERGENCY SUPPLIES, INCLUDING FOOD, WATER AND FUEL. IT WILL BE OPEN AGAIN FOR FURTHER CONVOYS TOMORROW. WE HAVE TEMPORARY SUPPLIES EN ROUTE AND MORE WILL BE ARRIVING SOON. FRESHWATER IS CLEARLY AN ISSUE. THE NAVY SHIPS MANAWANUI OF THE EAST COAST OF TOLAGA BAY READY TO SAIL TO THE HAWKE'S BAY WITH SUPPLIES AS REQUIRED. THE DEFENCE FORCE IS BRINGING IN A SUPPLIES THROUGH OTHER MEANS AS WELL. THE DAMAGE TO ROADS AND ALL THE AFFECTED AREAS IS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE WE ARE FACING. WE WANT PEOPLE IN THOSE AREAS TO MINIMISE THEIR OWN MOVEMENTS SO WE CAN CONCENTRATE ON GETTING SUPPLIES AND REPAIR CREWS WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED. ENCOURAGINGLY, EVERY REGION NOW HAS AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE THAT IS ALLOWING US TO GET LIFELINES INTO THEM. EVERYTHING POSSIBLE IS BEING DONE TO BRING BACK POWER TO THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN HARD-HIT BY THE CYCLONE AND HAVE BEEN WITHOUT IT. THE MOST RECENT INFORMATION WE HAVE, IS THAT APPROXIMATELY 102,000 CUSTOMERS ARE WITHOUT POWER ACROSS THE UPPER NORTH ISLAND. THAT IS DOWN FROM AROUND 225,000 ON TUESDAY MORNING. THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR HAS A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON GISBORNE TO DETERMINE WHAT EQUIPMENT AND MANPOWER THEY MIGHT NEED. WHILE I WAS ON THE GROUND, I WAS ABLE TO ADVISE THE GISBORNE MAYOR THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS RELEASED A $1 MILLION AS AN IMMEDIATE TOP UP FOR THE MAYORAL RELIEF FUND. THAT IS THE FIRST STEP TO GET IMMEDIATE SUPPORT TO THOSE WHO NEED IT. A FURTHER $1 MILLION HAS BEEN RELEASED TO THE HAWKE'S BAY THIS AFTERNOON. I CAN ASSURE EVERYONE WE'RE USING EVERY AVAILABLE RESOURCE TO HELP FIND THOSE WHO ARE MISSING AND TO RESCUE THOSE WE KNOW ABOUT BUT WHO WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET TO. I WAS CU COORDINATION CENTRE HAS OVERSEEN A 450 RESCUES OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS. ALL RESCUE REQUESTS IN THE 111 SYSTEM HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. THAT IS GREAT NEWS AND WILL BE A BIG LIFT EVERYONE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, I AM SURE. POLICE ARE SENDING AN ADDITIONAL 100 STAFF INTO THE HAWKE'S BAY AND TAIRAWHITI AREAS TO SUPPORT RESCUE EFFORTS, AS WELL AS ASSISTANCE WITH REASSURANCE PATROLS AND TO PROVIDE STRONG COMMUNITY PRESENCE. THE POLICE EAGLE HELICOPTER WILL BE DEPLOYED TO THE REGION TOMORROW. THOSE POLICE HAVE COME FROM THE BAY OF PLENTY, CENTRAL, WELLINGTON, CANTERBURY DISTRICTS, AS WELL AS FROM THE ROYAL COMMISSION POLICE COLLEGE. MANY LOCAL POLICE HAVE BEEN THE FIRST RESPONDERS TO EMERGENCIES, AND THEY HAVE BEEN HELPING PEOPLE EVEN IN THE FACE OF HAVING LOST THEIR OWN HOMES. WE THANK THEM FOR THAT. IS AT 2:30 PM THIS AFTERNOON, A TOTAL OF 3544 REPORTS OF UN-CONTACTABLE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE POLICE 105 FUNCTION. A FURTHER 450 HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS FOUND. THAT WILL INCLUDE MULTIPLE REPORTS FOR THE SAME PEOPLE. WE BELIEVE THE MAJORITY OF THOSE WHO ARE CONSIDERED UN-CONTACTABLE SIMPLY CANNOT MAKE CONTACT WITH THEIR LOVED ONES. POLICE ARE PRIORITISING THOSE IN THE MORE ISOLATED AREAS. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT AS PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE AND LET OTHER PEOPLE KNOW THEY ARE OKAY, IF THEY HAVE BEEN REGISTERED AS MISSING, WE ARE ASKING THEM TO TAKE THE TIME TO REGISTER THEIR WELL-BEING ONLINE WITH POLICE 105. TRAGICALLY, POLICE CONFIRMED THE NUMBER OF FATALITIES CAUSED BY THE CYCLONE STANDS AT FIVE. THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE FOR WHOM THE POLICE HOLD GRAVE CONCERNS. WE DO NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR THE LIKELIHOOD THERE WOULD BE MORE FATALITIES. THERE HAVE BEEN VARIOUS OFFERS OF SUPPORT FROM INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS AND AUSTRALIA IN PARTICULAR. I CAN CONFIRM NEMA HAS ACCEPTED AN AGENCY TO AGENCY OFFER FROM AUSTRALIA FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE SUPPORT AND EXPERTISE. OVER THE NEXT 48 WAS, FIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT TEAMS MADE UP OF AROUND 25 PEOPLE WILL ARRIVE IN NEW ZEALAND TO WORK WITH OUR FENZ TEAMS. WHEN THEY ARRIVE, WE WILL HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF HOW THEY WILL BE DEPLOYED. THIS IS A COMPLEX AND DYNAMIC RESPONSE. SOME AREAS, SUCH AS AUCKLAND, WAIKATO, THAMES-COROMANDEL, BAY OF PLENTY AND THE MANAWATU AND WHANGAREI ARE SCALING DOWN THEIR CIVIL DEFENCE RESPONSE AND ARE NOW ABLE TO MOVE INTO THE RECOVERY PHASE. OTHERS, SUCH AS WE SAW IN GISBORNE AND NAPIER AND THE HAWKE'S BAY NEED THE BASICS LIKE FOOD AND WATER, AND ARE STILL VERY MUCH IN THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PHASE. I CAN REPORT ALL OF OUR HOSPITALS AND THE AFFECTED REGIONS ARE OPEN AND FUNCTIONING WELL. WE HAVE FLOWN AN ADDITIONAL BLOOD, OXYGEN AND OTHER CRITICAL SUPPLIES TO GISBORNE AND THE HAWKE'S BAY. THEY HAVE COME FROM THE AIR FORCE BASE AT WHENUAPAI. I WILL NOW HAND OVER THE LATEST DETAILS AND THEN WILL TAKE QUESTIONS. THE FOCUS OF THE DEFENCE OF FORCE ACTIVITIES OF THIS WEEK HAS BEEN EXTENSIVE SUPPORT OF NEMA AND RESPONSE TO THE CYCLONE. COMMITMENTS CURRENTLY CONSISTS OF MORE THAN 700 DEFENCE FORCE PERSONNEL DEPLOYED, WITH HUNDREDS MORE ON STANDBY. WE ARE USING CAPABILITIES FROM ALL PARTS OF OUR DEFENCE FORCE. THIS INCLUDES TWO SHIPS. 58 ARMY VEHICLES, INCLUDING TO LIGHT ARMOURED VEHICLES. SIX HELICOPTERS, TO TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT, SEATS BRIGHT HELICOPTER, AND A DEFENCE FORCE CRISIS TEAM. LIAISON STAFF ARE ALSO LOCATED ACROSS ALL AFFECTED AREAS. OUR PRIORITIES HAVE BEEN ON SAVING PEOPLE FROM IMMEDIATE DANGER, HELPING AUTHORITIES GAIN MORE KNOWLEDGE AND WHAT IS AN EVOLVING SITUATION AND HELPING TO SUPPORT AND RESPONSE TO ONGOING RELIEF EFFORTS. AS YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN, OUR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN SOME CHALLENGING SITUATIONS. WE HAVE WINCHED PEOPLE OF HOUSES AND RESCUED A SAILOR FROM A STRICKEN YACHT. WE HAVE HELPED EVACUATE PEOPLE THROUGH HIGH FLOODWATERS IN APPALLING CONDITIONS. IT IS WORTH HIGHLIGHTING THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE DEFENCE FORCE LIVE IN THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE, SO WE TAKE A GREAT DEAL OF PRIDE IN BEING ABLE TO ASSIST OUR FRIENDS AND WHANAU AND THE TIME OF NEED. THE LAST FEW DAYS HAVE SEEN AN INTENSIVE EFFORT IN THE HAWKE'S BAY AND TAIRAWHITI REGIONS. WE HAVE CONDUCTED A RANGE OF RECONNAISSANCE TASKS TO HELP PROVIDE A BETTER PICTURE OF THE DAMAGE TO THOSE REGIONS. FOOD, WATER AND SHELTER HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO ISOLATED COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE ALSO MOVED MILITARY WATER TREATMENT PLANTS, WHICH CAN PRODUCE UP TO 3000 L OF FRESHWATER PER HOUR. ONE OF OUR SHIPS HAS THIS AFTERNOON ARRIVED IN TAIRAWHITI AND DROPPED OFF FOOD AND WATER. THIS HAS BEEN GRATEFULLY RECEIVED BY THE LOCALS. WE EXPECT THE SHIP TO REACH TOLAGA BAY THIS EVENING. OVER THE NEXT 24-HOUR was, THINGS WILL BE BUSY IF NOT BUSIER. OUR SHIP WAS DUE IN TO GISBORNE TOMORROW MORNING. ARE EITHER SHIP WAS DUE TO DEPART AUCKLAND TONIGHT FOR NAPIER. ON BOARD AS A 25 PERSON EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM AND COMMUNITY IN SUPPLIES. THE ARMY HAS MORE PERSONNEL TO DEPLOY IF NEEDED. THEY HAD TO LIGHT ARMOURED VEHICLES THAT ARE CHECKING A ROAD ROUTE TO GISBORNE AS WE SPEAK. THIS IS IN ORDER TO POSSIBLY MOVE IN A LARGER WATER TREATMENT PLANT. OUR AIRCRAFT ARE PLANNING TO MOVE ARMY PERSONNEL TO GISBORNE, WITH A SECONDARY WATER PLANT TREATMENTS TO GISBORNE. *MOVE OUR HELICOPTERS WILL ALSO MOVE A SMALL MILITARY WATER TREATMENT PLANT AS WELL AS ARMY PERSONNEL INTO WAIROA. A FURTHER HELICOPTER WILL REMAIN IN AUCKLAND TO SUPPORT IF REQUIRED. THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR LARGEST DOMESTIC DEPLOYMENTS IN RECENT MEMORY. WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THOSE IN NEED FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES. OUR THOUGHTS CONTINUE TO BE WITH THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN HEAVILY AFFECTED. WITH THE DEFENCE FORCE, I UNDERSTAND AUSTRALIA HAS OFFERED ITS SUPPORT. WHAT WILL THEY BE USED FOR? WHATEVER NUMBERS THEY ARE SENDING? TO CLARIFY, WE ARE IN COMMUNICATION WITH MILITARY PARTNERS, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT. THEY HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT TO SEE HOW THINGS ARE. RIGHT NOW, WE ARE SEEING THE SUPPORT OFFERED BY THE NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE FORCE IS MEETING ALL OF THOSE TASKS NEEDS THAT ARE COMING IN FROM NEMA. WE ARE DOING A NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN THE REGION TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS ANY SPECIFIC CAPABILITIES WE NEED OR ANY FURTHER PERSONNEL WE MIGHT NEED. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE ARE OK. WE WILL BE MAKING THAT DECISION IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. IF THERE IS A NEED, WE WOULD REACH OUT. WITH THE POLICE GOING ON, IS THAT BECAUSE OF CRIME OR TO HELP WITH GOING DOOR-TO-DOOR? CAN WE GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT? THE POLICE ARE ONE OF OUR KEY AGENCIES WHEN IT COMES TO 1ST RESPONSE IN A MAJOR DISASTER. WILL HAVE POLICE WERE PRETTY TIRED AND HAVE BEEN WORKING LONG SHIFTS. THAT EXTRA SUPPORT WILL BE ABLE TO RELIEVE SOME OF THOSE WHO NEED A BREAK, BUT ALSO PROVIDE THE EXTRA SUPPORT. WHEN YOU HAVE THINGS LIKE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT IN PLACE AND ROADS ARE CLOSED, THAT REQUIRES EXTRA POLICE MANPOWER. I WANT TO BE CLEAR, THAT SADLY, IN A DISASTER LIKE THIS, THERE IS OCCASIONALLY SOME PEOPLE WHO USE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OPPORTUNISTIC OFFENDING, THE POLICE HAVE BEEN CLEAR THAT THEY ARE GOING TO CRACK DOWN ON THAT HARD. NOW WAS NOT THE TIME FOR ANYBODY TO THINK THEY CAN TRANSFER YOUR LUCK. THE POLICE ARE GOING TO BE OUT THERE VISIBLE AND ACTIVE. ANYONE WHO IS BREAKING THE LAW CAN EXPECT TO FACE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT. YOU WENT AND SAW THE DEVASTATION AND GISBORNE. WHAT DID YOU THINK AND WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO SEE THAT FOR YOURSELF FIRST HAND? IT WAS A PRETTY MOVING MORNING. FLYING AND OVER GISBORNE, IT WAS CLEAR THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE, EVEN BEFORE WE GOT OFF THE PLANE. A LOT OF WATER STILL THERE. DAMAGE ON THE BEACH ON THE APPROACH INTO THE AIRPORT. AND THEN GOING AND VISITING PEOPLE'S HOMES, THE EVACUATION CENTRES, BEING AT THE CENTRE OF THE TOWN, IT IS CLEAR THERE ARE SOME BIG CHALLENGES FACING THE COMMUNITY. SOME OF THOSE WE ARE WORKING HARD TO TRY AND ADDRESS AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, LIKE GIVING THEM CONNECTIVITY; MAKING SURE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO WATER; GETTING THE WATER SUPPLY BACK UP AND RUNNING HAS TO BE A MAJOR PRIORITY. THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE AN OVERNIGHT FIX. WE WILL BE SUPPORTING THEM IN THE MEANTIME UNTIL THAT CAN BE DONE. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW DIFFICULT IT IS FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS WEATHER EVENT. THE SORTS OF THINGS THEY WERE REPORTING BACK TO ME INCLUDED THEY FELT ISOLATED, ALONE. THAT UNFORTUNATELY IS THE NATURE OF THE INITIAL PHASE IN THESE EVENTS. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW HARD THAT HAS BEEN FOR THEM. NOW WE ARE ABLE TO RECONNECT WITH THEM MORE EASILY, WE CAN GET MORE SUPPORT TO THEM. WHY DOES THAT HAVE TO BE THE INITIAL REACTION TO THIS? WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE TO BE ISOLATED? WHY WEREN'T WE PREPARED FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS? IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE AREAS, THEY WERE UNDER A HUGE AMOUNT OF WATER. IT JUST WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO GET TO THEM. THE FOCUS WAS ON GETTING THEM TO HIGHER GROUND WHERE THEY COULD BE DRY. ONCE SOME OF THE WATER HAD SUBSIDED, WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO THEM AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. IN THE CASE OF ELECTRICITY, WHETHER IT WILL KNOCK OUT ELECTRICITY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS FROM TIME TO TIME. WE CAN BUILD THE NETWORKS AS RESILIENT AS POSSIBLE, BUT ON OCCASION, THERE WILL STILL BE OUTAGES. THE KEY THING WE HAVE TO DO IS GET THEM RECONNECTED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT WHETHER WE HAVE TO BUILD MORE PEOPLE ARE WAITING TO GET INFORMATION. HOW LONG WILL THEY NEED TO BE WAITING? I THINK WHEN TELECOMMUNICATIONS ARE RESUMED, A NUMBER OF THOSE ISSUES WILL RESOLVE THEMSELVES BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH LOVED ONES. POLICE ARE GOING THROUGH A PROCESS AT THE MOMENT OF PRIORITISING ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT THEY HAVE GOT. THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE MOVING DUPLICATES AND ARE NARROWING IT DOWN TO THOSE WHO HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS, WHEREAS ONES OF PEOPLE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ONE ANOTHER. I DO HAVE A SORT OF NUMBER OF THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE VERY SERIOUS CONCERNS FOR? POLICE HAVEN'T PUT A PARTICULAR NUMBER ON THAT AT THIS POINT. HAWKE'S BAY, PEOPLE ARE DESPERATE TO KNOW THE LATEST OUT OF ESKDALE. WHAT IS THE LATEST IN TERMS OF THE DAMAGE? WE DO HAVE SOME REAL CONCERNS ABOUT THAT AREA. WE HAVE TEAMS UP THERE AT THE MOMENT BASICALLY GOING DOOR-TO-DOOR AND DOING A SEARCH ON IDENTIFYING THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. AT THIS POINT, WE HAVEN'T HAD REPORTS BACK FROM THOSE TEAMS YET. IT IS AN AREA OF SIGNIFICANT CONCERN. BUT ABOUT THE EXPRESSWAY? THAT WAS OPEN EARLIER TODAY, BUT THEN IT WAS CLOSED. THEY SAY THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO REOPEN TONIGHT. IS THAT THE SAME? IN WHAT'S THE ADVICE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TRAVELLED ACROSS THE BRIDGE AND ARE NOW STUCK AWAY FROM HOME? IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL, AND YOU ARE SOMEWHERE SAFE, TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE. IF YOU ARE RETURNING HOME AND ARE HAPPY TO STAY HOME AND YOU CAN GET HOME, YOUR HOME IS SAFE TO BE IN, AND THAT'S ONE THING. NOW WAS NOT THE TIME TO BE DOING UNNECESSARY TRAVEL. IN SOME CASES WAKA KOTAHI ARE OPENING ROADS ON LIMITED BASIS. THEY ARE THEN CLOSE IN THE BEGINNING. ONE OF THE REASONS THEY ARE DOING THAT IS SO THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO REOPEN THE MOST FASTEST POSSIBLE. THAT MEANT LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY'VE GOT TRAFFIC ON THEM SO THEY CAN GET THE REPAIRS DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WE ARE EXPECTING MORE RAIN OVERNIGHT. WHAT IS THE ADVICE AND WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE ANXIOUS? BE PREPARED, WE ARE DEALING WITH UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER AT THE MOMENT. IT IS LIKELY THAT THERE WILL BE MORE RAIN. AS WE'VE SAID FROM THE BEGINNING, IF YOU CAN STAY PUT, STAY PUT. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO STAY PUT. IF YOU NEED TO EVACUATE, PREPREPARED AND BE READY TO EVACUATE. HAVE A GRAB AND GO BAG. MAKE SURE HAVE SOMETHING WARM TO WEAR. ON THAT CONNECTIVITY IN THE REGION, PEOPLE HAVING PHONES THAT HAVE BATTERIES TO GET THOUGH CIVIL DEFENCE OF ALERTS, A CONFIDENT THAT PEOPLE WILL GET THOSE MESSAGES? WE ARE GETTING DIFFERENT REPORTS ON HOW CONNECTED PEOPLE ARE IN THAT REGION. CIVIL DEFENCE ARE GOING DOOR-TO-DOOR TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE GOT THE MESSAGE. COMMUNITIES ARE COMING TOGETHER AND MANAGING THIS INCREDIBLY WELL. I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE OFTEN THE REAL DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES. SOMETIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. IT IS GOING TO BE A VERY BASIC RESPONSE, AND THAT MIGHT MEAN PEOPLE GOING DOOR-TO-DOOR TO TELL PEOPLE WHAT THEY NEED TO. THAT'S 25 AT THE MOMENT PEOPLE COMING. I'M SURE THEY WILL SEND MORE IF WE NEED MORE. THE FOCUS WAS TO GET PEOPLE HERE AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN. WE DO HAVE SOME IMMEDIATE SEARCH AND RESCUE JOBS THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO GET HELP WITH. WHAT THE ASSISTANT TEAM ACTUALLY DO? THEY WILL BE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE IF PEOPLE ARE MISSING, THEY WILL BE LOOKING AT BUILDINGS. WHETHER THEY ARE HABITABLE. AND PROVIDING THAT INTEL BACK THAT IS GOING TO ALLOW ASSESSMENTS ABOUT WHAT AREAS NEED TO STAY EVACUATED. CAN I CLARIFY WHY IT WILL TAKE A COUPLE OF DAYS TO RESPOND TO AUSTRALIA? WE ARE IN ONE OF OUR BIGGEST NATURAL DISASTERS. WHAT'S THE HESITATION? IF I CAN START WITH THE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS, WE HAVE INDICATED THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ACCEPT THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF THE NUMBER IS DICTATED BY THEM OR BY US YET. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ANYBODY THAT THE PEOPLE THAT THEY BRING OVER FROM AUSTRALIA HAVE SOMETHING TO DO. IN THE CASE OF THE DEFENCE FORCE, AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN WATCHING ALL OF THIS, EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN ASKING THEM TO DO, THEY HAVE BEEN DELIVERING ON THAT. WE'VE GOT NO HESITATION IN SEEKING THAT HELP. RIGHT NOW, WE ARE COVERING THOSE TASKS WITH SPECIFIC CAPABILITIES AND DEPTHS REQUIRED. THE SCALE IN THE SCOPE LOOKS LIKE A TURN TO BE QUITE A LOT LONGER. THIS IS NOT A SHORT-TERM THING, SO WOULD WE NOT BE FROM AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE SAY YES PLEASE TO ANY HELP OFFERED? THIS COMES BACK TO THOSE TASKS. IF IT'S EXHAUSTING OUR REQUIREMENTS WILL ASK FOR IT. OUR CHATHAM ISLANDS OK? I HAVE HAD AN UPDATE TODAY, BUT THE IMPACT BY A LARGE SKIP THEM. I WOULD HAVE HEARD OF THAT IS NOT THE CASE. THE DOOR-TO-DOOR EXERCISE, HOW LONG IS EXPECTED TO TAKE? I DON'T HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF TIME. IT WILL TAKE AS LONG AS IT IS TO TAKE. OUR CIVIL DEFENCE AND FIRE AND EMERGENCY GETTING ANY PUSHBACK FROM PEOPLE? THE FEEDBACK THAT I'VE HAD THIS APP PEOPLE ARE ACCEPTING. YOU DO HAVE THE ODD OCCASION WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO STAY PUT, GENERALLY STATION, COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN QUITE CONVINCING AND ENCOURAGING PEOPLE OF THE NEED TO EVACUATE. I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF ANY EXAMPLES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE REALLY DUG IN. FROM THE ARM CONTACTABLE PEOPLE, PRESUMABLY THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THE BIGGEST PRIORITY ARE PROBABLY IN AREAS THAT AREN'T EASY TO GET TO. ARE THERE POTENTIALLY WHOLE HOUSEHOLDS THAT MAY BE SOME DAYS WITH THEM MIGHT NOT BE ACCESS? POLICE HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY ARE GOING TO PRIORITISE THOSE REMOTE PEOPLE. OF DIFFERENT REPORTS THAT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO BE CONTACTED. POLICE HAVE RESOURCES OF THEIR OWN. WE HAVE THE POLICE HELICOPTER HEADING DOWN THAT TOMORROW. WE HAVE USED MILITARY RESOURCES TO ASSIST WITH RESCUE OPERATIONS. YOU TALKED ABOUT AREAS THAT HAVE GONE ONTO THE RECOVERY PHASE. HOW LONG DO YOU EXPECT THEM TO REMAIN IN THE EMERGENCY FACE? CLEARLY THERE ARE SOME BIG CHALLENGES AHEAD. THEY NEED TO RE-ESTABLISH TRANSPORT LINKS AND GET THE POWER BACK ON. AND GET A GOOD LEVEL OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESTORE BEFORE THEY ARE ABLE TO START MOVING TOWARDS RECOVERY. I DON'T HAVE TIME ESTIMATES FOR ALL OF THAT. FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN IN GISBORNE TODAY, GETTING WATER CAN BE VERY CHALLENGING. THE RESERVOIR IS QUITE A LONG WAY OUT OF THE CITY. AND THERE IS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE PIPELINES BETWEEN IT AND THE CITY. THAT IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME. THEY ARE WORKING ON ALTERNATIVES. I JUST COULDN'T PUT A TIMETABLE ON IT. THERE'S A LOT OF AGENCIES WITH EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND RECOVERY. THEY SPENDING A LOT ON THIS. WOULD THEY GET TOP UPS? WILL BE ABSOLUTELY MAKING SURE THAT WE SEE NEW ZEALAND THROUGH THIS. AS A SIGNIFICANT EVENT. IT IS ON A SCALE THAT WE'VE SEEN WITH THE CHRISTCHURCH EARTHQUAKE. AND WE WILL WORK THROUGH IT AND SEE THIS PROCESS THROUGH. WE ARE WORKING THROUGH ADVICE ON HOW BEST TO STRUCTURE THE RECOVERY EFFORT. WE ARE WORKING WORK THROUGH THOSE OPTIONS AT THE MOMENT.. WE'LL END OUR COVERAGE OF THAT MEDIA CONFERENCE NOW AND JUST RECAP SOME MAIN POINTS FOR YOU ` THE PRIME MINISTER HAS CONFIRMED THE DEATH TOLL REMAINS AT FIVE, BUT HAS WARNED THAT COULD RISE. MORE THAN 3000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS UNCONTACTABLE, BUT SOME REPORTS COULD BE DOUBLE-UPS. EMERGENCY CREWS HAVE NOW CARRIED OUT 450 RESCUES IN THE PAST FEW DAYS. WITH FIVE ARRESTS DUE TO LOOTING, 100 EXTRA POLICE ARE HEADING TO HAWKE'S BAY AND TAIRAWHITI. AND MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE ACROSS THE NORTH ISLAND ARE STILL WITHOUT POWER. THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS 1 NEWS SPECIAL. WE'LL TAKE A QUICK BREAK, THEN I'LL BE BACK WITH EXTENSIVE COVERAGE ON 1 NEWS AT SIX. SEE YOU SOON.