CAPTIONS BY SOPHIE PEARCE AND LENA ERAKOVICH. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2023 KIA ORA. GOOD AFTERNOON. WELCOME TO THIS 1 NEWS SPECIAL IN THE AFTERMATH OF CYCLONE GABRIELLE. WE'RE STANDING BY FOR THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TO FRONT MEDIA WITH THE LATEST INFORMATION. WE'LL CROSS LIVE TO PARLIAMENT'S BEEHIVE THEATRETTE AS SOON AS CHRIS HIPKINS AND STEFAN WEIR APPEAR. WAITING ALONGSIDE ME AT PARLIAMENT IS POLITICAL REPORTER CUSHLA NORMAN. CUSHLA, CAN YOU UPDATE US ON THE DEATH TOLL FROM CYCLONE GABRIELLE? THE DEATH TOLL HAS ARISEN BY 2 TO 11. A BODY HAS BEEN FOUND IN NAPIER AND ANOTHER WAS FOUND IN HASTINGS. THE DEATH TOLL FOR HAWKE'S BAY IS NINE. THE POLICE SAY THAT 6000 PEOPLE ARE STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE CONTACTED ` THEY ARE NON-CONTACTABLE AT THE MOMENT, BUT AS PHONE COVERAGE IS GETTING BETTER AND POWER IS BEING RESTORED, PEOPLE ARE MAKING CONTACT, SO THEY NOW SAY THAT 3000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REPORTED FOUND. THE EASTERN DISTRICT CMDR FOR THE HAWKE'S BAY SAID THIS WAS EXCELLENT PROGRESS. POLICE ARE WORKING THROUGH THIS NUMBER. THEY ARE RECONCILING IT WITHIN THE 6000 NUMBER, BUT THAT 6000 NUMBER, IT DOES INCLUDE MULTIPLE REPORTS OF PEOPLE BEING MISSING. IF PEOPLE ARE AROUND, THEY CAN REGISTER WITH THE POLICE WITH THE WEBSITE OR THEY CAN REGISTER BY CALLING 105. FINANCE MINISTER GRANT ROBERTSON HAS BEEN ON THE GROUND IN HAWKE'S BAY TODAY AND GIVEN A CLEARER INDICATION ON THE COST OF THE RECOVERY. WHAT THAT HE HAD TO SAY? IT IS STILL EARLY DAYS, BUT THE INITIAL INDICATION FOR THE COST OF RECOVERY IS 13 BILLION. I HAVE JUST SEEN THAT THE PRIME MINISTER CHRIS HIPKINS IS ENTERING THE THEATRETTE ALONG WITH THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY DIRECTOR, STEFAN WEIR. WE WILL CROSS NOW. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. WELCOME TO STEFAN WEIR WHO IS JOINING US ON THE PODIUM TODAY. HE IS THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AT NIWA. A WEEK AGO, WE WERE ASKING NEW ZEALANDERS TO BRACE THE CYCLONE GABRIELLE. SEVEN DAYS LATER, THE CYCLONE HAS PASSED THROUGH AND INTRUDE EXTENT OF THE DEVASTATION IS BECOMING CLEARER WITH EVERY PASSING DAY. 28,000 HOMES REMAIN WITHOUT POWER. TELECOMMUNICATIONS HAVE BEEN SEVERELY DISRUPTED. FRESHWATER IS IN IS SHORT SUPPLY. ROADS HAVE BEEN BADLY DAMAGED, LIMITING ACCESS TO SOME AREAS AND CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DELAYS AND OTHERS. SUPPLY CHAINS HAVE BEEN DISRUPTED AND MOVING GOODS AROUND HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING. CROPS HAVE BEEN BADLY DAMAGED, MANY COMPLETELY DESTROYED. LIVES HAVE BEEN TURNED UPSIDE DOWN. MANY PEOPLE HAVE SEEN THEIR HOMES AND ALL OF THE POSITIONS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. COUNTLESS OTHERS HAVE BEEN DISPLACED. TRAGICALLY, SO FAR, 11 PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES AND MORE FATALITIES REMAIN POSSIBLE. 6431 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO POLICE AS UNACCOUNTED FOR. WE KNOW THAT 3216 ARE OK. POLICE ARE WORKING HARD TO RECONCILE THE OTHERS. EMERGENCY SERVICES AND FIRST RESPONDERS HAVE DONE US ALL PROUD. MANY HAVE WORKED THEMSELVES TO THE POINT OF UTTER EXHAUSTION. DISTRESS AND THE STRAIN OF THE PAST WEEK IS CLEARLY STARTING TO SHOW. PARTICULARLY, IN AREAS WHERE POWER AND COMMUNICATIONS REMAIN DISRUPTED. WE KNOW THAT TENSIONS CAN BE HIGH. NONE OF US SHOULD UNDERESTIMATE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TOLL THIS DISASTER IS TAKING ON SOME OF OUR FELLOW KIWIS. THE PAST WEEK HAS PUSHED MANY TO THE LIMIT, EVEN MORE SO GIVEN IT COMES ON TOP OF OTHER RECENT WEATHER EVENTS. THE DISRUPTION OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND OTHER DISRUPTIONS. OUR RESILIENCE IS BEING TESTED LIKE NEVER BEFORE. BUT, AS WE HAVE REPEATEDLY SEEN IN RECENT TIMES, ADVERSITY BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN KIWIS. WE RALLIED TOGETHER AND WE SUPPORT EACH OTHER. WE LOOK OUT FOR OUR NEIGHBOURS AND WE GO THE EXTRA MILE TO PROTECT OF HONOURABLE. WE SHARE AND WE CARE. CIVIL DEFENCE TEAMS HAVE BEEN RECEIVING REPORTS OF AN INCREASE IN DONATED GOODS TO HELP THE GOODS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THE AFTERMATH OF CYCLONE GABRIELLE. THE KINDNESS SHOWING BY KIWIS IS AMAZING. MAKING MONETARY DONATIONS, BIG OR SMALL, OTHER SINGLE MOST HELPFUL THING PEOPLE CAN DO IN THE WAKE OF THE CYCLONE TO SUPPORT THOSE DISRUPTED COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE THAT ENABLES THE SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS TO PROVIDE WHAT IS MOST NEEDED IN THOSE COMMUNITIES. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF RELIEF FUNDS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SET UP TO MANAGE DONATIONS AND TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE GETTING SUPPLIES TO WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED. THOSE INCLUDE THOSE SET UP BY MEDIA ORGANISATIONS, THE MAYORAL RELIEF FUNDS AND THE PARTICULAR AREAS IN THE SPECIFIC REGIONS. WE ARE POURING SUPPORT FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY INTO THE REGIONS THEY NEED THEM AND WHERE HELP IS PROVIDED, WE ARE ACCEPTING IT FROM A OVERSEAS. AUSTRALIA IS SUPPORTED BY PROVIDING FIRE AND EMERGENCY NEW ZEALAND WITH A 27 PERSON TEAM. 25 OF THEM ARE ALREADY ON THE GROUND AND HAWKE'S BAY AND WHO ARE SUPPORTING THE COORDINATION CENTRE. THEY ARE WORKING TO HELP FIND THOSE WHO ARE NOT ACCOUNTABLE. 10 PERSONNEL FROM THE FIJI DEFENCE FORCE AND OTHERS PREPARING TO LEAVE FOR NEW ZEALAND IN THE COMING DAYS. THE UNITED STATES AND AUSTRALIA HAVE PROVIDED CRUCIAL SATELLITE INJURY PRODUCTS OF THE AFFECTED AREAS. AUSTRALIA IS PROVIDING AN AIRCRAFT AND TEAMS TO PROVIDE FREIGHT ON THE AIRCRAFT AND SUPPORT TO ANALYSE HEALTH RISKS. ALL OF THIS WILL BE A GREAT HELP, AND WE THANK FIJI AND THE UNITED STATES AND AUSTRALIA. WE HAVE RECEIVED DOZENS OF OFFERS INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE. MANY ARE STILL COMING TO GRIPS WITH THE PATH AHEAD, AND THESE OFFERS OF INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE COMING INTO NEW ZEALAND, I DO NOT BELIEVE NOW IS A TIME TO BE MOVING IN ANOTHER DIRECTION AS PRIME MINISTER. I WAS DUE TO TRAVEL TO FIJI FOR THE PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM, BUT I HAVE ASKED THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, CARMEL SEPULONI, TO GO INSTEAD AND SHE WILL TRAVEL IN MY PLACE. THE ARRANGEMENTS ARE BEING FINALISED. OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PACIFIC IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH LEADERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THERE IS NO DOUBT, THAT AS A COUNTRY, WE HAVE A STEEP MOUNTAIN AHEAD OF US AND WE WERE CLIMATE TOGETHER. OUR ATTENTION HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE, RESCUING THOSE STRANDED. IN SOME AREAS THAT REMAINS THE FOCUSED. ON OTHER AREAS, THE RECOVERY IS STARTING TO GET UNDERWAY. AS THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE AND THE NEED BECOMES CLEARER, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SHAPE OUR RESPONSE ACCORDINGLY. WE KNOW THIS RECOVERY IS GOING TO COME WITH A BIG PRICETAG AND WE WILL ONCE AGAIN HAVE TO REPRIORITISE AND REFOCUS OUR EFFORTS AND RESOURCES. WE WILL BUILD BACK BETTER, BUT WE WILL ALSO NEED TO BUILD BACK MORE RESILIENT THAN BEFORE. FOR FAR TOO LONG AS A COUNTRY, WE HAVE UNDER INVESTED IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESILIENCE AND THAT HAS TO CHANGE. TOMORROW CABINET WILL CONSIDER SOME FURTHER EARLY MEASURES TO SUPPORT THE RESPONSE OF RECOVERY. THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ONGOING PROCESS. WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS. IS A GOVERNMENT, WE WILL DO WHAT IT TAKES TO RECOVER AND REBUILD. THE USUAL SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES ARE GOING TO NEED TO CHANGE AND ADAPT TO THE EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN. IF WE'RE GOING TO BUILD BACK BETTER, AND IF WE'RE GOING TO BUILD BACK QUICKLY, SOME TOUGH CALLS WILL NEED TO BE MADE AND I AM COMMITTED TO DOING THAT. TO RECAP ON THE LATEST INFORMATION BEFORE WE OPEN UP THE QUESTIONS, THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO WEATHER WARNINGS OR WATCHES IN PLACE FOR NEW ZEALAND. OF THE 28,000 HOMES WITHOUT POWER, THE BULK RNA PEER AND HASTINGS. UP TO 45% OF NAPIER HAS NOW BEEN CONNECTED. ROAD ACCESS REMAINS RESTRICTED, BUT IT IS PROGRESSIVELY OPENING UP. THE RAIL LINE HAS BEEN BADLY DAMAGED AND WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO REPAIR. FUEL SUPPLY IS BEING REPLENISHED, BUT SOME SPEND LIMITS REMAIN IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE CAN GET WHAT THEY NEED. AFTER ALMOST A WEEK WITHOUT POWER IN SOME AREAS, STRESS LEVELS ARE HIGH AND THE POLICE ARE WORKING TO MAINTAIN LAW & ORDER. I KNOW HOW HARD THIS IS, BUT I ASK EVERYONE TO REMAIN CALM. EVERYONE IS WORKING AS HARD AS THEY CAN TO GET THINGS BACK ONLINE. DRINKING WATER IN HASTINGS AND NAPIER IS SAFE. WELFARE IN THE PORTS THEY REMAINS A PRIORITY. STATE HIGHWAY 38 IS NOW OPEN FOR UTILITY VEHICLES ONLY. IT IS EXPECTED TO REOPEN IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS FOR THE PUBLIC, ALLOWING TRANSIT BETWEEN BAY OF PLENTY AND WAIROA. CELL COVERAGE HAS BEEN RESTORED TO WAIROA, BUT A BOIL WATER NOTICE REMAINS IN PLACE. THE ARMY HAS MOBILISED TO 25 PERSON RESPONSE TEAMS TO WAIROA AND HASTINGS. AND NORTHLAND, SOME COMMUNITIES REMAINED ISOLATED, BUT CONTACT HAS BEEN MADE WITH MOST OF THESE. TRANSIT ACROSS THE REGION REMAINS AN ISSUE, WITH STOCK OPERATING ON MULTIPLE STATE I WAS. IN GISBORNE, THE MAIN WATER TREATMENT PLANT IS OPERATING, BUT THERE ARE STILL WATER USE RESTRICT AND IS IN PLACE. WATER IS BEING SUPPLIED BY TANKER TO 2 W. AUCKLAND COMMUNITIES. STATE HIGHWAY 35 AND ALTERNATIVE ROUTE IS BEING WORKED ON. TOKOMARU COULD REMAIN ISOLATED FOR UP TO 5 MORE DAYS. STATE HIGHWAY 35, THE KUWAI BRIDGE HAS BEEN SEVERED. A TEMPORARY REPLACEMENT IS BEING PLANNED. NIMA HAVE DEPLOYED MULTIPLE STYLINGS INTO THE REGION AND MORE ARE BEING PREPARED. THERE WILL BE ALMOST OUR HUNDRED OUT IN COMMUNITIES SOON, PROVIDING MUCH-NEEDED CONNECTION. 5G IS UP AND RUNNING IN GISBORNE FOR THE MOST PART, BUT TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES ARE URGING PEOPLE NOT TO OVERUSE THE NETWORK AT THIS POINT. CAPACITY WILL BE LIMITED AND IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO GET BACK TO NORMAL LEVELS OF SERVICE. NORTHLAND, COROMANDEL AND HAWKE'S BAY ARE LARGELY BACK ONLINE, WITH JUST A FEW NUMBER OF SITES BEING WORKED ON. FINALLY, HMNZS CANTERBURY IS DUE TO LEAVE LITTLETON TOMORROW AND IS DUE TO ARRIVE ON TUESDAY. THEY WILL BE BRINGING BAILEY BRIDGES, GENERATORS AND GAS BOTTLES. I NOW OPEN UP THE QUESTIONS. THERE IS FAIR AS PIKULIK AND AROUND THE DEATH TOLL. **FEAR AND SPECULATION ONCE POLICE HAVE CONFIRMED INFORMATION THAT SOMEONE HAS DIED, THE FIRST PORT OF CALL IS TO CONTACT THE NEXT OF CAN TO MAKE SURE THE FAMILY IS AWARE AND THEN IT WILL BE A PUBLIC REPORTED AFTER THAT. THE DELAY TIME IS NOT SIGNIFICANT, BUT THEY ARE TRYING TO CONTACT FAMILIES, AND IN SOME CASE, THAT IS PROVING TO BE CHALLENGING. POLICE ARE NOT SITTING ON SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION ABOUT A LARGE NUMBER OF DEATHS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT WOULD BE A VERY SMALL NUMBER, IF ANY, THAT THEY MIGHT BE AWARE OF WHAT HAD NOT REPORTED BECAUSE THEY ARE STILL SEEKING TO CONTACT THE NEXT OF KIN. I AM AWARE OF THE CLAIMS ABOUT A MUCH HIGHER DEATH TOLL. MAY REQUEST TO THEM IS THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, MAKE SURE YOU ARE PORTING IT TO THE POLICE SO THE POLICE CAN INVESTIGATE AND FOLLOW IT UP. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL IN CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE THIS THAT PEOPLE MAKE CLAIMS THAT DO NOT BEAR OUT. PLEASE REPORTED TO THE POLICE AND THE POLICE AND REPORTED PUBLICLY. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN SIMILAR REPORTS OF LOOTING AND HAWKE'S BAY IN PARTICULAR. WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY TO PEOPLE DOING THAT? THE ADVICE WE HAVE HAD FROM THE POLICE IS THAT THE LEVELS OF DISHONESTY THAT THEY HAVE SEEN ISN'T PARTICULARLY ELEVATED, BUT THE LEVEL OF ATTENTION IT IS GETTING IS NATURALLY ELEVATED. SINCE TUESDAY, THEY HAD ARRESTED 42 PEOPLE IN HAWKE'S BAY. ANYONE WHO IS TRYING TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNISTIC APPROACH MIGHT BE AWARE THAT THE POLICE OUT THERE AND DOING THEIR JOBS AND THEY WILL STILL BE ARRESTED AND FACE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTIONS. OVER THE NEXT WEEK, YOU SAID THAT CABINET WOULD MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT SUPPORT FOR THE REGION. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? YOU WILL BE AWARE THAT GRANT ROBERTSON HAS BEEN UP THERE TODAY. OVERNIGHT, HE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE TREASURY OFFICIALS TO FORMULATE SOME PROPOSALS THAT CABINET TOMORROW BASED ON WHAT HE HAS HER TODAY. IT IS NOT GOING TO BE THE FINAL WORD ON THE MATTER, BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO TAKE A WHILE TO IDENTIFY EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED IS. WE WANT TO BE TARGETING THE RIGHT AREAS IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL SUPPORT WHEN PROVIDING. I DO NOT WANT TO SPECULATE, BUT WE WILL MAKE SOME EARLY DECISIONS TOMORROW. WOULD BE CLEAN AND EASY TO RESURRECT SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE BEFORE RATHER THAN TRY AND AN EVENT SOMETHING NEW? I JUST HAD A DISCUSSION WITH GRANT ROBERTSON AND BUSINESSES IN THE SAME AREA DOING THE SAME THING HAVE BEEN AS PROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED, SO THE MINISTER OF FINANCE TODAY VISITED SOMEONE WHO HAD LOST ALMOST ALL OF THE APPLES WHILE ANOTHER HAD ONLY LOST 20%, THOUGH THEY WERE IN A SIMILAR AREA, SO WE WILL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO BEST SUPPORT DIFFERENT BUSINESSES WHILE RECOGNISING THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN PERILOUS SITUATIONS. WHERE THE INTERNATIONAL OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE FROM? WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF ACCEPTING THEM? A NUMBER OF OFFERS FROM THE PACIFIC. SOME ARE MORE SPECIFIC, AS WE HAVE INDICATED ` FIJI WAS VERY SPECIFIC, AND WE HAVE TAKEN THEM UP ON THAT. THE UK HAS ALSO OFFERED. SOME ARE MORE FOCUSED ON THE RECOVERY EFFORT, LIKE LEADING THE EXPERTISE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK OUR WAY THROUGH THAT. WHERE THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE NEED AND A CORRESPONDING OFFER OF ASSISTANCE OR WE THINK WE CAN TAP INTO ONE OF THOSE GENERAL OFFICE TO RECEIVE IT, WE WILL ABSOLUTELY BE TAKING THOSE UP. AT THE MOMENT, TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS IS AN AREA WE ARE VERY FOCUSED ON. THE DEFENCE FORCE HAVE DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB AND SUPPLEMENTING THE CAPACITY FROM AUSTRALIA. THE HAVE A HOLD OF PEOPLE, ENGINEERS WHO ARE READY TO BE CALLED UP. WE WILL DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN WHILE STILL MEETING OUR INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS ON THE RECOVERY EFFORT. THE CHANGES THAT YOU WILL BE MADE AT THESE CUTS THAT YOU ARE PLANNING TO MAKE? WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO MAKE SOME REPRIORITISATION DECISIONS. WE MAY NEED TO ACHIEVE THESE ON A LONGER TIMETABLE. CLEARLY, THERE ARE GOING TO NEED TO BE SOME BUDGET CHANGES THAT WE WILL NEED TO MAKE SO WE ARE PROVIDING SUPPORT WHEN IT IS NEEDED. THERE WILL BE A LARGE CONTRIBUTION COMING FROM THE INSURANCE SECTOR. THIS IS GOING TO BE BIG, AND WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO FOCUS ON REAR PRIORITISING. DOES THAT MEAN THROWING OUT THE BUDGET? IT MEANS WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO BE MAKING SOME LATE PROCESS DECISIONS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THE RESOURCES WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED. WE ARE STILL ON THE POINT WHERE WE CAN MAKE CHANGES TO THE BUDGET BUT THAT WHEN I WAS NARROWING. ARE YOU ABLE TO TELL US HOW BIG THOSE REPRIORITISATION IS GOING TO NEED TO BE? NO, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO DECISIONS AROUND THE OVERALL MACRO PICTURE, INCLUDING OVERALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT SPENDING, WE HAVE NOT MAKE DECISIONS LIKE THAT YET. WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, THAT WOULD BE A VERY SIGNIFICANT ADJUSTMENT TO THE BUDGET. SOME OF THE EXPENDITURE WE'RE GOING TO LET NEED TO LOOK AT WILL NOT JUST BE CAPITAL EXPENDITURE. A LOT OF REPAIR WORK WILL BE OPERATING EXPENDITURE. THAT WILL CLEARLY HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE OVERALL SIZE OF THE BUDGET. IN TERMS OF WELL-BEING HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE IN AREAS THAT YOU HAVE NOT HEARD FROM? EVEN AS A BALLPARK FIGURE? YESTERDAY YOU SEE THERE WERE ONLY 10 THAT YOU HAD GRAVE CONCERNS FOR. IT WOULD BE UNUSUAL NOT TO HAVE HEARD FROM THEM BY THIS POINT. WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION, BUT WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU. AND THE CENSUS? I HAVE NOT REALLY TURN MY MIND TO IT, BUT WE WILL NEED TO MAKE A DECISION WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO. THE LOOTING, THE LAWLESSNESS, IS THERE ANY THOUGHT BEING GIVEN TO THOSE REGIONS ON THE EAST COAST TO CURFEWS BEING IMPOSED? I THINK POLICE ARE QUITE CONFIDENT THAT THEY HAVE THE SITUATION AND IN HAND. WE WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM POLICE. THEY HAVE BEEN CAN RESOURCES INTO THAT REGION. ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT AS TENSIONS RISE, THE LAWLESSNESS MAY INCREASE? THE LONGER THAT PEOPLE GO WITHOUT POWER, THE LONGER THAT THE UNCERTAINTY THAT THEY ARE FACING, PEOPLE TO STRUGGLE TO CONTROL THEMSELVES AND THOSE SORTS OF CIRCUMSTANCES, SO THE FOCUS FOR US AND FOR THE HEALTH SYSTEM AND THE OVERALL WELFARE SYSTEM, IS MAKING SURE WE ARE TRYING TO GET SUPPORT TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEEDED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. THAT IS HUMAN NATURE, WHEN YOU ARE FACED WITH EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES IT CAN PUT PEOPLE AT A HUGE AMOUNTS OF STRESS. WE'LL BE WORKING THROUGH THE EXISTING HEALTH PROVIDERS TO IDENTIFY THOSE WHO NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. TE WHATU ORA HAVE A GOOD GROUND GAME IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE WE HAVE SUPPORT PROVIDED, THROUGH TO GPS AND ST JOHN AND OTHERS. ARE THERE ANY PEOPLE WHO NEED SUPPLIES LIKE FOOD AND WATER? I HAVE NOT RECEIVED REPORTS OF THAT. THERE ARE EMERGENCY RESPONSES AND MOST OF THOSE AREAS. FOOD BANKS ARE OPERATING. WE ARE HELPING TO STOCK THOSE. AND THERE ARE SERVICES WHERE PEOPLE CANNOT ACCESS THE REGULAR MEANS. WE DO NOT HAVE AN OVERALL DEATH TOLL, WE UP REPORTING THEM AS THEY ARE CONFIRMED. I HAVE NOT GOT ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT IS PUBLICLY REPORTED. A LOT OF THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM HAS RELIED ON THE 1737 - COMMUNICATIONS AREN'T UP SO PEOPLE CANNOT ACCESS THAT. HE HAS BEEN A FOCUS ON GETTING PEOPLE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE STAFF ` PEOPLE WHO ARE TRAINED TO DEAL WITH MENTAL DISTRESS, LIKE PARAMEDICS. SOME OF OUR NURSING WORKFORCE ARE TRAINED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES. IF WE NEED TO, WE WILL BE MOVING MORE INTO THE AREA IF THAT IS THE NEED. THE AREA IN TO TAI TOKERAU IS STILL CUT OFF, WHY HAS IT TAKEN SO LONG TO REACH THAT PARTICULAR ROHE? - WE WILL CHECK IT OUT AND COME BACK TO YOU. ACCOMMODATION HAS BEEN WIPED OUT IN THESE AREAS, YOU ARE DEPLOYING PEOPLE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE DEFENCE FORCES LOOKING AT IS TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION, FOR FIRST RESPONDERS. SO IT IS NOT ACCOMMODATION FOR EVERYBODY ` EVERYTHING THEY PROVIDE WILL BE VERY TARGETED. THE DEFENCE FORCE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT THEY COULD POTENTIALLY SEND UP TO PROVIDE EXTRA SUPPORT. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE STILL SLEEPING IN SCHOOL HALLS AND VILLAGE HALLS? ABOUT 200 OVERNIGHT, AND ABOUT 800 HAVE BEEN MOVED INTO TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION. THIS HAS BEEN SUCH A HUGE RESPONSE, ARE YOU LOOKING AT HAVING A MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS? ONE OF THE THINGS I WILL BE LOOKING AT IS HOW BEST TO STRUCTURE THE RESPONSE. IT IS NOT NECESSARILY RESTRICTED TO ONE PARTICULAR AREA. THE NEED AND EFFECTS IN AREAS ARE DIFFERENT. I AM BACK TO DRAW ON ALL PARTS OF GOVERNMENT AND THINKING ABOUT HOW BEST TO COORDINATE THAT A GOVERNMENT LEVEL. THE OTHER THING WILL BE LOOKING AT IS HOW BEST TO COORDINATE THE OVERALL RECOVERY EFFORT BECAUSE THAT WILL INVOLVE THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND COMMUNITY SECTOR AS WELL, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE COORDINATING THAT. WE HAVE ONLY GOT A SUITABLY AMOUNT OF CAPACITY IN SOME AREAS LIKE ROAD BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE PRIORITISING THAT. WE WANT A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC, AND COMMUNITY THERE WAS A PARTICULAR MODEL USED FOLLOWING THE KAIKOURA EARTHQUAKE THAT WAS PARTICULARLY SUCCESSFUL. SO WE WILL LOOK AT HOW BEST TO RESTRUCTURE THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR OUR PRIME MINISTER SAID THIS WAS PUSHING MANY KIWIS TO THE LIMIT AND OUR RESILIENCE IS BEING TESTED RIGHT NOW, BUT THE KINDNESS BEING SHOWN BY KIWIS IS AMAZING. SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE MAIN POINTS FROM THE PRESS CONFERENCE. THE DEATH TOLL FROM CYCLONE GABRIELLE IS AT 11, WITH AUTHORITES WARNING THIS COULD STILL RISE. 28,000 HOMES REMAIN WITHOUT POWER. FIJI IS NOW SENDING A TEAM, INCLUDING DEFENCE FORCE PERSONNEL, TO HELP WITH THE RECOVERY EFFORTS. THE U.S. IS ALSO SENDING HELP, AND AN AUSTRALIAN TEAM IS ALREADY HERE. AN INITIAL ESTIMATE HAS THE RECOVERY EFFORT FROM THE CYCLONE COSTING $13 BILLION. AND SO MANY KIWIS ARE WANTING TO HELP ` OFFICIALS SAY MONETARY DONATIONS AS OPPOSED TO DONATED GOODS IS WHAT IS NEEDED MOST TO HELP THE HARDEST HIT COMMUNTIES. THANKS FOR BEING WITH US ON THIS 1 NEWS SPECIAL. WE'LL TAKE A QUICK BREAK, THEN I'LL BE BACK WITH SPECIAL CYCLONE GABRIELLE COVERAGE DURING THE NEWSHOUR AT 6. I'LL SEE YOU VERY SOON.