When Cheyne Hakaraia’s manager told him the Prime Minister had called to ask when access across an impassable bridge on Northland’s east coast would be restored to allow Civil Defence to assist cut-off communities, he knew he was on an important mission.

The Ventia Project Supervisor says the surrounding area resembled a “war zone” after being pummelled by a powerful weather bomb on 18 January. As well as causing flooding, the storm isolated Ōakura, Punaruku and other coastal settlements when the approach to the bridge on Rawhiti Road was washed away.

Cheyne says his team got straight into the task, alongside fellow civil contractors from Fulton Hogan, who also do work on the Northland roading network.

“We met on the Ngaiotonga Bridge. Ventia on our side of the bridge and Fulton Hogan on the other.”

Ventia repaired the bridge, part of the Far North District council road network it maintains, while Fulton Hogan’s team carted in 40 truckloads of rock and gravel from a quarry they usually use to support work on Whangārei District Council North road network.

Cheyne says the combined effort meant Civil Defence vehicles were able to reach the isolated east coast communities to bring in supplies and support.

The teamwork between the two contractors also meant the Māori Queen Te Arikinui Nga wai hono i te po was able to complete a planned visit to Ngātiwai Marae, prior to her appearance at the Waitangi Day commemoration at Waitangi on 6 February.

Cheyne says at times of disaster it doesn’t matter who you work for or what road network you are responsible for: everyone is part of the same mission.

“When it comes to families and safety of families … we all have families and children and people that we want to see safe. And we came together for the common cause of just working to make it happen.”

The overall Northland flood response had been a massive team effort since 19 January, the day after the weather bomb hit, when the region’s civil contractors got out on the roads to inspect the damage and cut through slips with diggers to restore access in areas where it was required.

“We were driving through water up to our doors – we could see sheep and cows swimming. It was full on.”

At its peak, 30 additional staff were drafted in to support Ventia’s regular maintenance crews, and local iwi, hapū and farmers all provided crucial knowledge of the land that helped restore access to everywhere in the network three days before Waitangi Day, Cheyne says.

“Over the last week, I’ve stayed in communication, obviously through e-mail and phone, and I’ve just gone and seen a few of the key locals now. The atmosphere is so good. Everyone’s happy and they’re thanking us.”

Fulton Hogan Regional Manager Mark Bond says the collaboration with Ventia was a win-win, with Ventia’s people able to access and clear some of the slips on Fulton Hogan’s network that his team couldn’t get to, and vice-versa.

On top of aid from Ventia, seven different local subcontractors jumped on board to help cut off communities reconnect with the region, Mark says.

“With a lot of those coastal communities, there’s only sort of one road in and one road out. It makes the challenge of opening them up pretty tricky.”

Fulton Hogan’s team have put in more than 15,000 work hours since the weather bomb hit, transporting 2,150 truckloads of debris to clear 150 slips – work which they love, he says.

“When we respond to these kinds of events, our people have still got their own families at home and their own houses that could be exposed to them. And yet they’re getting out of bed in the early hours of the morning to get out there and clear things up.

“It’s just the reward of doing something for the community that they really enjoy.”

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