Cyclone Gabrielle: Hawkes Bay Civil Defence briefing

Civil Defence is providing a briefing this morning on the situation throughout Hawke's Bay. Defence controller Iain MacDonald says it's been an extremely trying few days for the local community. He says the hospital is open to critical care but all elective surgery has been cancelled. He says widespread and significant damage to the region's roads - priorities are access to the Whirinaki township (north of Napier) and SH50, the Expressway. Waka Kotahi has told Civil Defence the Expressway is expected to open in the next 24 hours. Wairoa township has adequate food supply and more is coming from Gisborne in the next 12 to 24 hours. Mr MacDonald says the wastewater treatment plant in Hastings is operating but Napier's remains compromised. He urges people to continue conserving water where possible. Mr MacDonald says due to the flooding of the Redclyffe substation, much of the region remains without power, with only about 90,000 homes and businesses currently connected to power. He says Transpower and Unison are making good progress on working out how to bypass the substation. But it's likely to be up to a week before Hawkes Bay is fully connected again.