Flooding devastates Wairoa

On the 26th of June 2024 about 500 properties were affected by the flooding in Wairoa causing tens of millions of dollars of damage.

Most are in agreement that the Hawke's Bay Regional Council's mismanagement of the Wairoa River caused the flooding, with Wairoa Mayor Craig Little publicly calling for the Hawke's Bay Regional Council to apologise to the community.

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council's failure to open the bar at the river mouth in time was the primary cause of the flooding but it has also over time failed to dredge the river and install suggested stop banks and spill ways.

This is a class action against the Hawke's Bay Regional Council for losses suffered by home and property owners in the floods of 26th June 2024. It enables people that lost money and property to get compensation.
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Note: Where you are insured for the loss or damage then your insurer may have the rights to bring proceedings and give notice(s) in any class action.  This will depend on the wording of your insurance policy.  Get advice if you are unsure.

Register your interest now

This class action is at a very early stage. Proceedings were lodged with the High Court in Napier on 16 July 2024 and by mid-August 2024 an application for an opt out representative order (to allow a class action) will be made.

Keep up to date with what's happening with this class action by registering your interest. Registering your interest does not cost or obligate you to anything, it is just a way for us to keep you informed of what's happening.

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Register NOW

What is this Wairoa Flooding class action about

On 26th June 2024, parts of Wairoa were flooded as the Wairoa River bar was not opened in time.

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council (HBRC) is responsible for the management of the Wairoa River bar, however it did not instruct the contractor to open the bar until it was too late. Its mismanagement of the Wairoa River bar unnecessarily caused tens of millions of dollars worth of damage to homes and businesses in Wairoa.

The Chief Executive of HBRC has admitted (on National Radio) that if the Wairoa River bar was opened earlier then there would be less damage. HBRC says that the complexities of opening the Wairoa River bar meant that it could not make the decision earlier, however, over the past 20 years when the Wairoa District Council was responsible for the management of the Wairoa River bar, there has not been any major flooding.

There is also an Independent Report from April 2024 commissioned by the Wairoa District Council following the flooding from Cyclone Gabrielle which recommended that:

"In the absence of a viable infrastructure solution – revert to locally based oversight and management of manual bar openings [of the Wairoa River bar], including pre-emptive and early preparation opportunities."

This recommendation was not followed.

HBRCs mismanagement is responsible for the damage from the flooding, and it should compensate those who suffered a loss.

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What does it cost?

It costs you nothing to register and does not obligate you to anything.

If in the future you receive a settlement as a result of the class action, the litigation funder will charge a fee.  

You will never be asked to pay any money up front or pay for a share of any costs – it’s simply a deduction off any amount you are entitled to receive once the class action is resolved.  You do not pay any additional legal fees.

Frequenty asked questions