Read the full article featured in the Eastern Bay Life on Friday 27th December 2019 - (PDF, 1.5 MB)
As difficult as this time has been for everyone, it gives me great comfort when I reflect on the strength, compassion and aroha of the people of this District.
Immediately following the eruption on 9 December 2019, the heroic efforts of staff from the tourism boat and helicopter companies saved many lives while putting their own at risk.
First-responders and hospital staff who cared for the injured find it hard to talk about what they saw and had to deal with. Through adversity they showed compassion and dignity for all those who were affected, and they continue with their professionalism and courage.
People from all over our community brought food, offered hospitality and opened their arms - anything that would provide comfort to those in need. Thank you everyone for all that you did - no gesture was too small, and all of you have contributed to making unbearable grief that much more bearable.
To our own Council staff, along with those from the Regional Council, who provided skilled technical and local advice and coordinated support behind the scenes to make the management of the response to the events run as smoothly as possible - ngā mihi ki a koutou.
I must also recognise the tireless efforts of all those agencies, such as the Police and Defence Force, that carried out their everyday work, in extraordinary circumstances, and did so with great empathy and understanding.
As our community was in shock, Ngāti Awa showed us how to draw strength from one another. Ngāti Awa helped us process how we felt with wise counsel and provided us with a safe place to come together, breathe out, and reflect on the mystery that both life and death present us with.
Families from overseas that came in response to the death of loved ones, shared that the iwi-led karakia each day at Te Mānuka Tūtahi Marae was of great comfort to them. It was irrelevant that they didn’t understand te reo Māori - they felt spiritually supported and understood in a way that both surprised and comforted them.
A tragedy of this magnitude is something that few of us feel equipped to deal with. We will continue to pull together and support one another as we navigate the days ahead. For this I am sending you our gratitude and acknowledgement on behalf of all elected members. Thank you one and all.
As we move forward, those most affected remain our priority, as we also turn to the social, economic, cultural and environmental implications of this event and what steps need to be taken, one-at-a-time.
I wish everyone a safe and restful summer break.
Noho ora mai
Mayor Judy Turner