Cyclone was a true test of Kiwi resilience

When Cyclone Gabrielle hit the North Island earlier this year, the strong winds and widespread flooding caused major disruption to the roading networks and core services throughout the Hawkes Bay, Auckland and Northland regions.

BY SAM MORTON

ONE OF THE MOST IMMEDIATE and noticeable impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle was the severe disruption to New Zealand’s roading network. The cyclone unleashed torrential rainfall that triggered flash floods, landslides, and caused rivers to breach their banks. As a result, roads and highways across the country were rendered impassable or severely damaged. In many regions, key transport routes were completely cut off, isolating communities and hindering access to vital services. This created immense challenges for emergency response teams, as well as for residents attempting to evacuate or seek assistance. The disruption to the roading network also had significant economic consequences, impacting transportation of goods and services, and causing delays in supply chains. The regions hardest hit included Hawkes Bay, Gisborne and the surrounding areas, with courier companies facing tough decisions to suspend all transport services in the initial aftermath of the cyclone.

NZ Post GM Network Manager Alan Court says the immediate impact of the cyclone proved chaotic, forcing the immediate suspension of all services for 48 hours.

“The greatest challenge was the rapidly evolving situation brought about by the uncertain path of the cyclone, and the impact it was likely to have as it passed across, or by each region,” Mr Court says.

“The loss of severely reduced communication with our teams in the East Coast region, and the loss of power that restricted our parcel processing operations immediately after the cyclone also provided a big challenge. However, we were able to quickly deploy and install Starlink routers in Napier, Hastings and Wairoa to provide a backup communications link. We also relocated a standby generator to the Napier depot to provide an alternative power source.”

In fact, such was the impact of the cyclone, parcel deliveries dropped from the average weekly total of 63,000 to just 16,000 - 12,000 of which was the day prior to the impact of the cyclone and the remaining 4,000 deliveries sporadically over the remaining days.

According to NZ Post Network Analytics and Insights Manager Mike Lockyer, mail was held at the Auckland Mail Centre until access was restored, at which point they started processing mail for the region again. In the week following, the cyclone the volume increased to nearly double the normal weekly volume as processing activity resumed (283,000).

“Volume lifted back to normal levels following the week in question, but the on-time performance was compromised as we faced transport and access-related delays,” Mr Lockyer explains.

“As a general rule, depending on the scale, severity, duration and location of a natural disaster, most of the packages and mail we deliver via posties, trucks or couriers would potentially be affected (delayed) if we are unable to operate and deliver safely due to the impacts of the disaster.”

As a standalone courier service, Aramex New Zealand also reported major disruption to the network but was full of praise for the overall team effort of all staff, and associated franchisee owners.

“Road closures were a challenge for us, with significant time delays that came at a high cost to the business,” Chief Executive Officer Mark Little says.

“Our Aramex depots in Hawkes Bay and Gisborne were both closed for four days following the cyclone, with cell service down, scanners down and us having to resort to hand-written labels. Our Napier depot relocated to Hastings, but because of the road damage, it took our team three hours to drive between Napier and Hastings ... it’s been a challenging time and a true test of Kiwi resilience.”

Despite these relatively quick turnaround times, given the circumstances, the impact of the cyclone on the roading network continued to be felt for many months. Repairs and rebuilding work have been extensive, and many businesses throughout the regions have been made to adapt to new supply chains or find alternative methods of doing things.

“Being a franchise network, we are lucky that we have franchisee owners up and down the country who were able to step in and help the depots impacted by the cyclone. Everyone wanted to muck in and help, and with the overarching support of the Aramex business, we were able to catch up on deliveries within two weeks,” Mr Little says.

“Being business owners ourselves, we understood the importance of the freight that needed to be delivered, so we wanted to get as much to local business as we could, to ensure they could continue to trade.”

Little thanks the Hawkes Bay and surrounding communities for their patience and overall collective effort, extending a special thanks to the true heroes of the story.

“Cyclone Gabrielle had significant impacts on business operations, both in Hawkes Bay and further afield. A big thanks is owed to the linehaul drivers who found ways to get important freight from A to B at a very trying time ... they are the true heroes.”

Throughout the recovery, staff safety was of mainstream importance, with both NZ Post and Aramex taking every precaution available to ensure a healthy workforce.

As the storm conditions worsened, NZ Post stood many of their teams downparticularly workers who were the most vulnerable due to the effects of the strong winds and flooding. These teams included posties operating on foot, bikes, e-Bikes and Paxsters, closely followed by couriers and rural contractors.

“Our heavy transport vehicles were also stood down on routes where main highways were closed, or expected to close,” Mr Court adds.

“Our processing centres remained open, but all workers were instructed to attend work only if they could travel to work safely, and their personal circumstances allowed. Weather and travel conditions were assessed by site leaders at the end of each shift, and if conditions were considered unsafe, workers were held at the workplace until conditions eased.”

Aramex made the decision to assign extra drivers to counter the fatigue caused by much longer journeys, while additional pastoral care was also put in place for staff impacted by the cyclone.

Several months on, Cyclone Gabrielle has left a lasting imprint on the country’s roading network, regional infrastructure, and housing. While many lessons have been learnt along the way, it’s heartening to see the rapid response and resilience shown by two of New Zealand’s major courier and postal services - and above all, employee safety remaining a matter of priority every step of the way.