Warship crew goes hands-on to help residents
An able-bodied Navy crew is a welcome sight in Hawke’s Bay again
20 February, 2023
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The crew of frigate HMNZS Te Mana have been spread across Napier, Hastings and Havelock North, lending a hand as locals struggle to clear damaged streets and houses.
The ship arrived in Napier on Friday and supplies have been steadily unloaded, including 26 tonnes of relief aid, food, water, fuel, clothing and electrical generators.
Over the last two days around 130 crew members at a time have been conducting humanitarian tasks, coordinated through the Emergency Operations Centre based in Napier City Council.
Ironically Te Mana was due in Napier this weekend for the Art Deco Festival, to commemorate the 1931 Napier earthquake during which HMS Veronica provided personnel ashore to assist the devastated city.
Crewmembers from HMNZS Te Mana work as a clean-up crew in Havelock North.
HMNZS Te Mana ship’s company assist with lunch preparations at the Rodney Green Centenial Centre, Napier CDC
HMNZS Te Mana have been helping clear streets and houses in Havelock North of wrecked possessions, helping homeowners carry heavy items to the sidewalk and clearing sludge and mud from homes.
Te Mana’s Executive Officer, LTCDR Nick Foster, said the ship is effectively a people power resource, ready to get out and assist as requested by the local authorities.
The teams have been helping clear streets and houses in Havelock North of wrecked possessions, helping homeowners carry heavy items to the sidewalk and clearing sludge and mud from homes. Members of the crew even helped rescue a cow that had been trapped in the mud.
Elsewhere, the ship’s seaboats have been used to remove floating logs from the Napier port. The ship’s hydrographer has been assisting the Harbour master to survey a sand bar and damaged navigation marks, using a drone to assess a nearby beach. Several crew members have been helping to prepare meals at a local food centre, and others have been helping with the logistical side of the cargo Te Mana delivered. Personnel are helping at a soup kitchen providing meals to displaced people and giving the exhausted volunteers a chance to take a break.
LTCDR Foster, who was at the Haiti Earthquake in 2010 while on exchange with the Canadian Navy, drew some parallels to that disaster. “The strange thing is that you can get some streets absolutely decimated and the next street over everything is fine.
“The ship’s company have been queuing up to get out there and help. We’ve had everybody out in stages, except for the ship’s duty watch. We’re a warship, but we can reroll into 160 able-bodied people that can get things done.”