The job being done on the ground works to ensure a path in and out, even while the Air Force and Navy bring supplies to isolated rural towns.
Rissington, Dartmoor, and Tutira are just a few of the remote settlements that army task groups continue connecting with to Napier’s north and west.
Recently, HMNZS Te Mana sailors and an Army task force delivered supplies to Dartmoor using Pinzgauers and Unimog vehicles.
Due to landslides and the destruction of their bridge, Major Timothy Cocks said Dartmoor was completely shut off from both its north and south sides. They were essentially enclosed.
He claimed that the Air Force had used an NH90 to transport two tons of food. “We learned there was a ford to the north thanks to local information. We discovered and demonstrated that. NZDF vehicles utilize the “proving a route” technique to drive a route to certify that military vehicles can use it.
The group could drive up to the abandoned bridge at the southern end, with a small river in front of them. “The Te Mana sailors came along because we knew there would be a lot of jerry can movement (fuel containers). To transport the fuel, we established a human chain.
Gareth Hill, a resident of Dartmoor, stated that while the farming communities there were making do, “aside from a large walk,” or what the Army had been able to provide for them, there was no access.
“The first people here were Civil Defense in a helicopter, then the first Army Unimog came through with 80 litres of fuel, yesterday night an NH90 helicopter dropped off a cargo of things for us, and then there’s you today,” the Civil Defense chopper said.
Eventually, in a two-pronged effort to access the cut-off township of Tutira, Task Force Taniwha teamed up with civilian contractors.
To build a new temporary road, LT Brad Taniora-Brockelsby of the 2nd Engineer Regiment claimed they used heavy equipment from two sides that belonged to the general public.
“The major problem is access. The 2nd Engineers Regiment is attached to the 5/7 Battalion and operates with the Civil Operators here.
“Our team put in tremendous effort, and we succeeded. Our status as Territorial Forces and our local understanding have aided our success. Everyone agrees that networking has been great in the military and our civilian communities. The folks were glad to see us when we brought the stores here. We’ve sent them food, care packages, and gasoline because they depend on it to power their generators. They were seriously low on fuel.
