Homes are still covered in silt and roads are far from repaired six months on from Cyclone Gabrielle.
The devastating weather event left Gisborne without power and communication for days, and took the lives of 11 people nationwide.
Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz told Kate Hawkesby that resilience is as important as recovery, which could cost billions.
She says we can't just keep on patching up these areas, as more storms expected in the coming years.
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