Colin Parkinson
A Waipā resident who spent a fortnight helping with the clean-up in Hawke’s Bay says shovels, spades and Bobcats are the items the communities need most.
Colin Parkinson, who is part of Taskforce Kiwi, is a semi-retired heavy machinery operator with almost 20 years’ military service to his name.
He is encouraging residents with emergency service backgrounds to take a week away to help.
Taskforce Kiwi is helping with relief and recovery operations in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle. Its volunteers work for free and the organisations uses its website to invite donation to help meet costs related to getting people there and equipping them.
The not-for-profit organisation has its roots in the US, where the original taskforce was established in 2010, and its funding comes from business and charitable partners.
Taskforce Kiwi’s national director is Richard Adams who told The News Parkinson was right.
The organisation he been overwhelmed by the generosity of people who had donated in the wake of the cyclone to be distributed by Civil Defence.
He said the need for material goods had been met – the focus of Taskforce Kiwi now was manual labour – getting people to help with work on properties, farms and businesses – and giving them the tools to work.
A new team is being prepared to go to Hawke’s Bay on Saturday for three weeks.
Most, but not all of the volunteers are defence force or emergency services veterans.
They come from Northland to Invercargill – the donate their time, and Taskforce Kiwi provides the food and accommodation – and work – for them.
Volunteers from Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada have also come ot New Zealand to help.
Adams said the need was for equipment – “two trucks are worth their weight in gold”.
The taskforce website is Taskforcekiwi.org
