Horoera Kainga Cut Off as Slips Isolate Whānau on the Coast

Dale Husband Horoera Kainga Cut Off as Slips Isolate Whānau on the Coast

Download Audio

Campbell Dewes, Tumuaki of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kawakawa mai Tawhiti, is among a small number of whānau now completely cut off in the remote coastal kainga of Horoera, north of Te Araroa.

Severe landslides and multiple road failures have severed the only access route in and out of the kainga, leaving households isolated from the wider Coast – a situation locals fear could last for months.

With no road access, whānau are facing mounting challenges around transport, supplies, schooling, and connection with essential services. For Campbell, the isolation comes not only as a resident of Horoera, but also as the leader of a kura kaupapa Māori, with the new school term approaching and many students also affected by the damage.

Radio Waatea spoke with Campbell Dewes about what life looks like on the ground, the pressures whānau are under, and what support is urgently needed.

RELATED NEWS

Willie Jackson on why the Government needs to change Tania Waikato “Te Pāti Māori Under Pressure: Housing, Education, and Internal Strains”