The Ombudsman says flood-stricken residents in Gisborne are becoming frustrated waiting for responses on their damaged homes.
Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier is in Wairoa, Napier and Hastings this week in wake of the recent severe weather event in the region.
Over four days, the Ombudsman will meet Iwi and council leaders, along with groups like Citizen's Advice and Community Law in Gisborne, Wairoa, Napier and Hastings.
Boshier said the visit is "groundbreaking" as it is unusual for the Ombudsman to carry out such a visit. But Boshier, who is from Gisborne, said it is important to get a first-hand experience for when complaints come to the Ombudsman down the track.
"I think there's a duty to get out, especially to regions, to show that people matter, that they have a voice that should be heard," he said.
He said during a meeting with Citizen's Advice he could sense flood-affected residents becoming frustrated with waiting for homes to be fixed.
"You sense the frustration beginning to occur for people whose homes have been flooded, some in central Gisborne, who just aren't getting a response and their lives are on hold," Boshier said.
"So you can see the need for someone like me to come and reassure that we may be able to oil the machinery for them a wee bit more than what's happening at the moment."
Watch the video above.
