Four months after floods devastated their homes and communities, more than 80 Hawke's Bay whānau are still living in marae.
Flooding from the Tūtaekurī River forced whānau in Waiohiki from their homes in February. Around 40 Waiohiki whānau are still living at Waipatu Marae, half an hour down the road.
Omāhu Marae is sheltering another 40 people who can't go home.
The chair of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Inc Bayden Barder told The Hui host Julian Wilcox the iwi's priority was getting families into housing.
"There's a lot of work to be done but coming into winter, it's important that whānau are in housing, warm and safe.
"We have whānau still living at marae so we need housing. We have whānau who've been dislocated and relocated to different locations so [the priority is] rebuilding communities and getting our children back into their kura."
Barber said Hawke's Bay was experiencing a housing crisis even before the cyclone.
He said the iwi and councils have land and it makes sense to work together.
Barder said the $15 million initially pledged by Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson in the days after the flood was flowing through to the community.
But the iwi was still waiting to hear how the $1 billion of infrastructure recovery funding announced in May's Government Budget would be prioritised.
He said the education of children had been hit hard with many kura unable to open.
Omāhu School pupils were now sharing Irongate School in Flaxmere, Hukarere College has been forced to relocate to Havelock North, while Nūhaka School has moved to the chapel of the local Latter Day Saints church. The kohanga in Tāngōio was now holding classes in Clive.
Barber said that although the iwi was working closely with local government over the recovery, it had not been consulted before maps were released earlier this month classifying communities - and controversially designating some as not able to rebuild.
"We found out along with everyone else. Saw the maps along with everyone else. And had all the questions as did everyone else."
He said the iwi will have input before maps and the provisional designations for communities are finalised in the coming days.
"But our clear message is that we should have been consulted before these maps came out," Barber said.
"We were first responders to our people. Iwi, hapu, marae were a huge part of the response and that cannot be overlooked. And so we need to be part of korero as a Treaty partner. We should have been there in the first place."
Made with support from New Zealand On Air and Te Māngai Pāho.
