A precautionary evacuation of 64 homes in the Managahuini River catchment and Tokomaru Bay township is under way amid another bout of bad weather risks collapsing the the debris dam upstream. “The incoming rain amplifies the risk given the ground is very unstable and saturated following the damage done by Cyclone Gabrielle,” said Tairāwhiti Civil Defence controller Ben Green. “The community is being evacuated to local marae or to stay with whanau in areas outside of the Mangahauini River catchment.”

A Civil Defence team, supported by police, are going door to door in the affected area, while roadblocks have been erected. “We are bringing in experts to assess the dam site and provide options that might alleviate the risk.” A community hui will be held at the Tokomaru Bay club rooms at 6pm.

The MetService has issued warnings for heavy rain in the region.

Chris Hipkins’ planned trip to Wairoa has been abandoned after bad weather forced the helicopter on which the prime minister was travelling to quit its trip to the northern Hawke’s Bay town mid-flight and return to Napier. Wairoa was one of the worst hit parts of the North Island in Cyclone Gabrielle, with roads, power and cellular communications all knocked out, leaving the town largely isolated for days.

The Defence Force NH90 returned 10 minutes after departing Hawke’s Bay Showgrounds owing to low cloud, returning to Napier airport. Adam Pearse, travelling with the prime minister, reports that “Hipkins could see a rather depressing view of Napier, pools of water still lying around houses more than a week after the cyclone hit the region”, adding: “It will surely be a disappointment for Hipkins – he has fresh gumboots all ready to go in a Countdown shopping bag.”

Earlier today MetService issued an orange heavy rain warning for the region, through till 10am on Saturday.

Chris Hipkins has acknowledged he made a mistake in his first parliamentary question time as prime minister. In response to questions from David Seymour, leader of the Act Party, Hipkins had asserted, incorrectly, that “our government is actually taking less tax out of the economy as a proportion of the economy than when we became the government”. Speaking to media in Napier today, Hipkins accepted that he got it wrong, saying, “I’ll own that”, but that he hadn’t been accepting a “pop quiz”.

Seymour swiftly responded in a statement: “While owning up to his mistake, Hipkins today arrogantly described yesterday’s question time as a ‘pop quiz’. He only got asked one question and the problem wasn’t the question, it was that he just made up his answer … If Hipkins is going to lead a ‘bread and butter’ government focused on the basics – let alone take on the challenges face by New Zealanders – he first needs to learn the basics of the government books.”

The government will launch an inquiry into forestry slash, prime minister Chris Hipkins has announced.

Speaking in Hawke’s Bay, Hipkins said the inquiry would be chaired by former National education minister Hekia Parata.

It will investigate past and current land-use practices and the impact of woody debris including forestry slash and sediment on communities, livestock, buildings and the environment. It will also look at associated economic drivers and constraints.

Hipkins was accompanied by Napier MP Stuart Nash who said the inquiry will be focused on how “we can get this right”.

“What we need to get right is the management of how trees are grown on these highly erodible soils in Tairawhiti.

“Things have to change because slash on beaches, in rivers, on farms is unacceptable,” he said.

Cabinet met on Wednesday to discuss the terms of reference for the inquiry, which is expected to be completed within two months.

Read more: What is slash and why is it so dangerous in bad weather?

The Pfizer Covid-19 bivalent vaccine will be rolled out to all people aged 30 and over, health minister Ayesha Verrall has announced.

The bivalent vaccine provides protection against the original strain of the Covid-19 coronavirus and also against the omicron strains causing most Covid-19 infections now.

The bivalent booster will replace the current monovalent booster, and the rollout will occur in two stages.

From March 1, the bivalent vaccine will be available to everyone who is eligible for a booster. Those groups are people who have received their first vaccine doses but have not yet received a booster, and people at high risk who have not yet received their second booster.

From April 1, the bivalent booster will be available to everyone aged 30 and over, regardless of how many doses they’ve already had.

Bookings will be available through the usual channels, including Book My Vaccine.

Verrall said the decision to restrict the booster to over-30s was based on the fact that older people are more at risk from Covid-19.

“For people aged between 16-29, they can discuss [it with their doctor] and get it on a prescription basis,” she said.

“We’re also planning for older New Zealanders and those most at risk of getting sick to get a flu jab at the same time as their Covid-19 booster. This will be part of a ‘one and done’ approach to help people stay well this winter,” she added.

In Napier:

Prime minister Chris Hipkins has visited Napier’s central police station this morning.

According to his schedule, he’ll have a 30 minute meeting before heading south to a distribution centre at the Hawke’s Bay Showgrounds.

Today’s visit with police officers comes after criticism the government hasn’t been doing enough to tackle crime in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle. There have been reports of looting and gang violence, though Hipkins said 145 extra officers called in to assist showed the government was taking action.

We’ll hear from Hipkins later this afternoon. Though media (The Spinoff included) turned up to the police station, the PM snuck in the back door. Here’s the best pic I could get of the action.

In Napier:

Rain has started to fall more heavily across Hawke’s Bay today, just 10 days after Cyclone Gabrielle swept through the region.

Yesterday saw Napier hit 30 degrees, and while today certainly isn’t cold (it’s a mild 16 degrees right now) the consistent blanket of rain has added an unpleasant chill. It’s also contributed to the already sodden ground, with a warning that some residents may be asked to evacuate yet again.

One local out surveying his damaged property in the cyclone-stricken community of Puketapu told The Spinoff he wasn’t worried about more rain and was confident the worst of the downpours would settle off the coast.

But according to the official forecaster, that’s not necessarily going to be the case. Metservice has put an orange rain warning in place for the wider region. “Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly,” it said. “Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.”

As Newshub’s Amelia Wade notes, the Regional Seasonal Workers (RSE) scheme is fairly regimented and not simple to tweak. Immigration minister Michael Wood is now reviewing whether he needs to make some changes to the scheme. With cyclone damage to farms and orchards in the Hawkes Bay, the work RSE workers from the Pacific Islands were relying on is in jeopardy.

Immigration NZ has clarified that it is within the scope of the RSE scheme for employees to be asked to “undertake appropriate clean-up activities at their employer’s properties” but that moving to fill up gaps at different orchards and vineyards around the country will require a variation to their visas.

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Chris Hipkins is heading back to Hawke’s Bay today – his second visit since Cyclone Gabrielle pummelled the region just 10 days ago.

It’ll be an opportunity for the prime minister to oversee the ongoing clean-up response to the cyclone and to listen to locals that will be desperate for more help. It’s already been signalled the recovery could rack up bills of over $1 billion, though about $300 million has been pledged so far.

As well as visiting Napier, Hipkins will travel to the isolated community of Wairoa. One of the worst hit areas, this will be the prime minister’s first visit to the East Coast town. The route in and out of Wairoa is largely blocked off (unless you’re heading from Gisborne), so it’s expected Hipkins will travel there by helicopter.

The Spinoff is also in Napier today and we’ll be trying our best – internet connection depending – to bring you live updates from Hipkins’ tour of the region.