Message from Piha: Do not come here
By Maggie Shui and Zoe Madden-Smith
Residents of Piha are displaced, the beach is polluted with sewage and the community is still without power after Cyclone Gabrielle hit on Monday.
Re: News checked in with the community on the West Coast of Auckland today and their message to people is clear.
If you want to help Piha recover, stay away.
“There is sewage in the sea. The slips are still moving. There are no lifeguards on duty so if you get into problems it is going to make things harder,” a Piha resident says.
“If you want to do anything for a place that you love, don't come.”
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“It’s going to take years to recover.”