Future of Severely Affected Land - FOSAL

How the provisional categories have been assessed

Following the devastating impact of Cyclone Gabrielle, the government announced a system of land categorisations to deal with the risks from future severe weather events on affected properties.

Provisional maps were developed showing which category affected properties in our region may fall under.

It's important to note that these provisional assessments are only the start of the process. Each property is unique and influenced by a range of different factors.

These maps are likely to change after further hazard assessment work is carried out. Some properties within Category 2 could shift within category 2 or move to category 3.

Media Releases

Our Road to Recovery

Provisional land categories

Letters were sent to all property owners in Category 2 and 3. The number of affected properties currently identified in our region are:

  • Category 3 - 47 properties, this number may increase as further assessments are made.
  • Category 2 - around 1800 properties.

These are preliminary numbers and will change as we complete property assessments and refine category boundaries.

More information by land category

In support of the Government’s Cyclone Recovery Taskforce, Gisborne District Council has been working on which areas should be placed into each category. The risk assessment process was based on data from Council, Ministry for the Environment and insurance claims data.

The Government classification of property risks is separate to Council’s red and yellow sticker assessments. We are still awaiting details from Central Government around this policy and classification. These classifications could still change after further hazard assessment work is carried out. Some properties could shift within Category 2, or even be shifted to Category 3 or 1.


Preliminary maps showing affected areas

City area maps

Rural area maps