# Hawke’s Bay — homeowner concerned about flooding

NZ Election 2026 · Edition 6 · Voter situations · R04

We own a home on the Heretaunga Plains in Hawke's Bay and have school-age children. Flood risk, insurance and the cost of protecting our home are major concerns for us.

[Back to the study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/6#situations)

| Measure | Value |
| --- | --- |
| questions written for them | 4 |
| answers collected | 31 |
| AI assistants | 4 |
| asked from, and nationally | Hastings |

## What this voter asked

### Question 154: Climate and disaster resilience

We own a home on the Heretaunga Plains in Hawke's Bay and have school-age children. Flood risk, insurance and the cost of protecting our home are major concerns for us. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties compare on long-term flood protection and recovery support for Hawke's Bay, and what would their plans mean for households on the Heretaunga Plains?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/6/questions/5006aeff-8b4b-47b5-bc99-35be472d0190.md)

### Question 155: Infrastructure and local services

We own a home on the Heretaunga Plains in Hawke's Bay and have school-age children. Flood risk, insurance and the cost of protecting our home are major concerns for us. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. Which Hawke's Bay flood-protection works are already funded or underway, and which are still future options or election promises? Who is responsible for delivering each?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/6/questions/c8bd20cc-0524-4152-b20f-1b6d66939b4b.md)

### Question 156: Housing

We own a home on the Heretaunga Plains in Hawke's Bay and have school-age children. Flood risk, insurance and the cost of protecting our home are major concerns for us. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What do parties propose for homeowners in flood-prone places who face insurance problems or may need to relocate, and do any proposals specifically address Hawke's Bay?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/6/questions/13d95e20-8126-4eae-b924-11588c1cc0f7.md)

### Question 157: Tax and public spending

We own a home on the Heretaunga Plains in Hawke's Bay and have school-age children. Flood risk, insurance and the cost of protecting our home are major concerns for us. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How would parties share the cost of flood protection between central government, councils and affected homeowners, and what are the trade-offs for our family?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/6/questions/ba8bbe4a-4c4c-49f7-b143-40a6bd7c0195.md)

## Which parties appeared in the answers

The figures count names in the 31 answers recorded for this situation. Naming a party does not mean recommending it.

| Party | Answers | Total |
| --- | --- | --- |
| National | 25 | 31 |
| Labour | 24 | 31 |
| Greens | 25 | 31 |
| ACT | 21 | 31 |
| NZ First | 20 | 31 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 13 | 31 |
| TOP | 10 | 31 |

## Party names across this voter’s topics

Each row is one of this voter's topics. Each column is a party. The figure shows how often the party was named in the answers.

This table shows the answers recorded on 26 October. The coloured bars summarise how statements about each party were assessed; select a figure to read the extracts.

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Climate and disaster resilience | National | 8 | 8 | 10 | 34 | 4 | 1 |
| Climate and disaster resilience | Labour | 8 | 8 | 13 | 29 | 1 | 2 |
| Climate and disaster resilience | Greens | 8 | 8 | 8 | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| Climate and disaster resilience | ACT | 8 | 8 | 5 | 28 | 4 | 3 |
| Climate and disaster resilience | NZ First | 8 | 8 | 6 | 31 | 4 | 0 |
| Climate and disaster resilience | Te Pāti Māori | 5 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Climate and disaster resilience | TOP | 2 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Infrastructure and local services | National | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Infrastructure and local services | Labour | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Infrastructure and local services | Greens | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Infrastructure and local services | ACT | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Infrastructure and local services | NZ First | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Infrastructure and local services | Te Pāti Māori | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Infrastructure and local services | TOP | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Housing | National | 8 | 8 | 3 | 36 | 6 | 0 |
| Housing | Labour | 8 | 8 | 2 | 32 | 1 | 1 |
| Housing | Greens | 8 | 8 | 9 | 23 | 4 | 0 |
| Housing | ACT | 7 | 8 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 0 |
| Housing | NZ First | 7 | 8 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 0 |
| Housing | Te Pāti Māori | 4 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Housing | TOP | 6 | 8 | 10 | 28 | 6 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Tax and public spending | National | 8 | 8 | 3 | 16 | 7 | 4 |
| Tax and public spending | Labour | 8 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 3 | 4 |
| Tax and public spending | Greens | 8 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 4 | 3 |
| Tax and public spending | ACT | 6 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 2 |
| Tax and public spending | NZ First | 5 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Tax and public spending | Te Pāti Māori | 4 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Tax and public spending | TOP | 2 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |

## How the main answer changed

The Hawke’s Bay answer again grouped several parties together, including Te Pāti Māori with the Greens. It kept its discussion of stopbanks and making room for rivers and offered to explain insurance and household costs.

It did not establish an approved amount of funding, this household’s contribution or a right to relocation support.

Gemini: “* **ACT / New Zealand First:**”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5/questions/5006aeff-8b4b-47b5-bc99-35be472d0190.md) · Answer ID: 4a547e1e-ce3f-4a81-859c-5e2d15fc0363

Gemini: “* **Flood Protection & Planning:** The current government has heavily utilized fast-track consenting mechanisms and Orders in Council (such as the *Severe Weather Emergency Recovery (Hawke’s Bay Flood Protection Works) Orders*) to bypass RMA bottlenecks, allowing local authorities and the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to push ahead with vital stopbank upgrades and drainage repairs faster.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/6/questions/5006aeff-8b4b-47b5-bc99-35be472d0190.md) · Answer ID: 8b030117-1184-4af3-937b-0a171860f9dd

## The sources behind these answers

The websites recorded with each assistant’s answers for this voter. Choose a topic to see its sources.

### ChatGPT

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| greens.org.nz | 7 |
| hbrc.govt.nz | 7 |
| national.org.nz | 7 |
| labour.org.nz | 6 |
| environment.govt.nz | 4 |
| hastingsdc.govt.nz | 4 |
| treasury.govt.nz | 3 |
| climatecommission.govt.nz | 2 |
| growregions.govt.nz | 2 |
| hawkesbaynews.co.nz | 2 |

### Gemini

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| forestandbird.org.nz | 3 |
| beehive.govt.nz | 2 |
| environment.govt.nz | 2 |
| hbrc.govt.nz | 2 |
| martinjenkins.co.nz | 2 |
| baybuzz.co.nz | 1 |
| bonded.co.nz | 1 |
| insurancebusinessmag.com | 1 |
| national.org.nz | 1 |
| odt.co.nz | 1 |

### Google AI Mode

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| hbrc.govt.nz | 6 |
| rnz.co.nz | 4 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 3 |
| environment.govt.nz | 2 |
| hastingsdc.govt.nz | 2 |
| icnz.org.nz | 2 |
| insurancebusinessmag.com | 2 |
| policy.nz | 2 |
| resilientrivers.nz | 2 |
| elections.nz | 1 |

### AI Overviews

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| hbrc.govt.nz | 6 |
| environment.govt.nz | 5 |
| facebook.com | 5 |
| rnz.co.nz | 4 |
| newstalkzb.co.nz | 3 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 3 |
| youtube.com | 3 |
| en.wikipedia.org | 2 |
| greens.org.nz | 2 |
| hastingsdc.govt.nz | 2 |

Sources count once per answer. Citations were recorded in 31 of this voter’s 31 answers. Visible links are counted separately. Other includes websites we have not yet classified.

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