# Hawke’s Bay — homeowner concerned about flooding

NZ Election 2026 · Edition 7 · 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/7#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/7/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/7/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/7/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/7/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 | 23 | 31 |
| Labour | 21 | 31 |
| Greens | 21 | 31 |
| ACT | 19 | 31 |
| NZ First | 19 | 31 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 10 | 31 |
| TOP | 10 | 31 |

## Party names across this voter’s topics

Compare the parties named in answers about this voter’s main concerns. The table compares 30 answers from each edition.

The coloured bars show whether statements about a party were positive, neutral, negative or mixed. 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 | 7 | 7 | 23 | 35 | 7 | 7 |
| Climate and disaster resilience | Labour | 7 | 7 | 24 | 26 | 6 | 6 |
| Climate and disaster resilience | Greens | 7 | 7 | 28 | 31 | 3 | 5 |
| Climate and disaster resilience | ACT | 6 | 7 | 8 | 33 | 9 | 3 |
| Climate and disaster resilience | NZ First | 5 | 7 | 11 | 26 | 4 | 5 |
| Climate and disaster resilience | Te Pāti Māori | 3 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 3 |
| Climate and disaster resilience | TOP | 3 | 7 | 25 | 16 | 2 | 1 |

| 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 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 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 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 19 | 8 | 2 |
| Housing | Labour | 6 | 8 | 3 | 25 | 5 | 2 |
| Housing | Greens | 6 | 8 | 1 | 34 | 5 | 2 |
| Housing | ACT | 5 | 8 | 2 | 18 | 7 | 0 |
| Housing | NZ First | 6 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 1 |
| Housing | Te Pāti Māori | 2 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Housing | TOP | 4 | 8 | 9 | 21 | 3 | 2 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Tax and public spending | National | 8 | 8 | 6 | 39 | 10 | 3 |
| Tax and public spending | Labour | 8 | 8 | 10 | 29 | 5 | 8 |
| Tax and public spending | Greens | 8 | 8 | 13 | 18 | 2 | 3 |
| Tax and public spending | ACT | 8 | 8 | 4 | 34 | 12 | 3 |
| Tax and public spending | NZ First | 8 | 8 | 9 | 29 | 7 | 4 |
| Tax and public spending | Te Pāti Māori | 5 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 2 |
| Tax and public spending | TOP | 3 | 8 | 15 | 10 | 1 | 0 |

## How Gemini’s answer changed

The Hawke’s Bay answer became more general and described Room for Rivers as a call for action. The earlier answer had attributed a national strategy to the Greens and named recovery measures.

Neither gave this household an insurance guarantee or a precise share of stopbank funding.

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

Gemini: “For example, organizations like Forest & Bird have pushed for a national "Room for Rivers" framework—urging political parties to adopt strategic managed retreat from high-risk floodplains and establish contestable multi-million dollar funds for natural flood mitigation (such as wetland restoration and allowing rivers room to expand).”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/7/questions/5006aeff-8b4b-47b5-bc99-35be472d0190.md) · Answer ID: 7e8b9dc0-eeaa-47c8-897b-a2d742dca920

## Websites cited in these answers

Compare the websites cited in answers for this voter situation. Choose a topic to see its sources.

### ChatGPT

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| hbrc.govt.nz | 7 |
| greens.org.nz | 5 |
| hastingsdc.govt.nz | 5 |
| national.org.nz | 5 |
| treasury.govt.nz | 5 |
| interest.co.nz | 4 |
| labour.org.nz | 4 |
| insurancebusinessmag.com | 3 |
| nzfirst.nz | 3 |
| opportunity.org.nz | 3 |

### Gemini

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| hbrc.govt.nz | 5 |
| environment.govt.nz | 2 |
| resilientrivers.nz | 2 |
| bonded.co.nz | 1 |
| forestandbird.org.nz | 1 |
| hastingsdc.govt.nz | 1 |
| mymortgage.co.nz | 1 |
| wairoadc.govt.nz | 1 |

### Google AI Mode

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| rnz.co.nz | 5 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 4 |
| hbrc.govt.nz | 3 |
| nzbrands.ai | 2 |
| environment.govt.nz | 1 |
| insurancebusinessmag.com | 1 |
| mfat.govt.nz | 1 |
| moneyhub.co.nz | 1 |
| national.org.nz | 1 |
| policy.nz | 1 |

### AI Overviews

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| facebook.com | 5 |
| environment.govt.nz | 4 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 4 |
| rnz.co.nz | 4 |
| hastingsdc.govt.nz | 2 |
| hbrc.govt.nz | 2 |
| minterellison.co.nz | 2 |
| nzbrands.ai | 2 |
| resilientrivers.nz | 2 |
| scoop.co.nz | 2 |

Each website counts once per answer. The comparison covers 30 answers from each edition; 30 of this edition’s answers included citations. Other includes websites we have not yet classified.

[Previous: Tauranga / western Bay of Plenty — family balancing housing and commuting](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/7/voters/r03)

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