By Hazard, fallen line or floodwater
Stay back 8 metres minimum and call 111 first. Post-Gabrielle, the East Coast knows the rule: never walk through floodwater near a powerline or a submerged switchboard.
Firstlight Network
Gisborne and Tairawhiti
24/7 faults line. Firstlight Network is the rebranded Eastland Network: same company, same number, new identity since 2024.
Coverage: Gisborne CBD, Mangapapa, Kaiti, Whataupoko, Riverdale, Wainui, Makaraka, Patutahi, Manutuke, Tolaga Bay, Tokomaru Bay, Ruatoria, Te Araroa, Hicks Bay, Tiniroto, Te Karaka.
Help your neighbours
Live community map & report a power cut
If neighbours are also without power, the fault is on the network, not your switchboard. The map below shows outages reported by other Selectra readers across New Zealand in real time. Use it as a first diagnostic before you call: if an active outage is already plotted near you, crews likely know about it. A short anonymous report helps others see what is happening in your suburb. It does not replace the call to your lines company.
Immediate danger
Fallen power line, sparks, burning smell or smoke? Call 111 before reporting anything else. Stay back at least 8 metres from any downed line.
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Report a power cut
Thanks: your report is recorded
Now make the official call to your lines company so a crew is dispatched. For a fallen line or any hazard, dial 111 first.
Tairawhiti-specific patterns
Why the East Coast is harder to restore than anywhere else
Three things make Gisborne and the East Cape distinct: a single transmission spur in from the west, a long State Highway 35 line that loops up the coast, and a landscape vulnerable to both cyclones and seismic events.
Cyclone vulnerability
Gabrielle (2023), Hale (2023), and most major North Island cyclones track over Tairawhiti. Tiniroto, rural Te Karaka, Wairoa fringe, all of SH35: overhead feeders lose poles, slips bury equipment, restoration takes weeks rather than hours in the worst hits.
Single transmission spur
Gisborne is fed by a single Transpower 110 kV transmission line from the Tuai substation in the west. If that line fails, the whole region depends on local generation (Tuai, Waipaoa hydro, plus emergency mobile generators trucked in). Local backup is real but limited.
Seismic activity
The East Coast subduction zone produces frequent moderate quakes. Aftershocks can affect both transmission and distribution. Firstlight has hardened key substations against shake events but household impact during a large earthquake remains a real scenario.
Gisborne household-level preparedness
After Gabrielle, Tairawhiti Civil Defence updated its recommendation: every household keeps a minimum of 5 days of water and supplies (not the national 3-day standard), because road access from the rest of NZ can be cut for longer than a week. Battery banks for phones, a small generator, and printed copies of the Firstlight number and Civil Defence contacts are all sensible additions.
Firstlight Network damage claim, Gisborne
Firstlight published a refreshed claims policy after Gabrielle. Storm-driven damage is typically excluded as force majeure: equipment-failure claims have the best track record.
- 1Call 0800 206 207 for the incident reference.
- 2Submit the claim via firstlight.co.nz within 30 days.
- 3Photos, receipts, electrician's report. Equipment failure during normal weather has a far better success rate than storm-related claims.
- 4Decision in 4 to 8 weeks. Cyclone-driven claims usually directed to contents insurance.
Tairawhiti questions
Frequently asked questions: Gisborne outages
Firstlight Network (formerly Eastland Network), on 0800 206 207, 24/7. The same number covers Tolaga Bay, Tokomaru Bay, Ruatoria, Te Araroa, Hicks Bay and rural Tairawhiti. For a hazard, dial 111 first.
Eastland Network rebranded as Firstlight Network in 2024 as part of a wider business restructure that separated the lines company from the broader Eastland Group. Same poles and wires, same fault number, new identity. The lines portion of your power bill may show either name during the transition period: both refer to the same asset owner.
Gabrielle (February 2023) caused widespread network damage on the East Coast: poles down, substations flooded, SH35 cut by slips. Some rural feeders were dark for over 3 weeks as crews worked through limited road access. The transmission link from Tuai was restored within days, but local distribution rebuild took months. Firstlight has since hardened the worst-affected feeders, but cyclone vulnerability remains.
Single urban fault in central Gisborne: 45 to 90 minutes. Suburban (Mangapapa, Whataupoko, Kaiti): 1 to 2 hours. Rural Tairawhiti spur (SH35 north of Tolaga Bay, Tiniroto): 2 to 6 hours. Major cyclone or seismic event: anywhere from 12 hours to several weeks for the most isolated feeders.
Pure cyclone events are excluded as force majeure. Your contents insurance is the right channel: most East Coast policies cover spoiled food (sub-limit $200 to $500) and surge-damaged appliances. Firstlight will accept claims for damage caused by specific equipment failures during the storm if a registered electrician can isolate the cause from the cyclone itself.