By Fallen line, sparks or smoke
Stay back at least 8 metres and call 111 first. After a storm in this district, lines can be buried in slip debris or hidden by floodwater on rural roads, so keep clear and treat any downed conductor as live until Firstlight confirms otherwise.
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.
Who fixes the fault
Your lines company and its 24/7 fault line
Only the lines company that owns the poles and wires in your street can dispatch a crew. Call the number below if your report shows the outage is on the network.
FN
Firstlight Network
Wairoa and northern Hawke's Bay
24/7 faults line for Wairoa, Gisborne and the wider Tairawhiti region.
Coverage: Wairoa township, Frasertown, Tuai, Nuhaka, Mahia, Raupunga and the surrounding northern Hawke's Bay.
Why remote Wairoa loses power
Three things behind a Wairoa outage
Wairoa sits at the northern edge of the Firstlight footprint, linked by long overhead lines through steep, slip-prone country. The patterns below explain both why the power drops and why a fix here can take longer than in a town.
East-coast storms
Wairoa, Mahia, Nuhaka: the coast and river mouth take the full force of easterly systems. Wind and surge on exposed overhead lines are the most common reason supply drops suddenly here.
Slips and road access
Frasertown, Tuai, Raupunga: heavy rain on steep hill country brings slips that take out poles and close the roads crews need. A line down a remote gully is among the slowest faults in the country to reach and repair.
Long single feeders
The lines linking Wairoa to the wider grid: remote communities often hang off one long feeder with limited backup. When that line faults there may be no alternate route, so the wait is for a physical repair rather than a quick switch.
Wairoa-specific tip
In a district this remote, a precise report is worth its weight. When you call 0800 206 207, give the road name, nearest landmark and a pole number if you can read one: it shortens the search along an unlit rural line. Keep a charged power bank, a battery radio and a few days of non-perishable food through the storm season, as restoration after a major event can take time.
Report network damage and claim after a Wairoa outage
Firstlight Network has a dedicated channel for reporting damage to its network, which is the right first step if you believe a network fault, rather than the weather, harmed your property or appliances. Storm-driven outages are usually treated as force majeure, so for surge or spoilage losses your contents insurance is often the stronger route.
- 1Call 0800 206 207 to report the fault and request the incident number, the time and the cause.
- 2If you believe network equipment caused the damage, report it to Firstlight via report damage to our network with photos and the incident number.
- 3For storm-driven losses, lodge spoiled food and surge damage with your contents insurer; many policies carry a NZ$200 to NZ$500 freezer-contents sub-limit. A written request to your retailer can run alongside.
- 4Allow 4 to 8 weeks. Include a registered electrician's report. Appliances under 5 years with the original receipt have the best chance, and equipment-caused faults succeed more often than weather events.
Wairoa-specific questions
Frequently asked questions: Wairoa outages
Firstlight Network, 24 hours a day, on 0800 206 207. The same line covers Wairoa, Frasertown, Tuai, Mahia and the wider Tairawhiti and Eastland region. For a fallen line or any hazard, dial 111 first.
Open the Firstlight Network live outage map, which lists active and planned faults across Wairoa, Gisborne and the region, and refreshes through the day. The community map higher up this page also shows real-time reports from Selectra readers near you. If your street is dark and nothing is mapped, you may be first to notice: call the fault line so a crew can be sent.
Wairoa is remote, served by long overhead lines through steep, slip-prone country. Crews travel a long way to reach a fault, slips can block the access roads themselves, and some communities hang off a single feeder with no alternate supply to switch onto. A town fault may clear in an hour or two, but a major storm or slip event can run far longer.
Weather and terrain. Easterly storms drive wind and surge onto exposed coastal lines, while heavy rain on hill country triggers slips that bring down poles and block roads. Both are why supply in this district is more storm-sensitive than on a compact urban grid.
Yes. Planned maintenance is notified ahead of time, usually by letter or email to the property and listed on the live outage map under planned work. If anyone in your home relies on power for medical equipment, register with your retailer so you get advance notice and a contingency plan, which is especially important in a remote area.
Firstlight Network has a dedicated form to report damage to its network. Use it when you believe network equipment, rather than the weather, caused harm to your property. Keep the incident number from 0800 206 207, photos and a registered electrician's report, and lodge storm-driven losses with your contents insurer in parallel.
Nearby outage guides
Power outages across the East Coast and Hawke's Bay
Same storm front, different lines company. If the cut reaches a neighbouring town, here is the right 24/7 fault line and live map for the rest of the East Coast and Hawke's Bay.
Browse every New Zealand region.