New Zealand needs to rebuild for weather resilience, PM says

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s prime minister says the country needs to rebuild with more resilient infrastructure to cope with more frequent and intense weather events. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins spoke to Parliament on Tuesday after Cyclone Gabrielle hit last week. The storm caused widespread damage on New Zealand’s North Island and claimed 11 lives. Hipkins has described the cyclone as the country’s most damaging natural disaster in at least a generation. He said the government has been spending much more money to help farmers cope with weather and to make emergency repairs to storm-damaged roads. Hipkins told Parliament: “We’ve got to build back better, we’ve got to build back safer and we’ve got to build back smarter.”