Two years on from Cyclones Gabrielle and Hale, investment in community resilience and facilities, and enhanced emergency management practices by local councils mean Wairarapa is better placed to respond to future emergency events.
Wairarapa Recovery Office (WRO) Programme Manager Simon Taylor said funding from central government following the cyclones had provided opportunities for WRO and other agencies to work with communities in the region to strengthen their ability to respond to emergency situations in the future.
“This funding has allowed us to work alongside other agencies on a range of initiatives to support communities in rural and isolated locations with their emergency readiness and response activities.”
Mr Taylor said funded initiatives had included donating shipping containers with a starter pack of emergency resources to help isolated communities in the immediate aftermath of a disaster when they may be cut off and have limited access to emergency services.
Resources have also been donated to some community halls and marae in the region to better equip them as facilities in an emergency. The donated resources include water tanks, defibrillators (AEDs), and solar and battery back-up for situations when the power supply is disrupted.
“These resources will enhance these facilities for everyday use by the communities in these areas as well as providing a place where people can gather when an emergency happens. Once this initiative is completed, resources will have been installed at 19 locations around Wairarapa.”
Ngai Tūmapūhia ā rangi received a grant to purchase a defibrillator and emergency response first aid kit for their marae, which is located near the coast in the Homewood area. Treasurer Dana Hill said the grant had made a significant difference to the marae in increasing its preparedness for emergencies.
“Our marae is coastal and a long distance from the nearest medical centre or hospital, and our roads are often closed in bad weather. With the AED now available, we are better able to respond to sudden medical emergencies, potentially saving lives, and the first aid kit provides essential supplies for immediately dealing with injuries, reducing the time between the incident and treatment.
“These resources help ensure our marae remains a safe space for gatherings, and give our whānau and community, especially our kaumatua, peace of mind knowing that emergency care is readily available.”
In South Wairarapa, a grant was provided to purchase and install a water tank, pump and filter at Tuturumuri Hall.
“The grant means we now have a reliable source of potable water for the hall, which is located in the heart of the district, from the Whakapuni Hills to the coastal communities of Tora, Te Awaiti and White Rock,” Tuturumuri Hall Society Secretary Jenny Boyne said.
“This will provide long term benefits for our community as the hall is used by several groups, and is a Civil Defence meeting point during emergency events. We are also often cut off from town during bad weather – the hall offers a vital refuge for our communities during those times.”
Mr Taylor said following the cyclones, district councils in the region had been reviewing and revising emergency management plans and operational activities to enhance their readiness for future crisis events.
“Councils have been actively using the learnings from the cyclones to refine response processes and build emergency management capability, both in-house and in our communities, in partnership with other agencies.”
To monitor progress, Wairarapa councils undertook an emergency management self-assessment exercise in October last year.
“The self-assessment took a cautious view of current capabilities and underscored the need to refresh and refine council crisis management plans. The findings provide further useful information and insights to guide this work.”
Mr Taylor said the exercise did highlight community strengths, such as high levels of preparedness in some areas, as well as challenges such as limited household water storage and emergency planning.
“Encouragingly, the exercise also recognised the high degree of willingness by communities, iwi, business, government and other agencies to work together to reduce potential risks and prepare for future crisis events.”
Mr Taylor said it was imperative the current focus on emergency management becomes part of ‘business as usual’ for councils and communities.
“The cyclones really put the spotlight on the impact of these events on our whānau, businesses and communities, and the need to be as ready as possible before the next crisis event occurs.”
Recent Comments