Hastings District Council says it has made substantial progress in emergency preparedness since Cyclone Gabrielle, but a full implementation of the recommendations from an independent review of Hawke’s Bay’s Civil Defence Emergency Management will require a significant ongoing financial investment.
The development of a modern Emergency Operations Centre, enhanced training for Incident Management Teams, and the ongoing establishment of 44 Community Emergency Hubs were among the key improvements already implemented, the Council said.
After Cyclone Gabrielle, the Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management (HBCDEM) joint committee – comprising the Mayors of Hastings, Napier, Wairoa, Central Hawke’s Bay and the HB Regional Council chair – commissioned Bush International Consulting to undertake an independent review into the Civil Defence response.
Recommendations from that review ranged from empowering communities and integrating mana whenua into HBCDEM, to changing the structure of centralised emergency management to one where local authorities lead emergency responses.
To guide the implementation of these recommendations, a Transformation Strategy was developed outlining key focus areas and outcomes over the three years following its adoption by the joint committee in January 2025.
Hastings Mayor, Sandra Hazlehurst said the strategy would guide the fostering of stronger community connections, empowerment of local voices, and enhanced collaboration, but would require additional funding over the next three years.
“In terms of preparing for any future Hastings District response, supported by $5 million in Government and Red Cross funding, we have already made significant investment into emergency preparedness over the past few years and post-cyclone,” Mayor Hazlehurst said.
“We have also increased our collaboration with Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga, established two Civil Defence Centres, purchased and equipped two mobile emergency welfare trailers, and enhanced training for our council’s Incident Management Teams.
“Cyclone Gabrielle taught us a lot as a council and a community and we are in a much better position now to respond to emergency needs in the Hastings district. But we will require additional investment from both central government and regional funding sources to be better prepared for a regional response, especially if we want to achieve a gold standard in emergency management.”
A report to Hastings District Council’s strategy and recovery committee today noted that the joint committee would play a crucial role in overseeing the strategy’s implementation, ensuring that decisions made at the regional level benefitted all communities within the Hawke’s Bay region.
Residents wanting to learn more about Community Emergency Hubs or how to prepare their families for emergencies can visit www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/emergency or contact the council’s emergency preparedness team at communityhubs@hdc.govt.nz.
