Community Hubs

In a significant step towards the future resilience of our cyclone-impacted communities, deliveries of essential equipment, resilience boxes, goods, services, and training will begin in February 2024 as part of the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) supported Community Emergency Hub Fund project.

This initiative is funded by a $250,000 allocation from the $35.4 million MPI package announced in Budget 2023, to support the recovery of rural communities affected by the North Island weather events.

Needs assessments were carried out late 2023, and Sarah Fountaine, the Local Recovery Community Hub Coordinator, has been bringing the project to life, working to cater to the specific needs of each of the identified communities impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Needs identified ranged from generators to first aid training, outdoor lighting to sanitary products and more. The overarching goal is to equip these communities to function as emergency hubs should again be isolated due to adverse weather or emergency events.

A key part of this project has been working with Council’s Emergency Management Officer Peter Sinclair in either connecting with existing local Civil Defence Groups, or in many cases creating new groups, further building community resilience.

We want to acknowledge and thank the communities and people involved in this project, and especially Dannevirke Honda and Stihl for providing chainsaws to this project, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki nui-a-Rua for providing first aid kits and Tararua REAP for their support.

Further deliveries and training sessions are scheduled across the early part of 2024.