Cyclone highlights communication failures – again

East Rodney Community Resilience

Cluster leader Sue Robertson said her biggest frustrations in responding to Cyclone Gabrielle were, once again, the lack of communication from Civil Defence in Auckland and accessing resources.

“We were asked to supply the Mayor with a list of our needs, which we did,” she says.

“While we received basic supplies, the really important equipment such as portable generators for shelters at Omaha, Leigh, Kaipara Flats, Ahuroa and Matakana, and radios did not arrive.

“When I followed up, I was told we couldn’t have the radios because we hadn’t had the training!”

Robertson says the evacuation centre was set up and run without a budget, relying entirely on the goodwill of companies such as Countdown, and individuals who donated food.

The Warkworth Town Hall operated as a Civil Defence Centre for four days, providing stranded travellers and one Omaha resident with shelter, hot beverages, meals when needed and a place to boil water and charge devices. It also shared wifi connectivity with the community, which was intermittent at best. The centre operated around the clock, staffed by Community Resilience Group volunteers, community volunteers and library/Council staff, and supported by Ngati Manuhiri representatives. An Army representative was stationed at the hall throughout the event and was able to assist with welfare issues and WINZ staff were also on hand on occasion.

Robertson says she was pleased with the community response and locals had again been generous in offering accommodation and support.

She doesn’t believe Civil Defence would have been able to set up the centre as efficiently had it not been for the Community Resilience Group.

Robertson also took it upon herself to

Board honours

Muriwai firefighters

A moment’s silence was observed in memory of Muriwai firefighters Dave van Zwanenberg and Craig Stevens at the start of Rodney Local Board’s February meeting last week. Chair Brent Bailey said former board chair and Muriwai’s chief fire officer, Phelan Pirrie, was onsite when the fatal landslip occurred, and he extended sympathy to all friends and families of the two men who died. Bailey also acknowledged the damage suffered at Puhoi and throughout the Rodney district during the January 27 floods and then Cyclone Gabrielle. He said the board was enormously grateful to the emergency services, agencies and many volunteers for all their work during the ongoing aftermath.

contact vulnerable communities such as Summerset Retirement Village, which was having issues with its wastewater system, and Totara Park Retirement Village, which Vector had not prioritised because it was unaware that there were residents there with oxygen needs and medical alarms. She also checked in on the care homes for people with intellectual disabilities.

“We were doing the right thing, at the right time and for the right reasons, and it was just a shame we weren’t getting support from the people with the resources to make the job a little easier.”