West Auckland emergency response study

Author:

Community Waitākere

Source:

Community Waitākere, Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Office, Auckland Council

Publication date:

2023

Topics:

Environment ,People

Extract

Executive summary

Overall, organisations and individuals interviewed for this report felt that the West Auckland community response to the 2023 extreme weather events was swift, effective, caring, welcoming, and well-coordinated. Community responses utilised the existing long term deep networks and trusted connections between organisations and people, creating well-functioning systems of organisation and triage. It was the “spirit of the community” and “manaakitanga approach” that made their response so successful.

The response was not always easy or smooth, however, and there were multiple reasons for this: communication from official channels was often “unclear” and contradictory; organisation of official CDCs was at times chaotic; and support from official organisations was sometimes uncoordinated. Official agencies were frequently experienced as siloed and inflexible and community organisations sometimes felt disrespected. Most felt that the support they expected (and had experienced in previous natural disasters) was far less available to them and, as a consequence, local organisations were expected to do much more work than they had anticipated.

Report findings highlight a range of things that happened, and which can be done differently to respond more effectively, to assist recovery and to be better prepared in the future.

Community Waitākere, Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Office, Auckland Council

August 2023