Three coastal communities are being gifted containers of critical resources in South Wairarapa to help with emergency recovery “immediately after a disaster.”
Tora is the first settlement to receive a container, with both Lake Ferry and Ngawi on the Wairarapa Recovery Office list of locations to host the facilities, which officials say must be situated “above the tsunami line.”
The containers hold “a basic starter kit to help in the first steps of recovery” after an emergency event, recovery office spokeswoman Catherine Sands Wearing told The Star.
Contents include a “starter kit” for initial recovery work, like shovels, hammers and other tools, shelter marquees, key medical supplies, batteries as power back-up, resources for establishing basic radio communicaions, water containers and sanitary materials.
“The donated resources are designed to assist isolated and coastal Wairarapa communities straight after an emergency, when they may be cut off and have limited access to emergency services,” WRO programme manager Simon Taylor said.
The initiative follows reviews after the wreckage of cyclones Gabrielle and Hale.
“This initiative is part of an ongoing … programme to build community resilience and equip and resource communities for future disasters,” he said.
WRO, district councils and Wellington Region Emergency Management Office have been working with communities on the location and contents of the emergency containers, alongside wider emergency preparedness activities.
Tora community representative and local Fire Chief Ian Hunter said the donated resources were a welcome addition to the work the community has been doing to prepare for future emergencies.
“As a community that is often isolated during adverse weather events, most permanent residents are well prepared to be self-sufficient for an extended period of time.
“However, as the number of holiday homes increases, this initiative will help our wider community to mitigate any problems that arise when the next event happens, be it flooding, earthquake or fire. The resources will provide some peace of mind that we have essential supplies on hand to help us get through.”
Emergency containers and resources have been donated to seven other communities in the Wairarapa, including some community halls and marae to better equip them as key community facilities in an emergency. The resources include water tanks, defibrillators (AEDs), and solar and battery back-up for when 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,” South Wairarapa District Council recovery manager Nigel Carter said.
The Wairarapa Recovery Office was established in 2023 to coordinate recovery efforts and community resilience activities across the three Wairarapa councils.
Specific locations for containers have not been disclosed to ensure security of the supplies and equipment.
