Māpua residents have developed a plan to ensure their seaside village is more resilient after disasters hit.
The Māpua and Districts Community Association began working towards the town’s own Community Emergency Preparedness Plan about a year ago.
The plans are community-owned and led initiatives that enable residents to collectively develop a plan so that the entire community is supported during emergency events.
Community association chair and interim plan coordinator, Paul McIntosh, says the plan is about ensuring Māpua can look after itself.
“It’s not a case of if, it’s a case of when the next sort of significant thing is going to impact our area,” he says.
“We’re focused on the first 24 to 72 hours of an emergency, what people can do themselves without having to pick up the phone.”
It was especially “insightful” for the association to be developing its own plan as stormy weather and floods battered Tasman over the winter.
“Watching some of the ways some of the impacted residents responded… there were various degrees of engagement or resiliency or self-sufficiency,” Paul says.
“The goal here is that we want people to know that in the event of a significant natural disaster… it’s not the best plan to be waiting for somebody else to come and help you.”
The first section of the plan, developed by the association, contains a range of information, such as links to sites about preparing for natural disasters, advice of what residents should do after emergencies, and lists the names of community coordinators.
Other sections have varying levels of confidentiality and detail what resources the community has that could be useful after a disaster and how Civil Defence will work alongside the community.
Paul says the plan wasn’t about replacing the role of first responders, but ensuring that Māpua took some ownership of its well-being.
“It’s good, not only from a property and physical health perspective, but I think it’s good from sort of a community well-being and mental wellness thing as well; that people know, and are confident, that they can look after themselves.”
Kathy King, an emergency management advisor and group welfare manager with Nelson Tasman Emergency Management, encourages all households to be prepared to self-sufficient for at least three days.
“Our goal would be for every community to have a Community Emergency Preparedness Plan in place to support each other. A plan in place is likely to lessen the psychological impacts and help with the recovery journey that follows an emergency,” she says.
In addition to Māpua, Tasman village and Mārahau have completed plans while Tapawera, Wakefield, and several Golden Bay communities are actively working on plans of their own.
The plan was launched with a community Emergency Preparedness Day on Saturday which saw more than 150 people attend.
Civil Defence, Neighbourhood Support, Fire and Emergency NZ, St John, Tasman District Council, and climate resilience and community groups had stalls with information, giveaways, and sausages available for attendees.
“You can write a plan, and that’s fine, but there’s 1500 families,” Paul says. “It’s going to take a village to make this work, literally, so that’s what we’re hoping.”
The community association was seeking additional volunteers to sign up to help coordinate the plan which can be viewed at www.OurMāpua.org
