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Next issue: February 20, 2023

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Leigh Cameron ph 022 096 8517 sales@localmatters.co.nz highlighted a number of vulnerabilities in Auckland’s preparedness for significant civil defence events. The Hibiscus Coast is a distinct area that has people and organisations capable of co-ordinating a response to any given situation.”

Members of the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board were actively informing the community and doing what they could to get a local response underway.

Member Jake Law says communication from Auckland Emergency Management was initially too slow, but once they got into gear, things improved.

He praised Fire and Emergency, Police, Watercare and teams from Council parks and facilities for their work during the floods.

Law says the local board had emergency briefings with the Mayor, councillors and Emergency Management and he passed that information on via social media.

“Communication is one area that should be reviewed for the future,” he says. “Council’s messages have been out there, but the local board needs to make sure they are heard –we’re the people on the ground.”

He says the local board asked Auckland Emergency Management about local groups opening churches and community centres for those who need it.

“They told us to use the nearest emergency hub, at Massey University in Albany. I think it’s because Auckland Emergency Management had no advice about how and when any potential Coast hubs would be open and what they were equipped with, so they wanted to stick with the ones they know.”

Law says this is one reason that the response needs to be de-centralised.

“We needed local hubs, especially when the motorway was flooded. The North Shore isn’t close enough.”

Local board chair Gary Brown agreed, and stepped in to work with the Salvation Army in Red Beach to make its facility available as emergency shelter if needed.

He and volunteer Helena Ross organised a Help Centre in Stanmore Bay where people could donate household items and food for people left with nothing after the floods (see story p3).

Meanwhile volunteers from the local Whangaparāoa Community Resilience Group had a number of local venues on standby as emergency hubs. A spokesperson told the paper they were awaiting further advice as things progressed.

Brown says people got stuck in and helped each other, but that there needs to be more local support.

“I am calling a debrief with Councillors and Whangaparāoa MP Mark Mitchell and various community groups. I think we need to initiate things in our own area. I think all suitable community halls should have opened immediately – expecting Coasties to evacuate to the North Shore was nonsensical. It really showed up the failings of the de-centralising of civil defence – that was the biggest mistake ever made and next time we need to be more prepared.”

Mayor Brown is seeking a full review of the response so that Auckland will be better prepared in future.

A crisis brings out the best in people, and so it proved as Hibiscus Coast residents moved in fast to help each other out in the recent unprecedented Anniversary Weekend floods.

Families whose homes were made uninhabitable by the deluge, including the Bruna family of Brightside Road in Stanmore Bay, were comforted and supported by neighbours who provided shelter, blankets and more.

Local companies sucked up water and cleaned up homes as best they could without charge.

As flood waters threatened to enter his home on Friday night, another resident, Dale Hansen of Stanmore Bay, realised that the overflow at the D’Oyly Reserve wetland was completely blocked with debris. This made flooding of homes downstream more likely when the predicted second deluge came.

On Sunday, he and Jarrod McKay spent two hours clearing the mix of rubbish, branches and plant material off the overflow.

Auckland Council later removed the material.

“I wanted to save houses downstream, so that when the next lot of heavy rain came, the overflow worked as it should,” Hansen said. He reported the problem to Council online, including photos, but while he knew contractors would clean it up, with more rain expected there was no time to waste.

Homes in low lying streets of Arkles Bay were also flooded. Cathy Jackson, who lives on Arkles Strand, says five properties experienced rapidly rising water.

“Jackson’s family and a group of neighbours immediately took action, using brooms and buckets to push the water back.

“We hadn’t met many of the people before, but everyone worked together,” Jackson says. “A group of teenagers turned up in togs and shorts with brooms and buckets to help anywhere they could. We cannot thank the community enough – it was amazing.”

Local emergency services were kept busy, including the volunteers at Silverdale Fire Brigade who take over after hours and at weekends.

Their calls on Friday, January 27 included rescuing a group who were caught by flood waters as they left Brainwaves Preschool in Silverdale. The group, which included preschool co-owner Rody O’Reilly, got into trouble crossing Small Road, where a little creek had risen by 5m and swept away their four-wheel drive.

O’Reilly ended up with two others on the roof of the submerged car, while three others were washed into the bush where they clung to trees. Those in the bush were assisted to safety by other preschool staff who swam across with a strop and fixed it to a tree.

Everyone on top of the car was rescued by the fire volunteers and O’Reilly said he was blown away by their determination and skill.

“They heroically fed themselves around the bush line to locate us, then managed to get a team on both sides of the river and lash up lines so we could be belayed across. I was very impressed – complicated rapid water recovery is not something they are very experienced in, but they did an outstanding job,” he said.

Knowing that many people have lost everything and need help, and others were keen to assist, Helena Ross of Dairy Flat, along with Hibiscus & Bays Local Board member Gary Brown, set up the Help Centre at Unit 2/26 Karepiro Drive.

The centre is accepting household items, clothing and non-perishable food as donations and distributing them to locals affected by the floods.

The first few hours that the centre was set up, on February 1, donations streamed in, including a large amount of bedding from the Hibiscus Coast Community RSA.

The centre remains open this week – Ross says many people will take time to get over the shock of what’s happened and work out what they need.

“People are reluctant to ask for help, but we encourage them to come forward,” she says. “The community’s generosity has been amazing to see.”

To donate, or seek assistance, phone Helena Ross, 021 069 0910 or Gary Brown, 021 193 2167.

Coast care needed

The sun is out now, but care is still needed. Cliffs around the area are saturated with water and more slips are expected. The community is advised to stay away from these areas. • Council is assessing damage, and working on health and safety and clean up related matters. The community is asked to stay away from floodwaters and report any blockages or issues on 09 301 0101.