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February 13, 2023
Waipareira braces for quick cyclone response
Adam Gifford
Posted On February 13, 2023
Download AudioWaipareira head John Tamihere says Maori have learned not to wait for officialdom when responding to natural disasters.
Te Whanau o Waipareiria has been full on over the past two weeks helping people get over the flooding, and it’s now braced for whatever Cyclone Gabrielle may bring to communities in west Auckland.
“If we waited for a mayoral emergency statement or if we waited for the Ministry of Health or the Ministry for Social Development we would be in deep trouble. I’m not saying they’re useless. I’m saying their ability to penertrate, make impacts and get quick runs on the board in our communities is not as good as ours because we are far more agile and far more connected,” Mr Tamihere says.
Waipareira has set up an emergency centre at the Trusts Stadium, and Papakura and Manurewa marae are also open if people need kai and a dry place to sleep.
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