Northland communities are continuing to demonstrate remarkable resilience in the face of increasingly severe weather events, according to Te Pāti Māori MP Hūhana Lyndon.
Lyndon says repeated storms, flooding and infrastructure failures have highlighted the vulnerability of many rural communities across Te Tai Tokerau, but they have also revealed the strength of whānau who have long relied on traditional knowledge, self-sufficiency and community support networks.
Many Northland communities have experienced extended power outages, damaged roads and disrupted access to essential services during recent weather emergencies. In some areas, whānau have been forced to rely on their own resources for days while waiting for infrastructure and communications to be restored.
Lyndon says many Māori communities have maintained a strong connection to the whenua, enabling them to draw on gardening, fishing, hunting and food gathering practices when supply chains are disrupted.
Living off-grid has become an increasingly important option for some whānau, with solar power systems, rainwater collection, home gardens and sustainable energy solutions helping households become less dependent on vulnerable infrastructure networks.
She says climate change is making severe weather events more frequent and intense, creating an urgent need for investment in resilient infrastructure while also supporting community-led solutions that strengthen local self-reliance.
Across Te Tai Tokerau, marae continue to play a critical role during emergencies, serving as hubs for shelter, food distribution and community coordination when disaster strikes.
Lyndon believes the experiences of Northland whānau offer valuable lessons for the rest of Aotearoa, demonstrating how sustainable living practices and strong community connections can help communities adapt to an increasingly uncertain climate.
As extreme weather events become a growing challenge, the resilience shown by Northland communities is being recognised as a model of preparedness, sustainability and collective strength grounded in whakapapa, whenua and whānau.
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