Northland marae ready to help in a disaster
19 February 2025
Trish Clueard of Ngunguru Marae says she was overwhelmed by the kindness of others when the marae received a $50,000 resilience grant from the New Zealand Disaster Fund. But after quickly setting to work gathering supplies, Ngunguru is now a model for other marae on how to better prepare for a disaster.
When Cyclone Gabrielle hit the small Northland beach settlement of Ngunguru in January 2023, many people looked to the marae perched on the hill above the town for help.
As with other areas of Northland, they experienced flooding, slips and lack of communications as the storm hit, cutting off the community and leaving many isolated and anxious.
Marae trustee Trish Clueard says as soon as it became clear people were in need, the marae swung into action. “When an event like that cyclone happens – you just put your head down, your bottom up and you start working.”
A team worked tirelessly for days — hosting evacuees, cooking and distributing kai in the community, clearing debris left by the flood waters, mending houses, and checking on local kaumātua, kuia, and whānau.
Ngunguru Marae sits on a hill, above any flood waters
When the waters finally drained away and the town began to dry out, Trish says they realised they could have helped more people more quickly had they been better prepared. They applied to New Zealand Red Cross for funding to meet this community need and were able to greatly strengthen community resilience through the $50,000 they received from the New Zealand Disaster Fund, thanks to the many New Zealand people and companies who had donated.
Trish had wondered if they would receive the funding when she saw how desperately it was needed in Hawke’s Bay, which had been hit hard by the same cyclone. New Zealand Red Cross provided significant support in the Hawke’s Bay as well, but Sean Stewart, New Zealand Red Cross Emergency Management and International General Manager, says it was important that the fund covered all affected areas. “Generous New Zealanders gave to the Fund expecting their money would go to supporting all communities affected by the cyclone, and it was important that Northland was included.”
Careful spending
Trish says they felt overwhelmed with gratitude when they received the grant to build disaster resilience in Northland and they wanted to ensure it had the most impact possible. “We had a vision for the role of the marae in a disaster and we took our time to be careful and spend the money well.”
The marae has kitted out a storeroom with a range of supplies that they had learned would be most needed. The marae trust now has a range of tools, dehumidifiers, hi-vis gear, nappies and many other essential items people might need to get by. Iwi Ngātiwai gifted a freight container and additional emergency supplies to the marae, and they now feel well-prepared to help in the next disaster.
Trish Clueard, of Ngunguru Marae, shows New Zealand Red Cross representative Gabrielle Ryan their newly stocked emergency supplies pod
“In the next event we want to be able to say to people ‘Don’t worry, we have it here – toothpaste, toothbrushes, hygiene products, babies’ bottles. We’ve got the blankies and the towels, it’s all here so they can just relax.”
Trish says they have also stocked up on games, as they learned these could be a blessing to help keep kids entertained. “At the time of the cyclone we often had the kids sitting doing jigsaws and at the next table all the nannies were cheating at scrabble! But it was great because the nannies’ laughter helped keep the children calm.”
A model for other marae
The team at Ngunguru Marae is so pleased with the improved resilience and preparedness they have achieved, they are sharing their ideas with other marae that also play a key role in supporting their local communities through a disaster. They recently held a hui for representatives from surrounding areas who are looking to be better equipped. “When they came in and saw what we had they just couldn’t believe it and it gave them an incentive to go home and say, ‘We can do this too, let’s get started’,” says Trish.
Thanks to New Zealand Red Cross and Ngātiwai, the marae’s extensive stock of emergency supplies means they are in a great position to leap into action to help in the next event, which Trish thinks is unfortunately inevitable. “With climate change, I think we’re going to need this. Look at what happened with the tornado in Mangawhai just last month.
“Honestly, this funding has been a dream to us because we never would have been as well prepared if it hadn’t been for Red Cross. It means a lot to our marae and our community.”
Two years after the cyclone swept through, thanks to the many people who donated to New Zealand Red Cross following Cyclone Gabrielle, Ngunguru Marae are equipped and ready for when disaster strikes again.
The Ngunguru township was flooded in low lying areas during the cyclone. Ngunguru Marae can been seen on the hill in foreground
More information
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Header photo: Trish Clueard, of Ngunguru Marae, shows New Zealand Red Cross representative Gabrielle Ryan their newly stocked emergency supplies pod.