Resilient and ready, thanks to you
17 February 2025
On the second anniversary of Cyclone Gabrielle, we’re proud to share how the generosity of New Zealanders has made a lasting impact in Hastings District. The support provided through the New Zealand Disaster Fund has not only helped communities recover but has helped them prepare for the next disaster.
Regan Smith, Chief Risk Officer for Hastings District Council, has seen first-hand how contributions from our donors have transformed their emergency preparedness.
“[When Cyclone Gabrielle struck] it was blatantly obvious from day one that we needed more supplies for our Civil Defence centres,” Regan explained. “The thing that was lacking was the funding.”
Thanks to the many people who donated to New Zealand Red Cross following Cyclone Gabrielle, that gap has been filled and communities are equipped and ready for when disaster strikes again.
Our New Zealand Disaster Fund emergency appeal provided $300,000 to bolster Hastings District’s emergency resilience. This funding directly addressed critical needs:
- Mobile relief for rural communities: funding mobile trailer units stocked with lifesaving essentials – water, sleeping bags, long-life food, nappies and hygiene kits. These trailers can even be airlifted by helicopter to communities cut off during emergencies.
- Much needed emergency supplies: including mattresses, pillows, sleeping bags, stretchers, toiletry bags, rapid relief packs, and first aid kits to equip evacuation centres in Hastings and Flaxmere. Today these centres can accommodate 600 people, offering comfort and safety when it’s needed most.
Given the Hastings District is a large area, with a number of small, isolated rural communities both inland and along the coastline, being able to get supplies – and information – from these areas is critical.
“The funding becoming available meant we were able to sort it quickly,” Regan said. “The trailers mean that we can be more strategic about centralising most of our Civil Defence resources here (in Hastings). Because the district is so large, having these assets means rather than every community needing to have things on hand, we were able to solve that for them.”
The mobile relief trailers, ready for use at Hastings District Council
Keeping communities connected
During Cyclone Gabrielle, many rural families were left in the dark, unable to communicate with loved ones. Among the uses of the Disaster Fund donations were digital VHF radios with independent battery power being distributed to these rural communities, so they are able to communicate with the outside world if they became isolated in future emergencies. The radios resolve one of the issues for those not directly impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle – the ‘not knowing’ about their loved ones.
Stronger preparedness
Regan described the funding as ‘a step change’ that provided peace of mind for the future. Hastings District Council listened to residents across the district on their requirements – the funding from New Zealand Red Cross helped turn that feedback into action.
Before receiving funding after Cyclone Gabrielle, Civil Defence centres in Hastings did not have dedicated mattresses. Now, with funding from New Zealand Red Cross, Flaxmere Community Centre and Hastings Sports Centre now have 600 mattresses, pillows, sleeping bags, stretchers, toiletry bags, rapid relief packs, and first aid kits for the next time they are called on to act as Civil Defence evacuation centres.
“We feel now we can effectively support anyone that’s displaced from their homes during an emergency and needs a place to come to that’s a safe place. We can give them a pretty good level of service through the equipment and things that have been purchased now,” he said.
More than supplies – investing in people
The positive change towards preparedness, made possible due to the generosity of people across New Zealand, is just the beginning for Hastings District Council.
Beyond providing physical resources, donations have paved the way for ongoing training. The Council now plans to expand participation in our Psychological First Aid training, ensuring that those impacted by disasters receive not just shelter but compassionate support. Regan said. “The next level of things we need for Civil Defence centres, so they operate well, is more training for staff in terms of how to help people. The [New Zealand Red Cross] psychological first aid is a really good course – that is something we need to put more staff through.”
Your support makes all the difference
This is more than just building resilience – it’s a promise to the people of Hastings that they are not alone. The partnership of the Council and New Zealand Red Cross has helped create a community that’s ready, resilient, and confident in facing whatever comes next. As Regan puts it, “it’s like an insurance policy – you don’t know how important it is until you need it”.
More information
- Find out more about the New Zealand Disaster Fund and what we did after Cyclone Gabrielle.
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Header photo: Regan Smith with one of the mobile relief trailers at Hastings District Council.