17/02/2026
Our Manawatū-Whanganui region has been through it this week.
A MetService Red Warning. A region-wide State of Emergency declared across Manawatū-Whanganui. Tararua, Rangitīkei, and Manawatū Districts flooded, roads closed, homes without power, and communities cut off.
We know that so many areas and people in our region are interconnected. Schools in one town, work in another, supermarkets and petrol stations in another. Often along one main arterial route.
And it asks us a serious question. How do we as individuals and communities become more resilient.
One of my roles is on the Manawatū-Whanganui Local Advisory Committee (LAC). We are appointed by the Fire and Emergency NZ board and provide community connection and knowledge directly to the board and senior leaders.
Our LAC exists to make sure the voices of people across this region shape how Fire and Emergency plans, prepares, and responds. That means we need to hear from you.
We'd love to hear if you have ideas around:
- Communities in our region that may not be well known to emergency services. This could be physical, location, cultural, or language communities.
- Pockets of vulnerability, isolated rural areas, communities with limited access, or groups with specific needs like aged care or disabilities, that aren't being reached.
- How communities can better prepare and build resilience within themselves.
- Issues that may be specific to your area that could present significant risk, such as one road in and out of a town, which may be low-lying (flood risk) or bordered by thick forest (fire risk).
We want to hear it. That's literally what we're here for.
For those that think this may be an odd angle in a weather event, you may not be aware of the range of things that Fire and Emergency cover from car crashes, to maritime events, managing hazardous materials, urban search and rescue, and medical emergencies.
You can find the functions and events that Fire and Emergency services turn out for here: https://www.fireandemergency.nz/about-us/what-we-do/
Thank you to the thousands of volunteers across the country who regularly head out in these events, to support their communities. Volunteers are an invaluable and inherent community connection. LACs supplement this and we want to make sure we support volunteer and career firefighters with as much local knowledge available as possible.
You can find the full membership of the Manawatū-Whanganui LAC, and other regions here: https://www.fireandemergency.nz/about-us/local-advisory-committees/manawatu-whanganui-lac/
Reach out to one of us or feel free to message me directly here on LinkedIn or WhatsApp and we can catch up to discuss.
Let's be smarter about how we face what comes next.
* This is a personal post, and any views expressed should be taken as such, and may not represent Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
