Gisborne Council Moves Forward With Regional Response Team

Wednesday, 14 May 2025, 7:25 pm
Article: Zita Campbell - Local Democracy Reporter

Gisborne is a step closer to deploying a trained volunteer Regional Response Team for emergency events.

During a Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) group meeting last week, district councillors approved “a vehicle” for accepting donations into a charitable trust to supplement the team’s funding.

The council estimated the team would have a “minimal” effect on ratepayers – a cost of less than $10 per property a year.

Mayor Rehette Stoltz said Gisborne was extremely lucky to have numerous community organisations, iwi and hapū leads, and volunteers working tirelessly alongside Civil Defence during extreme weather events.

“I think it is fair to say that we are a well-oiled machine.

“Tairāwhiti’s very own Response Team will be a great addition to support us as a region when times get tough.”

At last Wednesday’s meeting, National Emergency Management Agency director of Civil Defence Emergency Management John Price said the team would be deployable regionally and could surge to support other response teams nationally.

Price said there were 16 New Zealand Response Teams (NZ-RT) and last year there were 24 deployments, including support for fire emergencies, flooding, rope rescues, water rescues, oil spills and search and rescue.

A total of 424 people nationwide volunteered for NZ-RT teams and received weekly training, he said.

“Think of it a bit like Fenz [Fire and Emergency New Zealand], where Fenz have their volunteer firefighters. It’s the same sort of model, but for emergency management.”

In Canterbury, they were used to evacuate the Selwyn huts during the recent flooding weather event, Price said.

Team members were highly trained and there was a strong certification model.

Tairāwhiti CDEM manager Ben Green said filling the team would be easy.

“I could fill that team today. I’m talking whānau across regions that are looking for something a bit more than within the community response space.

“Those are the sort of people we want. You’ve got to be motivated and understand what the role requires of you.”

Green said the region did not have any equivalent to NZ-RT.

“When we need to supplement or deploy a group of trained people that can work in an environment that is austere and presents risk – they are trained to a level to be able to do that.”

A council report (prepared by Green) detailing the funding model noted that community and iwi groups were self-resourcing to deploy in response situations, independent of CDEM.

This presented considerable health and safety risks to those groups, other emergency responders and the organisations mandating the groups, the report says.

“There are concerns that such groups would not have the training, experience or equipment needed to effectively and safely respond to emergency situations.”

NZ-RT allows for co-ordinated, trained teams of volunteers providing surge support to CDEM groups and their communities during and after emergencies, the report says.

It notes financial details regarding the team’s set-up and the programme’s financial sustainability. It recognises a phased approach, with expansion contingent on funding.

Phase 1, which encompasses the first two years, will establish and accredit the Tairāwhiti NZ-RT, based in central Gisborne. The team could support two deployments to two separate locations.

The costs for phase 1 can be covered within the 2024-27 three-year plan and would use the Civil Defence Disaster reserve.

According to the report, as of July 2024 there was $390,000 uncommitted funds within the reserve, which the financial modelling assumes will be used to cover the first two years of phase 1.

Phase 2 encompasses year three and onwards and looks to establish more teams.

The second phase initially focuses on two teams: Team West (Patutahi) – covering the Poverty Bay River catchment; and Team East – covering Te Tairāwhiti.

However, during the meeting, Green confirmed the location’s details would be decided following community engagement.

“The area of responsibility would be the Gisborne flood plain. Where that team sits and resides in there would be a phase 2 consideration.”

When asked how the centrally located team would be used when parts of the region became isolated, a problem experienced during Cyclone Gabrielle, Green said they would know in advance if it was a severe weather event.

“We set our chessboard for more than three days out, and we would then look to deploy that group to support with that immediate response.”

The third year of the phased implementation is forecast to require an increase to CDEM budgets or ratepayer funds of between $93,000 and $147,000, which is a 0.17% increase to rates, the report says.

Chief financial officer Pauline Foreman said the increase would have “minimal impact” and be less than $10 per property per year.

“Most of the costs for the volunteer services are around capital costs, such as vehicles and personal health and safety equipment,” the report says.

After this rate rise, ongoing costs should, by and large, be covered without the need to have any further increases.

The financial model assumes external funding will be between $25,000 to $40,000 per year, obtained through either grants or donations.

The Tairāwhiti CDEM group – which comprises Stoltz, Deputy Mayor Josh Wharehinga and councillors Debbie Gregory, Rawinia Parata, Ani Pahuru-Huriwai and Rob Telfer – approved the report’s recommendations.

This included instructing the chief executive to investigate the use of the Disaster Relief (charitable) trust to allow the trust to accept donations for rapid response during disasters.

It will run like established rescue entities, such as Westpac helicopters, Auckland Rescue, Land Search and Rescue, and NZRT groups around the country, Green’s report says.

Additionally, the CDEM group voted to incorporate phase 1 costs into the draft 2025/26 annual plan, with the costs conditional on the adoption of the draft.

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