The Long Walk Home

Following the January 2023 floods, there’s been considerable discussion within the community regarding our needs and potential actions.

On that estraordinary Friday night, many of us experienced difficulties getting home, or accommodated those who were stranded.

For instance, individuals unable to return to Waiheke Island, reach the airport, or cross the Harbour Bridge. Students from AUT and Auckland University were also unable to get home. Furthermore, the Elton John concert that evening drew attendees from across New Zealand.

We decided it would be prudent to plan and practise our routes home in advance, to better understand what to do in such situations.

In the Waitemata area, we’ve identified two key scenarios to address:

• a) Practising how to return to the City Centre when public transport is suspended and roads are closed.
• b) Commuters practising their journeys home from the City Centre.

We took inspiration from Wellington Emergency Management’s long-standing event, “The Long Walk Home,” and aimed to adapt it for Waitemata.

Our proposal was to hold three simultaneous events across Waitemata – in Newmarket, Grey Lynn, and the City Centre – coinciding with Wellington’s event, to garner national publicity and potentially encourage similar initiatives in other suburbs.

We submitted a funding application for $10,000 to the Waitemata Local Board to facilitate these concurrent events, but were unsuccessful.

We envisioned this initiative as a foundation for building community capability, strengthening local networks and communication, and empowering local leadership.

Other communities around Auckland have been able to progress their emergency preparedness.

“Community-led recovery planning is driven by the community, for the community. It’s future-focused and about creating a collective vision after a disaster. It considers immediate priorities such as housing,  road networks and readiness for future events, alongside longer-term resilience and the impacts of climate change,” says Recovery Office Community and Social Recovery Lead, Linda Greenalgh.

 “National and international research shows that communities who have a high degree of self-determination and who contribute actively to the planning and implementation of recovery activities, recover better and become more resilient ^” https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2024/07/community-to-drive-recovery-plans/

The Waitemata Local Board holds responsibility for community emergency readiness and resilience within our area