By Grant Maxwell, Growth Leader – Infrastructure Resilience, Stantec

In Aotearoa New Zealand, natural disasters are uncomfortably familiar. We’re geographically and geologically vulnerable to tsunamis, earthquakes, flooding, extreme storms, and volcanic activity. Most locals have experienced one or more in their lifetime. Why aren’t we better prepared for them as a nation? 

We have the capability to assemble teams, strategise under pressure and deliver an effective emergency response to those in need; the Civil Defence Response Framework is well tested. Events like Christchurch’s earthquakes, Nelson and Gisborne rainstorms, and Cyclone Gabrielle have proven that we show up for our communities; however, response is only one part of resilience, and if we want to do better for these communities, our approach must be holistic.

Kiwis are taught what to do in an emergency at a young age because safety takes priority. The same should apply to our infrastructure, but the damage our country suffers each time makes the room for improvement unsettlingly clear. In many cases, we know what works – we have local resilience experts – but disaster demands reaction whether we’re prepared for it or not.

A resilient nation is dependent on resilient infrastructure. The recent Cyclone Gabrielle wreaked havoc on our transport system, with flooding and landslides devastating many roads and bridges across the motu. Recovery is about restoring a level of service, but it’s not as simple as fixing what’s broken. Whether building back better or reinventing entirely, innovation is an essential component. Countries like the United States, Canada and Japan are championing this change, with their own national recovery frameworks already in action.

How can we recover better in Aotearoa? 

The recovery phase gives us the chance to improve future outcomes. By identifying our biggest challenges, lessons learnt can guide our infrastructure strategy. The pattern of natural disasters in Aotearoa highlights the need for a recovery road map. Without a national framework of our own, local authorities must find their own footing when disaster strikes, with varying levels of success. There are also examples where governmental overreach occurs in the void of a blueprint, and creates unnecessary frustration for local agencies, resulting in delays and regime uncertainty. 

Answering this question creates many others – it requires us to define what successful disaster recovery is. How do we plan, design, build, and maintain our infrastructure with more resilience in mind? How can we collectively learn from past experiences? How can we engage different stakeholders, policymakers, funders, communities, consultants, and constructors to instil confidence for both private and public investment? These questions need to be founded in tangible social, cultural, environmental and financial outcomes.

Aotearoa will continue to see natural disasters impact our beautiful motu. We owe it to our mokopuna to position better for future recoveries. At Stantec, we strongly support the investment in a national recovery framework, but it will take nationwide support to drive change – something we can all be better for in the future.