Source: Radio New Zealand
Ngātiwai Trust Board Chairman Aperahama Kerepeti-Edwards. RNZ / Mark Papalii
A Northland iwi leader says some form of ongoing support is needed in order for marae to continue responding effectively to severe weather events.
The Government says it won’t set up another dedicated fund to reimburse marae for their work leading up to Cyclone Vaianu, but is encouraging marae to keep in touch with officials on the ground in case they need support.
Whakatāne during Cyclone Vaianu on 12 April 2026 RNZ/Supplied
In the wake of the deadly weather that struck the North Island in January the government announced that a $1 million fund, administered by Te Puni Kōkiri, would go to marae who supported communities in need.
Ngātiwai Trust Board Chairman Aperahama Kerepeti-Edwards told Morning Report seeing those efforts recognised was heartening.
“It wasn’t so much the fund primarily it was the fact that there was recognition of the important role our marae play, recognition of the responsiveness of our communities, our hapū, especially in some of our remote rural areas who naturally and consistently respond in these times of crisis.”
There’s a sense of duty and obligation that runs deep which leads marae to swing into action time and time again, he said.
“As these events become more and more consistent I suppose the toll of that comes to the fore but, you know, you never hear grumbles, you never hear moans, our whānau just do what they do.”
Flooding around Wade Road blocks the main route south of Whitianga. RNZ/Marika Khabazi
As of April 10 $951,565 of the Marae Emergency Response Fund has been has been distributed to marae across Te Tai Tokerau, Tāmaki Makaurau, Waikato-Waiariki, Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, Te Tai Hauāuru and Te Waipounamu, to help reimburse costs incurred, according to Te Puni Kōkiri.
In a statement Te Puni Kōkiri said in areas such as Te Tai Tokerau and Ikaroa-Rāwhiti – where geographic isolation and weather-damaged infrastructure significantly constrained access – marae became central hubs for wider community response efforts.
“Many provided support not only for their own whānau, but for the broader community, including coordination of supplies, hosting displaced families, and supporting kaumātua and vulnerable people in remote locations.
“Funding payments have been made to individual marae and to umbrella organisations that coordinated response efforts across multiple marae. This approach recognises the collective, networked way in which Māori organisations mobilised during the emergency, particularly in regions where access challenges required local leadership and rapid decision-making.”
Kerepeti-Edwards said given there has been recognition of marae efforts there should be some form of ongoing support.
That said, marae will spring into action regardless, but that shouldn’t be taken for granted, he said.
“For a lot of our remote, rural and isolated communities, but even our communities in general the marae are some of the most significant infrastructure that are equipped to be able to look after the masses in times of need, from ablutions, to bedding, to the dining facilities it’s all the there. And the policy at the marae is nobody is left out.”
Every time there is a severe weather event there are costs incurred to marae, but with the contribution of the entire community that’s how they make it work, he said.
“If there was a, you know, a dedicated means of ensuring that the load that’s being carried voluntarily by those communities to support and strengthen the wider community [that] would be reasonable.”
Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka said the Marae Emergency Response Fund was designed to provide practical, immediate support.
It was a targeted, time-limited fund focused on the January events, and it has delivered support quickly where it was needed, he said.
“We know the pressure doesn’t stop after one event. Communities in parts of the North Island are continuously preparing for further severe weather, and marae continue to play a critical role in those local responses. Officials are actively monitoring impacts on the ground and working alongside Civil Defence and other agencies to ensure communities are connected to the support available.
“Marae can continue to access support through Civil Defence and emergency management channels, as well as working directly with Te Puni Kōkiri and other agencies to identify the right support for their circumstances.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
