■ When a tsunami or major earthquake strikes the Eastern Bay, what will you and your whānau do, asks Whakatāne Accessible and Inclusion member Ruth Gerzon.

With good planning, you may have a grab bag packed with medications and a clear escape route. If you are fortunate, you can walk to safety – often faster than navigating gridlocked roads – or drive out of the danger zone.

But as you jump into your vehicle, will you remember the neighbours who cannot walk far or do not own a car?

What about those who can walk but have visual or learning disabilities and require a guide? Will they be left behind?

To address these critical gaps, advocacy group Whakatāne Accessible and Inclusive, in partnership with Virtual Eastern Bay Villages, is hosting a public meeting to focus on the emergency needs of seniors, pākeke, and tāngata whaikaha (disabled communities).

The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 4 at 10.30am in the Knox Presbyterian Church, 83 Domain Road, Whakatāne.

Representatives of the local council and Neighbourhood Support have been invited to speak. All community members keen to ensure no one is left behind are invited to attend.

This meeting plans to go far beyond the standard advice to citizens to prepare an emergency kit and be ready to leave when things get tough.

Organisers want to know what civil defence emergency plans are being made with vulnerable communities, rather than for them.

True disaster resilience requires knowing where to go, ensuring evacuation routes are passable, and guaranteeing that welfare centres have accessible spaces with robust back-up power plans.

When natural disasters or severe weather events strike the Eastern Bay, our immediate strength has always been our ability to pull together. However, crises inevitably expose and intensify the systemic barriers already faced by our most vulnerable residents.

Thankfully, these communities now have a strong advocate. Te Kāhui Tika Tangata (the NZ Human Rights Commission) recently launched a vital toolkit titled Inclusion is Preparedness – A Call to Action.

The report highlights that true emergency readiness is a fundamental human rights issue, not just a logistical task. It emphasises that real resilience thrives when built on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, local hapū leadership, and whānau-centred planning.

Furthermore, the Commission asserts that emergency service providers must work directly alongside marae, iwi, and disability networks.

Communications and evacuation spaces must cater to everyone’s physical and sensory requirements.

Alarmingly, despite the practical and timely nature of this research, the Coalition Government has cut the Human Rights Commission’s budget by more than $1 million a year – a decision that directly threatens this kind of vital advocacy.

The Eastern Bay is fortunate to have a strong network of marae. During recent weather crises across Aotearoa, marae repeatedly proved to be the ultimate safe havens for displaced communities.

However, we must actively support our local marae to ensure they have the necessary infrastructure.

Are the ramps truly negotiable for all wheelchair users? Are the bathroom set-ups fully accessible? Is there a generator ready to keep medical equipment and refrigerated medications running when the grid goes down?

True civil defence preparedness means recognising that an inclusive system working flawlessly for our most vulnerable people will ultimately work better for everyone.

By centering our efforts around whānau-led safety and honouring the lived experiences of our seniors and tāngata whaikaha, we can ensure that nobody is left behind when an emergency happens.