Much will change as we seek to future-proof our communities as best we can, which may mean moving settlements and the location of infrastructure.
As New Zealand plans to rebuild in the aftermath of the destruction wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle, it is encouraging that the concepts of resilience and sustainability are key priorities.
While it is natural for us to want to return the world to how it was before the cyclone, the reality is that this is neither possible nor wise because the cyclone has changed things forever. It has shown the vulnerability of our communities to climate change and given some tough lessons which must be heeded as we plan the reconstruction.
As the Infrastructure Commission Te Waihanga has noted, our infrastructure is also interdependent.
Failure of the electricity networks created losses in the communications infrastructure, which added to the severity of the moment. Recognising and addressing these risks will be part of improved resilience. In rebuilding, the worst-case scenario for many people could be that their homes survived the cyclone, but they may need to relocate because science suggests they may not be safe.
The New Zealand Government’s natural adaptation plan shows that one in seven New Zealanders — or just under 700,000 people — live in areas prone to flooding. A further 72,000 live in regions that significantly rising sea levels could threaten.
It is encouraging to see the active participation of Te Waihanga in this process and in the Critical Infrastructure Reform plan, which focuses on regulation and ensuring it is building infrastructure that is fit for purpose.
The Minister of Finance and Cyclone Recovery Grant Robertson, put it well when he questioned: “If those communities go back and build today, are we responsible for letting them do that?”
Grant Robertson. Photo / Mark Mitchell
There might be a temptation to rebuild infrastructure and housing quickly. This is also a critical issue for Turkey after its devastating earthquakes. There is widespread criticism that reconstruction is being rushed and replicating the pre-earthquake infrastructure for primarily political reasons.
New Zealand, which also has the learnings from the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, is unlikely to make the same mistakes. But at the same time, the tens of thousands of people whose lives have been disrupted are desperate to return to normality.
As in Christchurch, decisions need to be made about future risks and how to respond to them. Does this mean that communities need to be moved and different building materials used along with new types of infrastructure? Buildings in San Francisco and Tokyo have been constructed to survive earthquakes for many years, based on previous tragedies, and now the new Christchurch is a city of steel and glass.
Though Cyclone Gabrielle caused property and infrastructure damage that could exceed $13.5 billion, there were some positives to take away in the face of the disaster.
As Te Waihanga noted in an April report, Auckland’s infrastructure appears, in the main, to have been resilient.
While more than 26,000 properties were without power, 90 per cent had power restored in less than one day. There was no notable impact on waste collection services, and additional services were deployed to collect storm debris.
Although the airport was flooded and forced to close, the domestic terminal was only out for one day and the international for two.
Twenty schools experienced significant damage but were able to re-open within a matter of days.
Critically, there was no substantial loss of service from Auckland’s hospitals.
As the Infrastructure Commission noted, resilience is all-encompassing, and the resilience of one sector so often depends on the resilience of another. Failures in one sector can cascade into other failures.
Planning for future weather events will require a different approach, but there are still similarities in the frameworks we need for future disaster plans.
Provisions must be made for exit routes, temporary shelter planning, community muster points, and emergency communication systems. These must be articulated clearly to people so that if the events repeat, they immediately understand subsequent actions and responses.
There needs to be a more extensive plan spanning all government agencies, which can spring into action quickly if required to preserve precious time for instructions. These need to be formulated alongside the longer-term reconstruction efforts, ensuring that buildings and infrastructure are constructed and located more appropriately if events repeat, limiting initial damage and increasing community resilience.
Part of the approach must be to rely on the built environment in the response simply. Resilience also includes education of stakeholders and communities, early warning protocols and land use policies as part of a holistic response.
While agreeing with much of what the Cyclone Recovery Minister has said, I question his comment: “Two words New Zealanders are going to get used to hearing over the next few years are: managed retreat.”
Yes, much will change as we seek to future-proof our communities as best we can, which may mean moving settlements and the location of infrastructure.
However, reconstruction is also an opportunity and should be seen that way. Just as Christchurch is now beginning to enjoy the fruits of its reconstruction efforts and has returned as a vibrant — but different — city, we must take the same approach to the areas of the North Island devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle.
United States President Joe Biden’s administration and the G7 nations have used the term “build back better” for their initiatives. Perhaps this is a more positive approach than one of the managed retreats.
It suggests that after all the chaos, a new approach can improve what we had before.
· David Jenkins is CEO of The Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA). He is a regular commentator and speaker on infrastructure matters across Australia, North America, and Europe.
· IPWEA is the peak association for municipal and public works professionals in Australia and New Zealand and is a global leader in the delivery of asset management education and sustainable infrastructure asset management.
