Carterton creates resilient community

MORE RESILIENT: The Resilient Carterton project aims to help improve Carterton's disaster preparedness and forge a better connected community.

A resilient community is a connected community, says Carterton's Mike Osborne.

Mr Osborne, a web promoter, Toast Master and Midweek columnist is one of the team behind Resilient Carterton -- aiming to help the Carterton community bounce back from an adverse event or civil defence emergency.

The project comes under the umbrella of Project Wairarapa, an incorporated society which facilitates sustainable community projects.

Mr Osborne said the Resilient Carterton team held its first workshop at Carterton Events Centre, in which participants shared ideas to improve the town's disaster preparedness.

He said one of the main goals is a strong social infrastructure -- to link up the organisations best suited to lead the town through an emergency, and to help foster goodwill between residents and community groups.

"A resilient community is one which is well-knit and interconnected -- people look out for each other and have each other's backs," Mr Osborne said.

"Carterton is already fantastic, but we're looking to identify overlaps and gaps and how those can be improved.

"Even if the s*** doesn't hit the fan, a resilient community is still a great place to live."

Mr Osborne said Resilient Carterton arose from a submission fellow Project Wairarapa member Helen Dew made to Carterton District Council's Long Term Plan.

Her submission proposed public education on climate change and promoting resilience as council policy.

Mrs Dew, Mr Osborne and group of other Carterton dwellers later prepared a document, called Resilient Carterton which was submitted at council's December 2015 meeting.

The paper, suggesting ways of improving resilience in the event of earthquakes and floods, climate change, water stress and economic inequity, was well received.

Council allowed the group to use the Events Centre for educational workshops, the first of which was held on March 23.

Almost 40 people attended, including district councillors, police and health sector representatives, who discussed ideas to develop community resilience, and Carterton's current vulnerabilities. Some of the concerns raised were the town's proximity to bridges which could leave the town isolated in an emergency, how the town would cope if major supply routes were blocked and a dearth of job opportunities for 18-25 year olds.

"There is social disconnect," Mr Osborne said. "We need to look at our vulnerable communities -- single parent families, older people, people who are isolated. What can we do to help them in a disaster?"

Diversifying the area's economy was also discussed.

"We are heavily dependent on agriculture -- but what happens if this is compromised?"

The workshop included a remote presentation from Margaret Jeffries of Project Lyttelton -- a community group dedicated to sustainable practices which helped Lyttelton recover following the Christchurch earthquake.

"The way they responded was exceptional," Mr Osborne said. "People knew who to turn to get things done, so they could respond effectively. That's what needs to happen here -- identify those who have the skills and resources, so we can mobilise quickly."

More information is at projectwairarapa.org.nz.