Three weeks after taking over as Mayor of Marlborough in 2016 our region was hit hard by the Kaikōura Earthquake.
This event took a huge toll on many people – financially and psychologically – particularly in South Marlborough, which at that time was still recovering from the earthquakes of 2013.
The impact these natural events have had on our residents cannot be understated, and the recovery period has been, and continues to be, a difficult one for a number of families and businesses.
Immediately after the earthquake, my role as Marlborough’s new Mayor was to step up as a solid and decisive leader. I had based my mayoral campaign on the premise of strong leadership, and this was immediately put to the test in ways I could never have imagined.
A big part of our collective leadership was ensuring that crucial decisions were being made in a timely but very thought-through manner. This required a calm and considered approach in a situation that was anything but.
That we coped as a region in the way we did in the face of such adversity is a credit to all those involved, from the residents who helped their neighbours and families to the emergency services, contractors, volunteers and of course decision-makers at Council who were part of the immediate aftermath and subsequent recovery process.
I also re-opened the Marlborough Mayoral Earthquake Fund, which had originally been established by my predecessor Alistair Sowman after the 2013 quake, and it was heartening to see the donations flood in from all over New Zealand, but also Marlborough locals and businesses who themselves had been affected. That fund helped to meet the pressing welfare needs of many affected families quickly and efficiently.
Today, the wider areas around Seddon and Ward have come a long way but some areas are still in the process of rebuilding, both in terms of private property and public infrastructure.
Some elements of Council-funded rebuilds have taken longer, because it is important that it is completed properly, with careful thought and consideration into how to channel funding into exactly the right places, and how to create something that will be resilient in the future.
From Council’s perspective, initial work focused on restoring vital infrastructure and re-opening roads like the massive Awatere Valley Rd slip which left farming families cut off. This massive job, led by Marlborough Roads, resulted in the road being open again by early January 2017 for these Marlburians.
Less urgent in the initial stages of recovery, but certainly just as important, projects that Council funded post-earthquake included the construction of the Awatere Memorial Hall.
I was delighted to be able to attend the dawn blessing of the newly completed hall last month with Councillors Cynthia Brooks and Gerald Hope. Work began to upgrade this great community facility in 2009, but it was damaged twice by earthquakes in 2013 and 2016.
Buildings like this are often the heart of a community, particularly in a rural area like the Awatere where many neighbours live at a distance from one another. An important consideration when deciding on Council funding is whether it enhances the social health and well-being of ratepayers, and this hall is a perfect example of that.
While the earthquakes of 2013 and 2016 posed many significant challenges, it is important that we learn from them.
This includes acknowledging how crucial robust, well-planned and resilient infrastructure is to strengthen our region in the event of a future event on the scale of 2016, or worse, and to incorporate that into all our future planning and visions for Marlborough.
Events like this remind us why it is necessary to ensure Council has the contingency, resources and capability to cope in adverse situations, and this is something we must always consider in our future funding decisions.
It has been my role as Mayor to uphold these learnings throughout normal Council processes.
In future, the experience of leading Council through this significant natural disaster is something I can draw on in all future decision-making, and I look forward to applying this incredibly valuable knowledge to another three years as Mayor of our fantastic region.
