Ngā kōrero | News stories
Working closely with Mana Whenua during Northland wild fires
Taken from March edition of Ignite, 2021
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During a hot, dry summer, Te Tai Tokerau suffered severe droughts across the region. This resulted in two wildfires that carried a significant risk to life and property.
"Ahipara was a 56-hectare fire and Pipiwai was 158, says Albert Cash, Pou Takawaenga | Maori Liaison Officer.
"I worked with local iwi to ensure they had input on what was happening, and that there was a fluid relationship between Fire and Emergency and themselves."
"You want to give them an honest picture of everything that is going on so they feel informed and they can inform you about things to do with the land," Albert explains.
"I will take them up in the helicopter so they can see the scope of what we’re working on and let them know what tactics we’re using to fight the fire."
At the Ahipara and Pipiwai fires, Albert ensured that the tikanga of affected iwi was acknowledged throughout our firefighting efforts. Because of this approach, the mana of Iwi was upheld and they in turn have shown their appreciation and admiration for Fire and Emergency NZ's approach to engagement during emergencies.
"Before the Pigeon Valley fire, we used to inform iwi about what we were doing as opposed to having them involved in the decision making.
"At Pigeon Valley, the decision was made to include Iwi as part of the incident response and recognise the skills and resources they’re able to provide. We’ve been using this approach ever since with great success."
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