Newly-appointed Local Advisory Committees attract high public interest

The announcements of our 50 new Local Advisory Committee members earlier this month has sparked significant interest from across Aotearoa.

In the week following the 4 June launch, more than 3,300 unique visitors flocked to the Local Advisory Committee section of our website to check out who had been appointed to each of the seven Local Advisory Committees.

Our Facebook post series featuring a Chair or Deputy Chair from each of the seven Local Advisory Committees attracted hundreds of likes and supportive comments - Tairāwhiti Chair Molly Pardoe alone attracted nearly 70 congratulatory messages.

The announcements were built around a whakataukī which Piki Thomas our National Manager Kaupapa Māori gifted to this work:

E koekoe te tūī, e ketekete te kākā, e kūkū te kereru (The Tūī chatters, the kākā cackles and the Kererū coos).

This whakataukī reminds us that it takes all kinds of voices to create a harmony – which beautifully captures the essence of what Local Advisory Committees are all about.

Local Advisory Committees will work with diverse groups from across their communities to find out about local needs and capabilities. This will feed into advice provided to the Fire and Emergency Board about what we can do to help their communities be better prepared for emergencies.

National Manager Local Advisory Committees, Lucy Chamberlain says the high public interest and support for these appointments reflects how well respected and connected these community members are, and how fortunate Fire and Emergency is to have them on board.

The new members are now preparing for an online induction hosted by Board Chair Paul Swain early next month. At the end of the month all seven Local Advisory Committee Chairs will gather in Wellington for their first meeting with the Board and senior leadership involved in the work.

To find out more about our new Local Advisory Committees, check out www.fireandemergency.nz/LACs(external link)