Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) has announced the formation of a new Local Advisory Committee (LAC) for Taranaki, composed of eight community leaders tasked with enhancing emergency preparedness and response in the region.
The Taranaki LAC is part of a broader initiative to establish 16 such committees nationwide, aimed at providing tailored advice to FENZ. These committees are intended to help local communities reduce risks, improve emergency preparedness, and recover more quickly after disasters.
The Taranaki committee will be chaired by Sam Bennett, with Stephen Hopkinson serving as the deputy chairperson. Other members include Neil Holdom, Tracy Abel, Brendon Rei, Daniel Fleming, Callum Williamson, and Alisha Stone. Each member brings a wealth of local knowledge and experience, representing a diverse array of community interests.
David Utumapu, Taranaki district manager for FENZ, emphasised the significance of the committee’s formation. “All LAC members are well respected and connected within their communities,” Utumapu said.
“They represent a diverse range of interests and offer strong local knowledge and we look forward to working with them. The committee will provide a new voice for these communities, helping us get our emergency planning right and strengthening local relationships, as well as providing independent advice to our board.”
The first task for the Taranaki LAC will be to plan how to engage with stakeholders across the region. This process will involve gathering feedback on local needs and fostering a shared understanding within the community about the services FENZ could and should deliver.
Utumapu indicated that community engagement efforts are expected to begin in early 2025, with more details about the committee’s work to emerge in the coming months.
Taranaki’s LAC joins others already active in regions such as Northland, Tairāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough, West Coast, Otago, and the Chatham Islands. Induction meetings for committees in Waikato, Nelson-Tasman, and Southland are scheduled for September.
FENZ also plans to establish LACs in Bay of Plenty and Manawatū-Whanganui before the year’s end, with the remaining committees in Auckland, Wellington, and Canterbury to be formed by mid-2025.
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