Exploring the Role of Community Emergency Hubs in Improving Neighbourhood Disaster Resilience in New Zealand

Local people and community groups frequently self-mobilize following extreme events, initiating response efforts and providing critical support well before official assistance arrives. Such spontaneous community volunteering has been a recurring feature of many past emergencies, most notably following the Christchurch earthquake, and has significantly contributed in improving the overall response to the emergencies. Recognizing the vital role of spontaneous volunteers in early response and recovery, there is growing interest in acknowledging and integrating such voluntary action safely into formal emergency management frameworks. In this context, New Zealand has introduced the community emergency hub model. The hubs serve as physical spaces within neighbourhoods where local people can gather post emergencies to offer (or seek) support, organize themselves, co-ordinate and mobilize community actions. This paper aims at understanding the hub model, particularly how it has been implemented across the nation, its performance in recent events and contributions to strengthening neighbourhood resilience. The paper draws on qualitative data from the Wellington and Southland regions in New Zealand and presents findings on how community emergency hubs support resilience across pre-, during-, and post-disaster stages and the concerns and considerations when adopting this model.