$1m Fund Powers Rapid, Community-Led Emergency Response Innovation

“At least 20 marae across five regions activated immediately, providing kai, shelter, power and essential services to anyone who needed support,” says Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka.

The Government has announced a $1 million Marae Emergency Response Fund, recognising marae as one of Aotearoa’s most effective, fast-moving emergency response networks and backing their role as critical community infrastructure during extreme weather events.

The fund reimburses marae for welfare support delivered during the severe flooding and landslips between 20 and 23 January 2026, which disrupted large parts of Northland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and Tairāwhiti. During the crisis, marae acted as hyper-local response hubs—opening their doors to evacuees, stranded travellers and isolated residents, often before formal systems were fully mobilised.

“At least 20 marae across five regions activated immediately, providing kai, shelter, power and essential services to anyone who needed support,” says Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka.

From a resilience and systems perspective, marae demonstrated a proven, decentralised emergency model—combining cultural leadership, trusted networks and rapid decision-making at scale. The new fund ensures that innovation is not penalised by cost.

“This investment ensures marae are not left carrying the financial burden of that mahi,” Mr Potaka says. “It allows them to replenish resources, recover quickly, and strengthen their capability for future events.”

How the fund works

The $1 million allocation has been added to the Māori Development Fund, enabling Te Puni Kōkiri to issue one-off reimbursement grants to marae (or related organisations) that provided welfare support during the January 2026 emergency.

Eligible costs include:

• Food and supplies

• Accommodation and utilities

• Power, fuel and other essential welfare expenses

Call to action: apply early

Marae and affiliated organisations that supported communities are encouraged to contact their regional Te Puni Kōkiri office now to begin the application process. Early engagement will help speed reimbursement and ensure resources are restored ahead of future weather events.

“I want to acknowledge and thank the marae, volunteers and communities who stood up for others,” Mr Potaka says. “Their leadership, manaakitanga and care made—and continue to make—a real difference.”

For tech and policy observers, the initiative highlights how community-embedded infrastructure can outperform traditional top-down responses, offering a blueprint for scalable, people-centred resilience in an era of increasing climate volatility.