Taskforce Kiwi

This week has been National Volunteering Week in Aotearoa New Zealand, and we want to celebrate the volunteers who make Taskforce Kiwi what it is.

The theme of this years NVW is Your Year to Volunteer / Tōu Tau ki te Tūao, and that is very much the case for the 161 Kiwi's who have signed up for Taskforce Kiwi since the beginning of the year. We now have 972 registered volunteers across the country, and we're incredibly grateful to each and every one of them. Hundreds have stepped up when the call has gone out to help communities impacted by disaster both at home and abroad, putting their lives on hold to help those they've never met. This year alone our volunteers have deployed to Northland Te Tai Tokerau, Wellington, Clutha, Banks Peninsula, and Moloka'i and Maui in Hawaii.

If you've ever thought about joining us, there's no better time than Your Year to Volunteer / Tōu Tau ki te Tūao. Taskforce Kiwi will put your skills and experience it to good use when communities need it most. Head to our website to sign up, and to every volunteer who's already answered the call — thank you.

A massive thank you to the Syzmik Workwear team for their support!

Taskforce Kiwi is joining our friends from Mitsubishi Motors NZ Ltd at this years Fieldays at Mystery Creek, Hamilton.

Our volunteers will be at the Mitsubishi Motors exhibit (site J42) alongside one of our Triton 4WDs. If you're attending Fieldays over the next four days come and say hi!

Taskforce Kiwi is monitoring the Heavy Swell Warning that is currently in place for areas across Wellington and Wairarapa.

Combined waves of up to 9.5 to 10.5 metres are predicted over the next 24 hours, and a state of emergency has been declared for Wellington's Southern and Eastern wards. Mandatory evacuation orders are currently in place for waterfront properties in Ōwhiro Bay, Island Bay, Houghton Bay and Breaker Bay.

Taskforce Kiwi will monitor the impact and engage with authorities and local communities if required as the situation unfolds. For up to date information, warnings and advice, please visit the website of the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO): https://www.wremo.nz/

Taskforce Kiwi recently ran the latest edition of our Intelligence in Disasters course, this time in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Given the background of many of our volunteers, it was fitting that this course was held at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand at the former RNZAF Wigram. A big thank you to the team for accommodating us.

Developed in-house by our own intelligence experts, this one-day, in-person program upskills practitioners working in emergency and disaster response intelligence roles. The course equips participants with practical tools to deliver clear, actionable intelligence to decision-makers, while helping to ensure targeted and effective use of boots on the ground. As part of the course our 12 participants analysed a complex disaster scenario and produced concise, decision-ready insights.

Further opportunities to attend the course around the country will soon be available for TFK volunteers and emerging practitioners across the emergency management and disaster response sectors. Stay tuned!

Taskforce Kiwi recently had the opportunity to brief Ministers and MPs at Parliament in Wellington.

The event, co-hosted by Cushla Tangaere-Manuel MP, New Zealand Labour Party Spokesperson for Emergency Management and Recovery, and ACT MP Laura McClure MP, was an opportunity for TFK to provide an update on the work of our volunteers at home and abroad. As a strongly apolitical organisation, we were grateful that the event was sponsored by MPs from both the governing coalition and the Opposition, highlighting the cross-party focus on emergency management in New Zealand.

In addition to the briefing provided by Taskforce Kiwi’s National Director, Richard Adams, there were also speeches from the Hon Mark Mitchell MP, Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery, and the Hon Chris Penk MP, Minister of Defence and Minister for Veterans.

As well as discussing our work to date, it was a chance to detail the increased need for the services that TFK volunteers deliver across the nation, the limitations of a fully volunteer-run organisation meeting that need, and the gaps that currently exist that TFK is working to bridge. A big thank you to all Ministers, MPs, staff and TFK volunteers who took the time to attend.

Taskforce Kiwi volunteers have now completed over 20,000 hours of disaster relief operations, less than four years since our first deployment.

Behind every hour is a story of service, with volunteers putting their lives on hold to roll up their sleeves in support of those they've never met. It also highlights the sacrifice of family and loved ones, providing the support that our volunteers need to grab their gear and get on the ground when the call goes out.

Over 7,000 of those hours have taken place over the last twelve months, as TFK volunteers continue to step up as the number of severe weather events and disasters increase, both at home and abroad. Taskforce Kiwi has no employees, and no one has ever been paid a cent for their efforts. Those 20,000 hours don't include the countless hours in the background outside of operations, doing the mahi that allows us to get our people on the ground when the time comes.

Communities need more skilled and organised support than ever, and it's time to do things differently. To find out more, to join us, or to support our work, head to www.taskforcekiwi.org

Our second team has now returned home from Moloka’i and Maui, following our flood relief work alongside Red Lightning.

Nine volunteers across two teams deployed over the course of three weeks, working across the Hawaiian islands of Moloka’i and Maui, supporting our pacific neighbours following the devastating floods that hit the region in March. Working under the leadership of Red Lightning, the team undertook a variety of tasks that allowed those displaced by the flooding to safely move back into their homes.

Our work was once again enabled by the incredible team at Airlink and United, who got our team there and back. We simply couldn’t carry out our disaster relief efforts without them.

Michael Andrew, Red Lightning CEO: “We are so grateful we could call on Taskforce Kiwi for the difficult and multi role response we had on both Moloka’i and Maui. We consider them tier one volunteers, completely trained and ready to work on day one. TFK are outstanding partners and we are very appreciative to them. We hope we can continue to partner in the future.”

Richard Adams, TFK National Director: “It was a privilege to once again work alongside the Red Lightning team. Their dedication to serving the people of Hawaii in the wake of both the Lahaina wildfire and the more recent flooding is humbling. We’re proud to have played a small role in that effort, continuing to strengthen our partnership across the Pacific”.

Red Lightnings work across Maui and Moloka’i continues, and Taskforce Kiwi will continue to seek opportunities to support their efforts wherever possible.

Photo credit: Heather Joy Photographs

New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade