Community Emergency Hub
Community Emergency Hub
A Community Emergency Hub is the local point where residents and the wider emergency response system stay connected during and after a major event. It is part of the Queenstown Lakes District Civil Defence framework.
The hub is run by the Hāwea Community Resilience Group — local volunteers trained and supported by Emergency Management Otago. We are one of 18 Community Resilience Groups across the district.
The Hāwea Community Resilience Group (CRG) is a small team of local volunteers, trained and supported by Emergency Management Otago. The CRG operates from the Lake Hāwea Community Centre during a major event — referred to on this page as "the Hub."
The CRG decides whether and when to open the Hub, based on:
Whether the building is safe to enter and use
Whether enough volunteers are available to run it
The scale and nature of the event
The Hub does not open automatically. In some events the CRG will activate communications from the Community Centre without opening the Hub to the public. In others, the Hub may not open at all.
When the Hub does open, it builds up to full strength gradually over the days following an event. Communications come up first, as soon as the building is confirmed safe and a small team is available. The wider public-facing parts of the Hub — Reception, First Aid, Needs and Offers, Neighbourhood Hubs — come on stream as more volunteers arrive.
CRG volunteers are also Hāwea residents. They have their own families, homes, and animals to take care of first. Some may be working in Wānaka or further afield when an event happens, and may take 24 to 48 hours to get back given expected road damage. The Hub building up gradually is part of the plan, not a failure of it.
When the Hub is operating, the CRG works to:
Pass official information from the Wānaka Emergency Operations Centre out to residents
Pass local information — damage, needs, who needs help — back to the EOC
Provide a point where residents can request first aid (see First Aid)
Provide a point where residents can report or collect lost animals (see Animals in Emergencies)
Coordinate community help — connecting people who need assistance with people who can offer it
Deploy WiFi access through Neighbourhood Hubs across Hāwea (see Communication)
The CRG's core obligation under the Civil Defence framework is the first two — information flow with the EOC. The other functions are provided when volunteers and resources allow.
The hub is not a Civil Defence Centre, a welfare agency, or an emergency service. It does not:
Provide food, water, or shelter for households
Replace 111 for life-threatening emergencies
Take responsibility for individual households or properties
Operate independently of the wider Civil Defence response
The first line of preparedness in any emergency is your own household. The hub exists to help the community support itself, not to provide services to it.
CRG volunteers have no legal powers to take resources from anyone or require anyone to do anything. All usual laws apply in an emergency.
The Hub is not a donations collection point. Monetary donations are best directed to the Lake Hāwea Community Centre - Relief Fund.
The Lake Hāwea Community Emergency Hub operates from the Lake Hāwea Community Centre at 28 Myra Street. The CRG has a trained team running this hub.
If the Community Centre is unsafe or unusable after an event, the CRG will find the best available alternative location and communicate with signage on the building.
The Hāwea Flat Hall (Cnr Kane and Camphill Roads) is also designated as a Community Emergency Hub for Hāwea Flat. The CRG does not yet have an operational team to run this hub. Building a Hāwea Flat team is a current priority — see the home page for how to get involved.
Hāwea Flat School is not a Community Emergency Hub. The school is independently prepared for emergencies and will care for students on site until reunification with families. See Family Whereabouts for the school reunification process.
To bring the response closer to where people live, the CRG will set up Neighbourhood Hubs across Hāwea as the Hub builds up to full strength. These are small gathering points within walking distance of most residents, where neighbours can meet, check on each other, and access communications.
Each Neighbourhood Hub will provide:
A WiFi connection via a portable Starlink Mini unit, so people can message family and friends outside Hāwea
A place to gather, share information, and match local needs with local offers
Neighbourhood Hubs are run by the people who gather there. A CRG volunteer will be there at setup to get the WiFi running and help people connect but is not expected to stay all day — the hub is designed to be self-running once it is up. The community supports itself; the CRG provides the kit and the connection.
Each Starlink Mini runs on battery and is returned to the Community Centre each evening for overnight charging, then redeployed the next morning. Neighbourhood Hubs operate during daylight hours.
Locations will be set up during an event based on need, access, and where willing hosts are available. Over time, the CRG aims to pre-arrange host sites in each part of Hāwea — if you have a suitable space (driveway, garage, lounge, or other accessible spot) and would like to host a Neighbourhood Hub, please get in touch.
The Hāwea Library shares the Lake Hāwea Community Centre building with the Community Emergency Hub. During a major event, the library will be opened as a quiet space for residents who need somewhere to gather, sit, talk, or simply not be alone.
The hub itself will be a busy, working space — radios running, people coming and going, information being passed back and forth. The library is the opposite: a place to step out of the operational activity and look after each other in a calmer setting.
If someone seems distressed, simply be present. Listen if they want to talk. Don't try to talk them out of how they feel, and don't offer reassurances about outcomes you can't control. Sometimes quiet company is the most useful thing.
There is no expectation of activity or contribution. It is a place to be.
Your first priority is your family and home. Stay home if it is safe to do so.
The Hub may not be open immediately, and may build up to full strength over several days. Information about Hub status will be sent through the Otago Gets Ready alert system and shared by Street Leaders where networks allow. Do not assume the Hub is open until you have confirmation.
Most residents will not need to come to the Community Emergency Hub — your nearest Neighbourhood Hub will handle gathering, WiFi access, and local needs.
You may want to visit the Community Emergency Hub once you and your household are safe and stable, to:
Request first aid for injuries beyond your own skills
Report or collect a lost animal
Offer help — skills, equipment, or time the community might need
Report damage or hazards in your area
Request help if you cannot manage on your own
Do not come to the hub:
- For food, water, or shelter — these are your household's responsibility
- For 111 emergencies — call 111 if you have a working phone, or send a runner to the hub if you do not
- Just to gather — the Neighbourhood Hubs and the library are the places for that
The hub operates with several functional roles, depending on the size of the event and the volunteers available. The hub scales up and down depending on the situation.
Hub coordination — overall management of the hub during an event
Communications — operating Starlink, VHF, and HF radio links
Information coordination — managing the flow of information in and out
Reception — first point of contact for residents arriving
Any media contact is handled by the Hub Coordinator. Public information from the EOC can be shared; personal information about individuals cannot.
First aid — see First Aid for the Hāwea Medical Team
Needs and offers — matching people who need help with people who can help
Lost and found animals — see Animals in Emergencies
Public information — community noticeboard, SMS, and word of mouth
Library / wellbeing support
Neighbourhood Hub deployment
Volunteer welfare
Facility maintenance
Not every role is staffed at all times. In a major event, the CRG activates the roles needed for the situation, with the volunteers available.
Last reviewed: May 2026.