Neighbourhood Groups
Neighbourhood Groups
When a major emergency happens in Hāwea, your neighbours will be the people best placed to help you. Roads may be closed, phones may be down, and the Community Emergency Hub may take days to come up to full strength. The first useful response will happen at street level, between people who already know each other.
That happens more reliably if households on a street know each other and have already thought about preparedness. Neighbourhood Groups are how the CRG makes that easier.
A small number of residents in each part of Hāwea — Lake Hāwea township, Hāwea Flat, John Creek, and the rural areas in between — take on a light role for their street. We call them Street Leaders. This page explains the role.
The role is mostly about preparation, not response. A Street Leader:
Gets to know the households living near them — who lives where, who is usually home during the day, who lives alone, who is older, who has children
Hands out a short CRG summary document that covers the key preparedness points from the website - Encourages neighbours to read the CRG website and think about their own preparedness
Helps neighbours work through the household plan template if they want help — not doing it for them, but making it easier to start
Stays in occasional contact with the street so the connection is alive when it matters
The role is light. It is meant to be done by an ordinary resident with an ordinary life, and to be sustainable over years, not weeks.
A first responder. If a neighbour is in danger, the response is the same as for anyone else — call 111 if phones work, or send word to the Community Emergency Hub.
A relief service. Street Leaders do not deliver food, water, or supplies. Each household is responsible for its own preparedness.
A decision-maker. Street Leaders are connectors and encouragers; they have no authority over neighbours and no responsibility for anyone else's safety.
A substitute for household preparedness. A neighbour who knows your name is no replacement for your own plan, supplies, and skills.
The point of the role is to make sure households on a street are ready for themselves, not to make the Street Leader responsible for them.
Hāwea has specific circumstances that make street-level connection particularly valuable:
Hāwea is geographically spread. From John Creek to Hāwea Flat is a substantial area. The CRG cannot reach every household directly.
Many residents commute to Wānaka. After a major event, some adults may not be able to get home for 24-48 hours.
Hāwea has a significant proportion of older residents, some living alone. A neighbour who knows their routine is often the difference between an isolated emergency and a managed one.
If Hāwea is cut off after a major event, the central response will take time. Households who already know their neighbours and already have plans in place will be in a much stronger position.
A Street Leader who has spent a few hours in good times getting their street ready saves the CRG and Civil Defence enormous effort during an event.
Initial: a few hours over a few weekends to introduce yourself to neighbours, hand out the CRG summary, and have a conversation about preparedness
Ongoing: an occasional check-in with neighbours, perhaps an hour every couple of months
Annually: refresh the contact list, follow up on whether plans are in place, hand out updated material
During an event, the role becomes whatever you can manage alongside looking after your own household. There is no expectation that Street Leaders take on a formal response role — your family comes first.
The CRG is particularly seeking Street Leaders for Hāwea Flat. The Hāwea Flat Hall is the designated Community Emergency Hub for that part of the community, but the CRG does not yet have an operational team running it. Building a network of Street Leaders in Hāwea Flat is the foundation of building that team.
If you live in Hāwea Flat and are interested in being a Street Leader for your area, please get in touch.
If you are willing to take this on for your street or area:
Email hello@haweacrg.nz with your street and contact details
The CRG will get in touch to talk through what's involved
You can decide whether to commit, with no pressure either way
Once on board, the CRG will provide:
The summary document to hand out to your neighbours
The household plan template
Guidance on how to approach neighbours
A connection to other Street Leaders so you can share what works
You don't need any special qualifications, training, or experience. You need to be willing to know your neighbours, hand out a few pages, and have some conversations.
Home — start here for the whole CRG approach to preparedness
Family Whereabouts — household planning, including the family plan template
Community Emergency Hub — the CRG's central operation
Identify Your Risks — the natural hazards specific to Hāwea
Last reviewed: May 2026.