A standalone guide — print it, or use it alongside the online tool.
This guide helps your marae develop its own emergency management plan. It can be used on its own — printed out and worked through at a hui — or alongside the Te Arawa Marae Emergency Management Plan online tool, which follows the same eleven sections.
How to use this guide
- 1
Convene a hui with your chairperson, trustees, emergency coordinator, and keyholders. Invite kuia and koroua to share knowledge of past events and significant sites.
- 2
Work through each section in order. The discussion prompts help you gather the right information; the tips give Te Arawa-specific guidance.
- 3
Record your answers — on paper, on a whiteboard, or directly in the online tool. Every section maps to a matching part of the app.
- 4
Once complete, have the chairperson sign off the plan, distribute copies to key people, and schedule a review date.
Why this matters
Records who the marae is, where it sits, what buildings and taonga are on site, and how many people it can care for. This is the foundation of your plan.
Discussion prompts
- What is the full name of our marae, and which hapū and iwi do we belong to?
- Which rohe are we in? (Rotorua urban, Rotorua lakes, Rotoiti/Rotoehu/Rotomā, Tarawera/Ōkāreka, Kawerau/Ōhiwa, Matatā/Whakatāne coastal, Maketū/Te Puke coastal, Tokoroa/Atiamuri/Whakamaru, Tongariro/Taupō southern)
- What is the name of our whare tūpuna?
- List every building on site — wharenui, whare kai, ablution block, toilets, shed, garage.
- What urupā, sacred sites, or taonga need special protection in an emergency?
- How many people can sleep here? How many can we feed at one time?
- What is our pepeha? (Ko ___ te maunga, ko ___ te awa, ko ___ te waka, ko ___ te iwi)
Tips
- Knowing your rohe matters — it determines which hazards are most relevant to you (see Section 3).
- Record capacity numbers now; emergency services will ask for them if the marae becomes a welfare centre.
After your plan is complete
Sign off
Have the chairperson review and approve the plan. Record the date and signature.
Distribute
Give copies to the emergency coordinator, trustees, and keyholders. Keep one by the phone and one in the whare kai.
Practice
Run a drill at least once a year — test the phone tree, check the assembly point, and review the supplies.
Review
Review the plan annually and after any emergency event. Update contacts, supplies, and goals.
Using the online tool
The Te Arawa Marae Emergency Management Plan online tool follows the same eleven sections as this guide. You can enter your plan online, save it securely, and export it as a PDF. The tool pre-fills hazard information based on your rohe, encrypts confidential sections, and tracks your completion progress. You can use this guide to prepare for a hui, then enter the results into the tool — or use the tool directly.
Open the Marae Plan tool