Develop and build community support networks

• Identify what communities you are already a part of. School groups, faith groups, sports clubs, iwi, hapū and marae are all great networks that you could work with to become climate-ready.
• Consider volunteering for a conservation or climate project in Auckland. You can find opportunities here.
• Create your own eco-neighbourhood or climate-ready neighbourhood group and engage in projects aimed at preparing your community for changes over time. Contact hello@livelightly.nz for more information.
• Community Climate Action Network (CCAN) is a good source of information and actions you can take. If you’re part of a community group and would like to get more involved in climate action, both to build resilience and to reduce emissions, reach out to info@ccan.org.nz.
• If you're already in a successful community group in your neighbourhood, spread the word around you and encourage your colleagues, friends, family to do the same.

Be ready for emergencies as a community

• Be ready for a natural hazard event, including how to find local Civil Defence Centres or other Community Emergency Hubs if an emergency occurs. Find a list here.

• Know where to get extra support/funding for activities/projects when needed. See below for more information on grants such as the Local Preparedness Planning Fund.

Work with your community to plan for long term resilience – come together to create a shared vision for the future.

• Identify climate hazard risks.
• Plan your actions to lower your emissions and reduce the risks (e.g. do this by stream clean-ups, stream/culvert kaitiaki groups, fire risk reduction).
• Create community hubs with reliable water and energy/connectivity.
• Plant trees and plants on your property or join local planting initiatives. Trees and plants mitigate the impact of heatwaves, landslides, coastal erosion, flooding, and contribute to stream restoration.
  • Find the best tree for your property with this guide and make sure you plant at the right time of year (between autumn and winter) so there’s enough rain for it to naturally establish.
  • You should also consider planting species that are less flammable, and you can find information on these with the FENZ planting guide.
• Get involved in community planning and preparation, including conversations about the trade-offs you may be facing.

Share knowledge, experiences, and solutions

It’s really important that groups that are doing amazing things are also tracking, evaluating and sharing their progress. This can inspire others to take part or to start their own projects. If others can see what works well, they don’t need to start from scratch.

We want to support you at all stages of your resilience journey. Auckland Council has resources, expertise and funding available to help you and your community.

• Once you have a plan of what you need, apply for a grant for funding. See next steps for more information on grants, for example the Auckland Climate Grant.
• The Auckland Climate Grant is a targeted grant programme to support community-based climate action. The grant provides funding support for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions through community-based action, build community resilience to climate impacts and support Māori-led responses to climate change.