Ian McLean Spokesperson for the Green Party

The tsunami sirens are tested, and plans are afoot for bridges giving emergency exit from the Papamoa coastline.

These are excellent local risk management options and remind us of the importance of local solutions in a global world.

When people first settled Aotearoa, water came from a creek, food from a garden, shelter from a simple hut, and energy from wind or wood.

Resilience returns us to our origins. Small rain tanks store emergency water and gardens still deliver food. Modern standards mean that hut is no longer acceptable, but creating a local energy supply is increasingly achievable.

More than 150,000 subsidised home-energy retrofits are done, with more to come. You can now fit a solar photo-voltaic system to your home that will pay for itself in energy savings in around 10 years.

Energy bills can be controlled without compromising comfort. The added benefit of improved resilience is a bonus.