Resilient Auckland Businesses

This project sought to identify vulnerabilities in the business sector, and assist with the development and testing of mechanisms to make Auckland businesses more resilient. Researchers surveyed 71 businesses affected by the natural hazards that hit Auckland, such as the April 2018 ‘super storm’.

The study found that of the businesses surveyed, three quarters or more were unable to function without key infrastructure services (74% without telecommunication, 84% without a water supply and 96% without electricity). The study also found that 20% of businesses did not have an emergency or business continuity plan in place, and of those that did, many did not practice their plan. This suggests that even if businesses do have these plans, when disaster strikes, they are unlikely to be able to carry them out effectively and benefit from them.

Only a very small number of the surveyed Auckland businesses reviewed and improved their business model following the April 2018 storm; 96% did not revise their business model to adapt to unexpected changes.

This study highlighted a lack of planning among Auckland businesses for unexpected and disruptive natural events, an issue which needs to be addressed by further research and the formulation of disaster risk reduction (DDR) plans.