- Kai Resilient Puketāpapa is a community-led project focused on planning for food resilience.
- The community-led project supports local people, groups, and spaces to grow, share, and access healthy, affordable kai.
- Kai Resilient Puketāpapa is also mapping out opportunities for longer-term food solutions such as how public land can be used for growing and how to support community composting.
When Cyclone Gabrielle and the Anniversary Weekend floods hit Tāmaki Makaurau in 2023, the impact was devastating, with parts of Wesley and Roskill left underwater.
Whānau were displaced, homes damaged, and local shops closed, but alongside the immediate need for shelter and safety, another vital issue emerged: food.
Flooding damaged people's kitchens, food supplies and affected the ability of many to cook healthy meals at home. For families, already under financial pressure from the cost of living crisis, this added stress only deepened the problem.
Kai Resilient Puketāpapa is a community-led project focused on planning for food resilience supporting local people, groups, and spaces to grow, share, and access healthy, affordable kai.
Heather Lyall, Director, The Community Collective, says the initiative has made a genuine difference to getting accessible food to those in need.
“Kai Resilient Puketapapa is all about being organised in the face of climate change challenges. To do that we need food systems that are future-focused and community-driven. Localised and accessible food not only reduces our climate impact, it would also ensure that every neighbourhood in Puketāpapa has fresh, affordable kai close to home.
“This is also about equity and making sure everyone has food on the table and the same opportunity to grow, share, and shape the future of our food".
The project originated from the Puketapapa Local Board Healthy Puketāpapa Action Plan in 2022, where a draft roadmap for Kai Resilience in Puketapapa was developed by the community, in particular by, locals passionate about food security.
One of the benefits of local food planning is connection. In a crisis, it’s often neighbours who are first to help. Strengthening community gardens, food cooperatives, and backyard growing networks allows relationships that support wellbeing, belonging, and trust.
Kai Resilient Puketāpapa is also mapping out opportunities for longer-term food solutions. This includes looking at how public land can be used for growing, how to support community composting, and how to link local growers with schools, churches, and marae.
By investing in kai resilience now, communities are being protected from future shocks — building a healthier, more connected and climate-ready Puketāpapa for everyone.
To learn more or get involved, contact: kairesilientpuketapapa@gmail.com
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