Mistry, PriyankaLe Dé, LoïcMiller, Todd2026-02-092026-02-092026-02-04Australian Journal of Emergency Management, ISSN: 1324-1540 (Print); 1324-1540 (Online), Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, 41(1), 36-36. doi: 10.47389/41.1.361324-15401324-1540http://hdl.handle.net/10292/20597<jats:p>Cyclone Gabrielle struck Aotearoa New Zealand in February 2023 and was one of the most devastating disaster events in the country’s recent history. Response efforts involved a wide range of stakeholders and exposed critical coordination challenges. This study examined the effectiveness of these responses through 15 semi-structured interviews with representatives from national and local emergency management agencies, non-government organisations and community groups, as well as marae [meeting place] leaders involved in the response. It focused on the coordination among these different actors to identify strengths, gaps and challenges, and to understand the implications for disaster resilience. Findings reveal systemic issues in communication and coordination that hindered timely and equitable response, particularly in reaching people in rural areas, collaborating with Māori communities and engaging volunteers. Cultural disconnects, under-utilisation of local networks and training gaps for surge staff and emergency personnel also limited response effectiveness. The study highlights the need to strengthen pre-disaster relationships with iwi [tribes], marae and community-based groups to enhance workforce preparedness and embed culturally responsive practices.</jats:p>© 2026 by the authors. License Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, Melbourne, Australia. This is an open source article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Information and links to references in this paper are current at the time of publication.1103 Clinical Sciences1605 Policy and Administration2001 Communication and Media Studies3507 Strategy, management and organisational behaviour4404 Development studies4407 Policy and administrationJournal ArticleOpenAccess10.47389/41.1.36