A suburb that’s showing us how to bounce back

Resilient communities are the backbone of our society.

They can weather crises, adapt to change and thrive in the face of challenges.

One community facing such a challenge is the Hastings suburb of Flaxmere with the recent closure of its only supermarket, New World.

A collective of concerned residents has rallied our community to explore solutions for those most impacted by this event.

Manaaki Mai o Nga¯ Paharakeke [Manaaki Mai] has held community meetings, circulated surveys and petitions, and is exploring support options and short-term solutions.

“We’re not going down without a fight,” says Marcelle Raheke [Aunty Ranty], one of the Manaaki Mai advocates.

Who knew grocery shopping could spark such activism?

Alongside the uniting leadership of Manaaki Mai, there are a lot of others advocating on behalf of our community, providing support and resources for those impacted at this time.

Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst has stated on several occasions that “It’s Flaxmere’s time”, and I truly believe her.

Amidst a barrage of negative feedback, she and the Hastings District Council have continued to be positive about finding a permanent supermarket solution.

Our Flaxmere ward councillor, Henry Heke, has been a key community advocate with council and an adviser to the Manaaki Mai collective.

Age Concern Flaxmere has stepped up with their weekly supermarket shopping transport service.

Since 2022 Flaxmere residents have had access to the Nourished For Nil project, which re-distributes foodstuffs freely through community hubs.

The Flaxmere Community Centre has been the hub for this community with open access on Friday evenings and Saturday daytimes.

The community centre also has a pataka [food cupboard]. They have also started a community garden that anyone can access, contribute towards, and care for.

The Flaxmere planning committee continues to hold community events to provide temporary respite and uplift Flaxmere families.

The monthly night markets have been hugely successful with the final summer market day being combined with the Flaxmere schools Relay4Life Cancer Society Fundraiser.

In the age of technology, residents are turning to their screens for salvation.

Online shopping and delivery services are a real alternative to inperson shopping, bringing the aisles of a virtual supermarket right to our doorstep.

So, is Flaxmere a resilient community? Absolutely.

Will challenges keep coming? Inevitably.

Will we get through this challenge? Certainly.

Flaxmere is a vibrant community working towards building sustainable and united neighbourhoods that support and uplift each other in times of need.

Flaxmere is using this challenge as an opportunity to build resilience and discover how to pave the way to a brighter future.