Central Hawke’s Bay District Council can now keep the power on at four key buildings during an emergency: CHB Municipal Theatre, The Civic Theatre in Waipukurau, and the Elsthorpe and Ongaonga Halls. 

Solar panels are being added to critical buildings in the district in a Civil Defence or emergency response, Central Hawke’s Bay Housing and Community Resilience Manager Debbie Northe said.  

While there has not been an emergency, an additional benefit of the system – as a back up in non-emergency power outages – means it has already been tested. During a recent loss of power at the Municipal Theatre, solar kept essential lighting running, Events and Venue Lead Nichola Heremaia said. 

“We recently had a regional dance group setting up to host a large-scale national competition when the theatre lost power. The switch to solar was seamless. It meant that core areas remained operational so that preparations could continue without delays,” Heremaia said. 

The Municipal and Civic Theatres will serve as Civil Defence Centres in emergencies, while Elsthorpe and Ongaonga Halls are part of the district’s new Community Emergency Hub network. 

Installation began in 2024, with Elsthorpe hall and the Municipal Theatre now completed. Work on The Civic Theatre in Waipukurau and Ongaonga Hall and Playcentre will start in July. 

The project reduces reliance on the grid during outages, ensuring facilities used in Cyclone Gabrielle remain operational. Local contractor DMAK has been awarded the contract, supporting homegrown businesses in recovery efforts. 

This project was funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Community Renewable Energy Fund and a Department of Internal Affairs Cyclone Appeal Grant, an initiative providing sustainable back up power to critical facilities. 

With installations underway, Central Hawke’s Bay continues its long-term commitment to resilience and sustainability.