April May editorial:

I was in Christchurch last week and was finally able to witness at first-hand the aftermath of the earthquakes. The pictures in the daily papers and the footage on the TV simply don’t capture the total desolation. Locals say they can’t find their bearings any more as all their landmarks have gone. The street signs are there, but no one’s home – quite literally out in the eastern suburbs, where many houses now lie abandoned, their gardens overgrown and silt piled up by the wind.

Many businesses are now back in operation, apart from those within the CBD which have probably gone for ever. Those working in logistics and distribution around the city fringes have found workarounds or have rebuilt and got on with things.

My trip was part of a disaster recovery conference organised by CILT NZ. Over 30 presenters told of the importance of good leadership and the value of building strong relationships with your clients and suppliers. It seems loyalty goes a long way when everything turns pear-shaped. Company representatives talked about business continuity plans and how vital these are, and gave some very simple ideas for being prepared – for example, keep a hard copy list of your principal suppliers and clients so you can ring them. Following a disaster, you can’t rely on computers and cellphones, which are all dependent on power.

This issue of FTD includes articles from businesses affected by the Canterbury quakes. The need to be prepared for an emergency has never been felt more strongly.

Until next time …

Lynne Richardson, editor

 

 

Read more articles from the April May issue here »