The emergency response to a major storm in Auckland has resulted in "ongoing relationship tensions" with those in charge.
Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group commissioned an independent review into the April storm, which saw power cut to some households for up to two weeks.
Author David Smol said interviewees noted ongoing relationship tensions in and around the group.
He said there was not a shared understanding of the way in which members would collectively apply the Coordinated Incident Management System methodology in a response, which was the source of concern for some.
The report states that downed trees caused the biggest hurdle, which in turn caused significant damage to the Vector and Counties Power electricity distribution networks that supply Auckland Emergency Services.
Restoring power supply started immediately but "over the next couple of days it became apparent that the duration of outages for a significant number of households would be greater than initially anticipated".
There were "gaps in information as to which premises on Vector’s network were without power at any point in time," and that complicated the targeting of network repair and the provision of welfare support, Mr Smol said.
As relatively widespread power outages continued, combined with a spell of cold weather, welfare impacts increased.
In addition to people dependent on power supply for critical medical support, a range of other groups became more vulnerable, some of whom required support to manage their impacts.
David Smol said many aspects of the response went well, with all participants showing "high levels of commitment to supporting the people of Auckland".
He has recommended better communications at both operational and governance levels, and a review of front line response agencies.
Power companies are also being asked to ensure that their call centres and online apps have the capacity to cope with exceptional loads in the aftermath of a major natural hazard.
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