Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye says Cyclone Pam highlighted potential improvements that could be made to strengthen the Chatham Islands resilience against future emergencies.

"I visited the Chatham Islands yesterday and witnessed both the damage caused by the recent severe weather, as well as the spirit of the community that rallied to respond to the emergency.

"In small communities we often see the best of New Zealand, and there were many examples of local people stepping up to help out.

"One reason for my visit was to see the impact on local infrastructure such as wharves, which as well as being the lifeblood of the community are also crucial in an emergency.

"There is provision under our civil defence system to reimburse local government for some recovery costs.

"However, the ownership of some wharves is complex. I intend to work with the local council, relevant agencies and Ministers to consider options for repairing damaged wharves.

"During my visit I also met with local civil defence emergency management volunteers and staff, and the Canterbury civil defence emergency management team deployed to provide support during last weeks severe weather.

"I understand appropriate debriefs will be held to identify potential lessons and I look forward to the outcomes of this.

"In the meantime, Ive asked that civil defence arrangements be formalised between Canterbury and the Chatham Islands, to ensure the islands always have backup support in future.

"I have also asked the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management to review how emergency communications can be improved in the Chatham Islands, as its clear to me there were challenges with some of the communication channels used last week.

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Work to improve Chatham Islands' resilience