An engineer says the Government and some local councils are ignoring the capability of marae in a civil defence crisis.
Dr Kepa Morgan of Auckland University says facilities at meeting houses could play a role equal to schools and village halls in a civil defence emergency but authorities don't think about using them.
Dr Morgan, a lecturer in civil and environmental engineering, says people who have lost their houses during earthquakes and cyclones have been looked after by Maori, who meet victims' physical, spiritual and emotional needs.
He says marae are used to welcoming people at short notice, such as for tangihanga.
