A review of Hawke's Bay's Civil Defence response to Cyclone Gabrielle has found emergency leaders were overconfident about their readiness for a disaster and didn't plan for the worst-case scenario.
The independent review headed up by former police commissioner Mike Bush also found the team was not adequately resourced, leading to confusion and burnout.
And it says the national emergency management system is not fit for purpose and needs a complete overhaul.
Independent review lead Mike Bush spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
