A lower North Island iwi leader wants his tribe to design a kaumatua earthquake response plan for each street within his tribal boundary in Porirua, north of Wellington.
The idea by Ngati Toa Rangatira Runanga chairman Taku Parai has been sparked by Monday's magnitude 6.2 quake east of Eketahuna.
Mr Parai says the quake has been a wake-up call for his tribe to hurry up and complete a kaumatua safety plan it has been working on for several months.
The strategy ensures the tribe is looking after its own people, and Mr Parai says he wants to see a plan in which designated tribal members from each street are responsible for checking on kaumatua.
Mr Parai says his tribe has trialled the idea using the scenario of a tsunami, with designated homes with a specialised vehicle that can evacuate tribal members to higher ground.