The 85-page Draft Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Plan 2010-2015 was approved for public release by CDEM Group members at a meeting at the Northland Regional Council’s Whangarei offices recently.
Northland CDEM Group Chairperson (and Whangarei District Councillor) Sheryl Mai says the draft plan focuses on risk reduction, readiness, response and recovery.
The plan analyses a variety of potential hazards to Northland over a 10-year period from floods and storms, tsunami to earthquakes, pandemics to criminal acts and terrorism. Each is assigned a ranking determined by the likelihood of a particular disaster and the seriousness of the consequences if it were to occur.
“These hazards include not only incidents that could cause potential injuries or losses of human life but also economic losses and long-term social impacts,” says Cr Mai. “The recent tragic loss of lives and property damage from the tsunami in Samoa and Tonga are stark reminders that Northlanders need to be prepared for major events”.
However, Councillor Mai says localised heavy rain and flooding is the hazard most likely to occur in Northland during the next decade. A local volcanic eruption or locally-generated tsunami have been recognised as the least likely to happen, but conversely would probably have among the most serious consequences for Northland if they did.
The draft also spells out a broad work programme for the Northland CDEM Group for the next five years, including planning and development of Civil Defence exercises to test how ready Northland is to deal with disasters.
It also calls for analysis of tsunami impacts over the next 18 months, research into volcanic hazard and impacts from mid-2011, development of a variety of public education initiatives and community response plans and the implementation of tsunami warning systems for at-risk areas.
Councillor Mai says 100 copies of the draft are to be distributed to key stakeholders, with interested members of the public also able to have their say until early February 2010.
Hard copies of the draft can be viewed at Regional and District Council offices throughout Northland as well as public libraries. The plan can also be viewed online on the Northland Regional Council’s website via: www.nrc.govt.nz/civildefenceplan
The Northland CDEM Group includes six members; an elected representative from each of Northland’s three District Councils as well one from the Regional Council. A senior Northland representative from both the police and fire service make up the final two members.