Cape Coast community thankful for emergency generator

From left, Keith Newman, Irene O'Connell, Jae Whelan, Paul Murton, Graham Arthur and Lindsay Pinker with a new emergency generator (absent Haumoana School principal Liz Van der Pump). Photo / Supplied

The Cape Coast Walking On Water Group (WOW) has donated close to $4000 to the Cape Coast Community Group (CCCG) for an emergency generator.

WOW is a committee of up to 15 people and has been operating since 2009, meeting monthly.

The WOW group works to find and implement solutions for severe coastal erosion and inundation risks at Haumoana, Te Awanga and Clifton and to unite the Cape Coast community to protect and promote the coastline as an asset for the wider Hawke's Bay region.

The new generator WOW has funded is housed at Haumoana Primary School for use in case of emergency in the area.

The school is the "safe place" for the community to gather if people need to evacuate their homes and the new generator will provide power to light the school hall and cover basic power needs for people seeking refuge.

The Cape Coast Community Group aims to raise awareness and encourage community preparedness and resilience during or after an earthquake or tsunami.

Committee member Irene O'Connell said the generator "will be equally important should extreme weather events result in flooding or inundation".

The group believes it is important the community is as prepared as possible and that individuals, neighbours and families know how to respond in the event of a natural disaster.

"We have great resources, such as our local Volunteer Fire Brigade and Hawke's Bay Emergency Management, but their resources will be stretched in such an emergency.

"Therefore, we need to consider the scenario where we may have to take responsibility for ourselves and family if required," O'Connell said.