Whangārei Heads tsunami siren removed due to early installation, complaints

The tsunami siren on the Parua Bay waterfront before it was removed. Photo / NZME

A controversial tsunami siren in Whangārei Heads has been removed because it was installed ahead of schedule and before full community consultation.

The siren at the waterfront in Parua Bay, off Kiteone Rd, was removed last year and is yet to be replaced.

Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group spokesperson Zach Woods said the siren was taken away because it had gone in before schedule and full consultation.

The Northern Advocate has previously reported that some residents complained about the impact on their coastal views and raised concerns about potential noise levels.

“That was not our intention,” Woods said.

“This was a unique set of circumstances and, of all the sirens currently installed, it is the only one planned to be relocated.”

Woods said the management group was working with the Whangārei District Council on options for a new location that would ensure effective tsunami warnings for the community.

The new siren is expected to be completed before testing is due in September.

Northland’s new tsunami siren system will be tested for the first time at 10am tomorrow - marking the end of daylight saving when clocks go back an hour.

Parua Bay residents may hear the adjacent Yacht Club siren. However, it would not meet the volume standard for a tsunami warning in that area.

Woods said that, if there was a tsunami warning before the installation of the new siren, the old sirens would be used in conjunction with the new network.

The old sirens will not be tested but will remain operational until the new network is fully functional.

The new sirens would use the same tone as the current ones but would also intermittently broadcast a voice warning about the threat and the required action.

On Sunday, the message -“Test only, test only. This is a test of the Northland tsunami siren network; no action is required” - will sound for about one minute.

The test is only for the network of outdoor sirens. Anyone with indoor sirens is encouraged to check them by pressing the test button, similar to testing a smoke alarm.

Woods said it was important to get feedback from the test to ensure the new system worked or whether improvements were needed.

Feedback forms will be available on the Northland Regional Council website and the Civil Defence Northland Facebook page from the day of the test.

Additionally, firefighters are sharing their usual daylight saving messaging and asking people to check that their smoke alarms work.

Sarah Curtis is a general news reporter for the Northern Advocate. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference, especially those involving environmental issues.