Editorial: Are you ready for an earthquake?

Auckland utilities are better prepared than those of most cities for a devastating earthquake or volcanic eruption. Those comforting words come from the Auckland Regional Council, which has just completed three years of preliminary work on how the area would be put back together after a natural disaster. The conclusion is based on the work done for its project, as well as the preparations for Apec and the Y2K bug. Ironically, the council notes, the 1998 power crisis also ironed out some of the wrinkles in Auckland's civil-defence preparedness.

Not all of them, however. A remaining Achilles' heel is Aucklanders' lack of awareness of almost anything to do with civil defence. Much of this, of course, stems from complacency. Despite the relatively recent water and power crises, the possibility of a natural calamity rarely enters the reckoning of most people. Yet all around Auckland are traces of relatively recent volcanic activity.

A 1997 geological report suggested not only that further eruptions could be expected but that, because of the volcanic field's relative youth, they may increase in size and frequency. Likewise, Auckland is certainly not immune to earthquakes, even if its last big shake was in 1891.

The city's location, as well as its proximity to potentially active faultlines, makes it, in fact, particularly vulnerable. Auckland straddles a narrow north-south corridor, leaving little option but the cramming of its main transport routes and its electricity, gas, water and sewerage services. In addition, the reclaimed land which underlies some of downtown Auckland, as well as the port and airport, would be inherently unstable in an earthquake.

It is little wonder, therefore, that the regional council's planners suggest it may be months after a natural disaster before some important services are restored. Much of the damage can, of course, be negated by effective planning. Quite correctly, civil defence's emphasis is now on risk management, rather than response. Steps to reduce vulnerability are always more productive than acting as the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.

But an important cog in the machine must be the involvement and education of citizens. The next phase of the regional council's planning will focus on the impact of a disaster on people. It will surely find that even if Auckland's utilities are better prepared, the public is not.

Clearly, civil defence needs to impart its message louder and longer. A couple of pages of advice languishing in the back of the Yellow Pages hardly qualifies as an awareness-raising vehicle. At the very least, such advice should be displayed prominently in the standard telephone book. There, it would have more chance of being noticed and less of ending up in rubbish bins.

The real answer, however, lies in a comprehensive civil-defence education campaign. The Retirement Commissioner's successful exercise points to effective avenues for getting the message across. If such profile-raising requires extra funding, whether at local or central government level, so be it. It would be money well spent. Public awareness will reduce the potential destruction and loss of life from an earthquake or eruption.

Most of us need reminding of the example of Newcastle, New South Wales. Its citizens thought they were earthquake-proof. When a relatively moderate-sized quake struck in 1989, 12 citizens died. Education that raises our civil-defence awareness will save lives when - not if - disaster of a similar magnitude hits Auckland.