Installation of tsunami sirens halted by complaints from Whangārei Heads residents

What the? A Parua Bay couple came home one day to discover their previously unobstructed coastal view had been interrupted, without warning, by the construction of this 10.1m-high tsunami siren. Other Whangārei Heads residents are now up in arms about the same issue and say they should have been consulted before work to install the siren network began. Photo / Karina Cooper

The installation of tsunami sirens around picturesque Whangārei Heads has come to a grinding halt amid outcry from residents appalled they weren’t consulted about the location of the equipment.

Conspicuous due to their size, the 10m-high towers sprout from large purpose-built concrete pads and are topped by a 1m-high loud hailer system powered by a solar panel beneath it.

Eight out of 12 sirens destined for the Heads have already gone up, including at Parua Bay and McLeod Bay, where residents have complained about the impact on their coastal views and concern about potential noise levels. Northland Regional Council (NRC) said construction of those sirens was brought forward when other work sites became unavailable due to the Brynderwyns road being closed.

NRC emergency management specialist for tsunami projects, Brendon Gray, said NRC wasn’t aware of the installation of a siren at McLeod Bay until the construction crew arrived there, “at which point we could not stop”.

Installations at Taurikura, Taiharuru, Pataua Bay South, and Urquhart Bay, had been paused.

The NRC has confirmed it has received emails in which residents have expressed concerns about some of the proposed site locations and asked for further consultation. As yet, a meeting hadn’t been organised.

In correspondence shared to the Northern Advocate, two residents and the Whangārei Heads Citizens’ Association (WHCA) each emailed NRC last week detailing those types of concerns.

WHCA president Melissa Arseneault said the community needed more information and the chance to discuss it. The association was calling for a public meeting and offered to organise it at the McLeod Bay Hall.

“Local residents needed the opportunity to gain a better understanding of this significant project, the impacts and benefits and to express their views and/or any concerns they may have”, Arseneault said.

The top section from one of Northland's new geo-located solar-powered Danish-designed tsunami sirens. Once this part is connected to the top of a supporting mast, the entire structure stands 10.1m high.

In his email, Urquharts Bay resident David Lewis said he and other concerned residents there “demanded” an on-site discussion with NRC and Civil Defence.

The group wanted to discuss an alternative site to the proposed installation one at the bottom of Calliope Lane. They also wanted to know who was responsible for public consultation and whether any had occurred anywhere in Northland ahead of the installation process beginning.

Lewis wanted to know whether an alternative site on Ocean Beach Road hill had been considered, and whether it was an option to have two sirens on 4m poles, one at either end of the beach.

They also questioned whether the waterfront at Urquharts Bay met the definition of a Significant Natural Area (SNA) and, if so, how the siren could be situated in it.

He was conscious the currently proposed Urquharts Bay location was on district council land and concerned there wouldn’t be any public discussion if the council granted the go-ahead for the siren to go up.

“It would appear that engineering considerations are the only considerations that matter to Civil Defence and NRC in the rollout of this project. These tsunami siren structures are obtrusive at 10.1 metres high. It would appear that they have been placed in locations with no consideration given to affected residents, their property rights, and with no consultation with these residents.

“This is an appalling situation for which there is no excuse. We have every right to be consulted about events that affect us and we have been given zero consideration,” Lewis said.

McLeod Bay, Whangārei Heads.

Of the McLeod Bay siren, Jennifer Lawrence said the “whole process is unacceptable”. She asked NRC why an area across from the fire station had been ruled out or why the siren couldn’t have been installed at the fire station.

In response, Gray said fire stations couldn’t be used as sites.

“We had approached Fire and Emergency NZ last year, and although we had strong local support, Fenz’s SLT [strategic leadership team] nationally declined our request to house our sirens on their land, citing a wider initiative.

“McLeod Bay fire station, and the community hall, are also too far south and introduced an unacceptable level of risk for the project [with] regard to ensuring the northernmost residents of the bay were to remain protected. Ultimately, that is what led to the siren being required to be located somewhere in the centre of the bay, which results in it being in someone’s viewpoint.

“The location we ended up with is a combination of suitable engineering, remaining at required distances from other infrastructure, and we did place it near the trees so the siren itself isn’t a single piece of infrastructure breaking up a viewpoint,” Gray said.

A spokesperson for Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management group said, “As these sirens are assets that are there to serve our communities, although we haven’t received a large number of complaints, we have decided to pause the remaining (four). This is to explore if there are alternative sites and go through concerns raised by the residents, to ensure as many residents as possible support these early warning devices protecting their community. We are also looking at if there are any alternative options we can present to the community around the installed Parua Bay township siren (down Bayside Lane), as concerns have also been raised around this site.

“When choosing siren sites, we carefully consider various factors to minimise visual and environmental impacts on our communities. However, our top priority is ensuring effective early warnings against tsunami threats. Each siren is part of a network, strategically placed to provide sound coverage not only for the local community but also for the entire region. Moving a site could create gaps in coverage, compromising the network’s effectiveness. This means that finding alternative sites that meet all the requirements can be very difficult and takes time to investigate potential options.”

Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent reporting on court matters. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.