Lahar lawsuit protection sought

By JO-MARIE BROWN

The local authorities preparing for a volcanic mudslide to crash down Mt Ruapehu, want the Government to protect them from lawsuits if people are killed.

A lahar, comprising 1.5 million cubic metres of mud, ash and water, is expected to overflow from the mountain's crater lake within the next three years, damaging or destroying everything in its path.

Around 60 lahars have occurred on Mt Ruapehu over the past 150 years, the most famous in 1953 when the Tangiwai rail bridge was swept away and 151 train passengers died.

But the Ruapehu District Council and the area's regional council, horizons.mw, say they do not have adequate resources to evacuate the Central Plateau when the next lahar hits - or cope with the clean-up afterwards.

They have been urging the Government to reconsider carrying out engineering work at the crater rim to drain the lake and prevent a lahar from occurring.

It has been ruled out because it was too risky and would not stop future mudslides.

An early warning alarm system has instead been installed, and the Government is considering strengthening and raising rail and road bridges to allow lahars to flow underneath.

After meeting Conservation Minister Chris Carter again last Friday, regional council chairman Chris Lester said he accepted the Government was not going to change its mind.

Both councils would now focus on persuading the Government to indemnify them against future lawsuits that might arise when the lahar occurs.

"I think there's a real risk that there could be some financial implications relating to human loss of life or damage to infrastructure and we don't believe we should carry those costs," Mr Lester said.

The Government has previously said it would "look sympathetically" at any requests for money to help prepare for, or clean-up after, a lahar.

Mr Lester said the minister had agreed to meet the councils again this month.