Southland evacuation maps missing, report warns of public safety risk

Accidentally released information has revealed compromised emergency management in Southland. Photo / Otago Daily Times

Threats to public safety have come to light in accidentally released material for Emergency Management Southland.

A report prepared for a closed-door meeting last Friday has revealed the region does not have comprehensive evacuation mapping – important information should a tsunami strike.

As a result, emergency management faced decisions without adequate data three times this year.

“This placed additional pressure on the controller and duty officer and exposed significant risk in terms of public safety, operational clarity and community confidence,” the report said.

It noted the issue had been on the radar for several years, but progress had been “constrained” due to cost.

A separate item relating to recruitment also appeared on the agenda and has since been confirmed as the replacement of Emergency Management Southland’s top boss.

Environment Southland confirmed new group controller Aly Curd was stepping away after less than a year in the role.

The council said she had resigned and would finish up at the end of October.

Following Curd’s arrival in December, Southland had faced at least two tsunami-related threats.

On March 25, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake off the region’s southwest coast prompted an emergency alert for potential danger near coastlines.

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake near Russia on July 30 prompted warnings of tsunami activity around the country.

The report said March and July events showed that a lack of data could compromise public safety.

But it also included a recommendation to exclude Fiordland from a proposed tsunami modelling package, which would drop the ballpark bill from $550,000 to $440,000.

A separate ministerial funding request was proposed for that section.

The council’s general manager integrated catchment management, Lucy Hicks, confirmed meeting attendees did not accept leaving Fiordland out because a “whole of Murihuki Southland” approach was needed.

Hicks said that although national-level evacuation maps existed, the report looked at the need for comprehensive and localised versions.

The Friday meeting related to Emergency Management Southland’s co-ordinating executive group, which includes representatives from the region’s four councils, emergency services, the Department of Conservation, the Ministry of Social Development, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, the National Emergency Management Agency, mana whenua and Hato Hone St John.

– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air