Emergencies and hazard management
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Emergencies and hazard management
The Wellington region - surrounded by sea and on the edge of a tectonic plate - gets more than its share of earthquakes and inclement weather. This creates all sorts of hazards from ground shaking to floods to landslides and even wildfire.
With large population centres and industrial areas we are also vulnerable to pandemics, such as influenza, and human-made hazards like chemical spills.
On these pages you can find out about the hazards that affect our region and what you can do to reduce their impacts.
How ready is the region to deal with the aftermath of a serious earthquake?
The Wellington Lifelines Group, whose membership includes Greater Wellington Regional Council, has released a report (March 2013) looking at how transport links could be restored after a big quake.
Emergency water supply planning
The Greater Wellington Regional Council (GRWC) is responsible for the collection and treatment of ‘bulk’ water for Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, Porirua and Wellington. GWRC supplies to main city reservoirs, from where the city councils manage supply to consumers. This relationship means that GWRC and the city councils each have a major role in emergency water supply planning for the greater Wellington urban area. A water supply emergency preparedness group, with representatives for each council, plans and coordinates activity.
The bulk water sources for the cities are concentrated in the north (Kaitoke) and east (Wainuiomata) of the greater Wellington urban area. The location of the major fault lines means that there is a strong likelihood that the reticulation for most urban areas would be separated from these sources in a major earthquake.
In 2010, a review of options for emergency water supply for the four cities found that Porirua and Wellington are likely to have significant shortfalls of water for public distribution following a major earthquake, based on international recommendations to allow 20 litres per person per day. Upper and Lower Hutt are closer to their sources of water, so that a limited bulk water supply is likely to be restored before the rationed water held in city reservoirs is depleted. They can also get water from local surface water and groundwater bores.
A report to the Regional Council in December 2012 outlined the requirements for emergency water supply and options to address the shortfall of emergency water for Porirua and Wellington. Following that meeting, GWRC is to undertake a feasibility study for an emergency water storage lake of up to 500 million litres capacity near Takapu Road, Porirua.
