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Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
'Wouldn't you rather have more warning than less?'
All 45 tsunami alert sirens from Taylors Mistake to Brooklands will go after a review found they could cause confusion and delays during an emergency. A report to the Christchurch City Council recommended the use of emergency mobile alerts sent directly to compatible cell phones as the new primary method to raise the alarm of a tsunami. The phone alerts are still received even if the network is down. New sirens could be installed in vulnerable locations where there is limited cell phone coverage. The number of sirens and locations has yet to be confirmed, but is expected to be in the range of four to six. But people in Sumner are at odds with the city council over the decision. Sumner Community Residents' Association chair Andrea Davis said the removal of the sirens would impact on elderly residents. 'These older people, they don't pay attention to their phones. They don't have their phones in their pockets like younger people,' she said. 'I just think it's a little bit silly to take sirens away that are already there. I mean, wouldn't you rather have more warning than less?' Davis said. She also emphasised the sirens' importance for beach-goers. ' I would hope that they understand that there are thousands of people here on a weekend in the summer and we actually need sirens.' However, New Brighton Residents Association spokesperson Brian Donovan has a different view. 'I think it's probably the right decision. There's more to warning people in this environment than just relying on sirens.' He said sirens had proved to be susceptible to human error. The tsunami alert sirens failed to sound during a planned test in April, because the Auckland-based contractor responsible for setting them off was dealing with a car crash outside their property at the time. The network trigger could not be operated locally. The city council conceded having an emergency system so dependent on one person was unacceptable. Donovan said a big issue facing people in New Brighton was getting away from the area in the event of a tsunami - the Pages Rd bridge being too much of a bottleneck. Plans are under way to replace the earthquake-damaged Pages Rd bridge, which was left off the Government's fast-track project list last year. The city council safety review found the ageing tsunami warning system was not fit-for-purpose and should no longer be considered suitable as a primary alert method. It noted the sirens provide limited information on the hazard, were reliant on power and could be inaudible in windy conditions. The sirens were established on ageing technology and infrastructure, and needed to be upgraded or replaced soon as they near the end of their 15-year life cycle. However, the city council ruled out both options, saying it would be expensive and not be fit-for-purpose. Decommissioning and removing the existing 45 tsunami warning sirens and installing four to six new ones is expected to cost $2.6m. Operation and maintenance of the new sirens will cost $70,000 a year. A city council spokesperson said the planned test of the tsunami alert sirens on Sunday, July 13, will still go ahead.
Otago Daily Times
22-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Tsunami warning sirens could be reduced
A major shake-up looms for the tsunami warning system after testing failed. There are concerns the siren network along Canterbury beaches is unfit for purpose as a primary emergency mechanism due to its age and outdated technology. A scheduled testing of 45 tsunami sirens between Brooklands and Taylors Mistake failed in April when the sole operator of the technology, based in Auckland, was dealing with a car accident outside their house at the time the sirens were scheduled to go off. The current multi-modal warning system incorporates emergency mobile alerts (EMAs), radio broadcasts, emergency services, traditional and social media, and sirens. There is a proposal to reduce the 45 sirens to about 10 located at specific points where the efficiency of alerting systems such as EMAs may be reduced. It will be discussed by the city council on June 10. Locations of the 10 sirens may include areas where people are less likely to have cell phones. Sumner Community Residents' Association chair Andrea Davis and New Brighton Residents Association spokesperson Brian Donovan are welcoming the proposed changes. They say reliance on the current manual system for the sirens was flawed. Said Davis: 'It (siren test failure) highlighted the fact the system is not automated. From our point of view, a foolproof automated system is what is needed. 'Quality over quantity, the more people who are prepared the better – you have a text and a siren, there is no indecision.' Said Donovan: 'You cannot rely on one system, our view is a multi-functional response is best and this is along the right lines. 'Find the most effective way to alert people in a combined fashion which is the tsunami alarm going off and the cellphone buzz. 'As long as people know the processes it will be effective, last time was a bit of a wake-up because it's an awareness we have to live with. 'Getting an effective alert system is a good starting point and other discussions will flow from there,' he said. The sirens were installed in 2012 and 2015 are coming to the end of their operating life of 15 years, with upgrades planned in 2027 and 2030. Coastal Ward city councillor Celeste Donovan said the proposal was a start but more detail would be needed. 'It is a useful starting point, an introduction to the key issues and what will be useful to understand going forward. 'Sirens are one tool, we need to look at the bigger picture of where the sirens are and why they are there and how they will operate.' She said the issues with the sirens was known, but how the new technology would look like was not. 'Nationally we need to be consistent, but be sure to cater to what the local communities need they are serving – what is an emergency plan in Sumner with the hill will be different compared to open coastlines. 'Part of the puzzle is updating the sirens.' The sirens help provide an early warning for distant-source tsunamis, which could take more than three hours to hit Christchurch's coastline. Siren tests are done twice a year at the start and end of daylight savings to check the system is functioning. During a test, residents hear a tone and the message: 'This is a test of the tsunami warning sirens. Do not be alarmed. This is only a test.'
