James McDowall
ACT’s Civil Defence Spokesperson
Residents in Northland are rightly concerned that neither the Emergency Mobile Alert system nor any Tsunami sirens were activated prior to strong surges that destroyed dozens of boats in the Tutukaka Marina, flooded at least one campground, and put lives at risk as people scrambled to get away from the shore.
We have these systems in place for a reason, to protect lives and property. Kiwis shouldn’t have to rely on proactively checking Minister Kiritapu Allan’s Facebook page for warnings.
Residents are now picking up the pieces and adding up their losses, well into the millions of dollars. The Marina itself will require extensive repair.
Those who were living in their boats are thankful that they managed to get out in time, but cannot believe the radio silence after years of receiving mobile alerts and hearing sirens for minor events.
With the integrity of these systems in question and further surges expected around New Zealand as a result of the devastating effects of Cyclone Cody and the volcanic eruption in Tonga, ACT encourages coastal residents around New Zealand to check Civil Defence’s website (https://www.civildefence.govt.nz) or any changes to warnings.
