Paihia Emergency Plan Expanded

A community group tasked with setting up a Community Response Plan for civil defence emergencies at Paihia and Waitangi is seeking to expand the area the plan will cover.

The group wants to see more input into the plan from communities such as Watea, Haruru Falls and Opua.

Civil Defence Co-ordinator Bill Hutchinson said today taking in the whole coastal area from Lemon's Hill in the south to the Puketona Road-State Highway 10 junction in the north made sense given egress and entry limitations for the coastal settlements in a flood emergency.

"We have had two public meetings at Paihia and a working group has been set up to develop the response plan. The feedback received has been really positive and the community see the benefits and want to get this done.

"However it quickly became apparent that outlying areas such as Opua and Haruru Falls need to be included in this rather than have separate plans. We are now seeking greater involvement and input into the plan from these communities, particularly Opua," he said.

Any persons from these areas interested in an involvement should contact Mr Hutchinson on 0800 920 029.

In the meantime strong progress is being made on a Community Response Plan for Moerewa. To date 23 Far North communities have either already set up emergency networks or are working on plans for their areas.