12. JOHN HAYES (National—Wairarapa) Link to this
to the Minister of Civil Defence
What is happening throughout New Zealand to assist the nation to “Get Ready” and “Get Thru”?
Hon JOHN CARTER (Minister of Civil Defence) Link to this
Today Exercise Tangaroa is being held. Across the regions and nationally, this exercise will put us to the test and will be used to assess the capability of civil defence. The exercise is a national multi-agency exercise, led by the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, and supported by 16 civil defence emergency management groups, central government departments, emergency services, lifeline utilities, and other agencies. It is important that New Zealanders are ready to “Get Thru”.
The National Crisis Management Centre, staffed by the ministry and others, is busy coordinating the efforts of the civil defence management groups and their exercise activities. Locally, Wellington civil defence, like many other areas, will use this exercise as an opportunity to sound their tsunami sirens. However, there may be circumstances, such as an inshore tsunami in Cook Strait, where there may not be enough time to activate sirens, so the message clearly is that New Zealanders have to be aware of the threats and be ready to “Get Thru”.