Mayor stands by state of emergency call before storm hit
Alice Peacock
Christchurch’s Mayor is backing her decision to declare a state of emergency ahead of ex-cyclone Gita and is renewing calls for the Government to establish an option to declare such events “serious incidents” instead.
Lianne Dalziel made the decision to lift the 17-hour state of emergency at 11am yesterday after high tide passed without incident.
Christchurch received about half the rain anticipated and there were no reports of flooding above floor level. Dalziel told the Herald it was the right thing to do. She would make the same call in the future, she said, however hoped more options would soon be made available.
“I look forward to the Government considering the recommendation to create an option to call a serious incident rather than a state of emergency,” she said.
The recommendation was one of several outlined in a ministerial review into emergency management prepared by a technical advisory group.
The recommendation was that Civil Defence Minister Kris Faafoi “provide the option of the mayor declaring a ‘major incident’”.
“Declaring a major incident would likely result in activation of an emergency operation centre, increased social media profile, liaison and coordination with emergency services and use of powers available to councils, Fire and Emergency NZ, the Police, and others, under other Acts,” the report stated.
Examples of when a “major incident” might have been declared included the Hawke’s Bay gastro outbreak of 2017.
Selwyn District Mayor Sam Broughton agreed having the option of declaring a “major incident” as opposed to declaring a full state of emergency was one worth exploring.
With the system as it stood, Broughton likewise backed the decision to declare a state of emergency on Tuesday, ahead of ex-cyclone Gita.
Broughton said the flooding that hit the area last July meant authorities knew they could be faced with a need to evacuate low-lying areas.
“Declaration meant that we had access to powers and resources that would make that process much easier and smoother to facilitate.”