Time to test tsunami sirens
Northland’s network of more than 200 outdoor tsunami sirens in coastal communities, from Te Hapua to Mangawhai to Ruawai, will be tested on Sunday, in tandem with the beginning of daylight saving.
The sirens are traditionally tested at the start and finish of daylight saving, but it didn’t happen in March, thanks to the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown, so Sunday’s will be the first in 12 months.
Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group spokeswoman Victoria Harwood acknowledged that some people were still unsettled by this year’s events, but it was important to continue testing the sirens so any faults could be identified and repaired. “We’re asking people in coastal communities to help by ensuring their neighbours are aware that the test is coming up on Sunday,” she said.
The sirens will sound twice, first for 10 minutes at 10am, then again for 30 seconds at 10.30am. Indoor sirens will be tested at the same time, with test alerts to be sent to users of the
Red Cross Hazard app. Northland’s tsunami sirens are funded and owned by the region’s three district councils, and operated in a partnership which also includes Northpower and Top Energy.
The Auckland region was also planning to test its tsunami sirens on Sunday, including for the first time, two new sirens in O¯ rewa, which have voice instruction technology.
Northland CDEM had been working on a proposal to upgrade the Northland network with similar functionality. Harwood said the Northland network has developed since 2007, a total of 205 sirens having been installed. They would eventually reach the end of their expected life, however, and would have to be replaced or upgraded, at an estimated cost of $4.5 million.