Emergency resilience fund ‘completely over subscribed’
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A West Coast request for resilience funding from the national emergency agency has been partly rejected due to a lack of money.
About $500,000 was funded from a $1.4 million request, a meeting of the West Coast Emergency Management Joint Committee heard on November 8.
The application was made to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) resilience fund, which is targeted towards civil emergency welfare measures.
Committee members heard the national fund was oversubscribed by more than $4m due to the volume of applications.
The West Coast application was to install shipping containers to hold welfare supplies at five key locations across the region, to be utilised in a major Alpine Fault earthquake (AF8) catastrophe.
The South Island is predicted to be overdue for a magnitude 8-plus quake by about 30 years.
Given the West Coast's high vulnerability to a major earthquake, its region's scattered communities have been told to expect to be self sufficient for days, if not weeks, in a major disaster.
There was to be one resilience container each for Buller, Grey and Westland and the two marae.
The scope of the container contents was based on what other regions had in their welfare containers "without overpitching it".
West Coast Emergency Management Joint Committee chairperson Jamie Cleine said it was important for the region reapply.
He noted the key role of the region's two marae at Arahura and Bruce Bay, which needed to be emergency response centres in an emergency.
In the meantime the councils had pitched in some of their own resources to help move the project forward, Cleine said.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae chairperson Francois Tumahai said the Arahura Marae was designated as an emergency activation centre.
"It seems a bit strange we're not kitted up for it. As you know, with the Kaikōura (earthquake) event, the marae were the first to kick in.
"I think it's a no-brainer to be honest."
Brown said they have been bidding to the long-term plan budget planning of the region's three territorial authorities and the West Coast Regional Council.
They were proposing an increased budget to focus on the welfare and planning aspects of emergency management regionally. They were also seeking more finance to upgrade the website, and for training.
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.1% Yes
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46.9% No
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
🚧 Big upgrades are on the way for Haast!
Motorists travelling on SH6 near Haast should be ready for some delays, with $5 million worth of work kicking off on important improvements to the highway.
The Gates of Haast Gorge bridge, which connects the 140km journey between Haast and Wānaka, is a crucial link — especially for locals and visitors heading to the West Coast glaciers.
A bit of patience now for safer, stronger roads ahead! 💛
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