The recently inducted West Coast Regional Council. Andy Campbell, back left, Peter Haddock, Allan Birchfield, Mark McIntyre. Front: Peter Ewen, left, chief executive Heather Mabin, Frank Dooley, Brett Cummings. Photo: LDR / Brendon McMahon
The confusing structure of the region's civil defence organisation has been questioned by West Coast Regional councillors.
Westport councillor Frank Dooley hit the ground running at a meeting this week, by questioning how it worked, noting media headlines that the regional council had still not decided where to site evacuation centres in Westport.
Other councillors backed him, citing "11th hour" responses during floods and "headless chickens" running around.
Regional council meeting chairman Allan Birchfield said Civil Defence did need "a bit of a shake-up".
"It does need fresh ideas in there."
Dooley said the priorities -- such as where to have Westport evacuation centres -- needed to be clearer so residents already knew what to do.
"We shouldn't be making decisions in the middle of a flood."
West Coast Regional Council strategy and communications manager Nichola Costley said an evacuation plan for Westport had been ongoing, and was at the point of being "socialised" to stakeholders.
Dooley: "So if I want to have input, then I need to get a copy of the CDEM plan and provide feedback through the CEO? What reporting back function do we receive at this table?"
Council chief executive Heather Mabin replied "very little" and it tended to come back through the joint committee.
"What Civil Defence does is through the joint committee... we're just a cog within a much bigger piece of machinery," she said.
Planning and science manager Rachel Vaughan said the structure in an emergency involved the National Emergency Management Agency, the West Coast Emergency Management Joint Committee, and each district's civil defence group.
Councillor Brett Cummings said the complex structure needed addressing.
"I think the point that Frank is trying to make is that Civil Defence is a bit out of touch," Cummings said.
"Once upon a time every town hall was the point of contact, where people knew where to go...
"There's supposed to be information on all of that," he said.
Johnson Brothers Transport owner and new Westport councillor Mark McIntyre said that after having lived through at least three disasters, and being called upon to provide resources for the emergency response, his experience was "everything seems to be happening half way through".
"It's all 11th hour, rush, rush, rush, and it's too late."
McIntyre called for dedicated emergency centres with on-site fuel and generators, "ready to go".
South Westland councillor Andy Campbell noted disaster response in the region was generally focused on a particular district.
But he characterised what he had seen to be like "headless chickens" trying to respond.
He suggested deploying Fire and Emergency NZ, with their volunteer network across the region.
Mabin said there was a partnership plan in the wings including FENZ and other agencies.
"DOC are, as I understand it, responsible for all visitors to the region... It's a myriad of interconnected organisations," she said, to laughter from the table.
Councillor Peter Ewen noted that when "the big one" happened, referring to the Alpine Fault, then the various communities would have to look after themselves.
Cummings agreed.
"That's what it is - I don't see that the structure is that well connected."
Ewen said it was ironic, responsibility of looking after visitors to the region in a disaster event had been assigned to DOC.
"They couldn't look after 7000 snails in a fridge in Hokitika," he quipped.
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