"The exercise provided a valuable opportunity for our teams to all work together in a simulated real-world scenario," Mr Kelliher said in a statement.
The exercise, which happened late last month, was led by the regional council’s pollution response team, in collaboration with staff from the Queenstown Lakes District Council and its harbourmaster team — responding together to the simulated emergency scenario.
"It’s vital that we regularly test and refine our response strategies to ensure we can respond effectively to any environmental emergencies which may arise."
The exercise at Bay View Reserve at Kelvin Heights on Lake Wakatipu brought together 23 people across the three organisations, starting at 11am for three hours.
The exercise was designed to test the response protocols in the event of a potential environmental disaster, Mr Kelliher said.
"The scenario involved a collision between two vessels on the lake, leading to a significant discharge of oil and fuel into the water."
The training included deployment of a boom around the oil spill, a key tool used in oil spill management to contain and mitigate the spread of contaminants.
Mr Kelliher said the boom was essential in protecting sensitive water bodies, and the exercise allowed the teams to practise their deployment and co-ordination, ensuring that all agencies were prepared for an emergency.
The event highlighted the strong collaboration between the councils and harbourmaster, he said.
The oil spill exercise not only tested the technical aspects of spill containment but also emphasised the importance of teamwork and communication between multiple agencies in times of crisis. — APL
