Christchurch City Council is investigating why the test of 45 sirens between Brooklands and Taylors Mistake did not go ahead as planned at 11am.
The test will now be rescheduled to a later date, the council said in a statement.
Waitai Coastal-Burwood-Linwood Community Board member Jo Zervos has asked council staff for a report on what went wrong.
“No doubt we’ll hear back, it's one of those things that’s a major concern,” she said.
“It's a big wake-up call, or as someone said to me - it wasn’t a wake-up call at all.”
The council said in an actual tsunami residents would receive an emergency mobile alert alongside the sirens, social media, radio and other networks.
The sirens help provide an early warning for distant-source tsunamis, which could take more than three hours to hit Christchurch’s coastline, the council said last week.
Siren tests are done twice a year at the start and end of daylight savings to check the system is functioning.
During a test, residents hear a tone and the message: “This is a test of the tsunami warning sirens. Do not be alarmed. This is only a test.”
Coastal residents were urged to prepare for tsunamis by reviewing their evacuation plans and stocking up on necessary supplies.
Coastal residents who experience an earthquake, sudden rise or fall in water level, or loud or unusual noises from the water should move to high ground immediately or as far inland as possible.
