Tsunami sirens of limited benefit
Tsunami warning sirens that sounded across Auckland in a test-run at the weekend are not favoured by our national emergency agency.
Civil Defence
Response better for emergencies
Response better for emergencies
The way a civil defence emergency in Dunedin would be managed has changed, with improvements informed by lessons learned in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes.
Emergency alert system promoted
Emergency alert system promoted
A civil defence alert system has been suggested for the lower Waitaki Valley, in particular to warn residents if a dam breaks.
Emergency HQ stays
Emergency HQ stays
Civil defence emergencies will be managed from the Waitaki District Council headquarters in Oamaru from now on, despite lingering concerns about how safe the three-storey building would be in an earthquake.
Post-quake uncertainty creates civil defence refresher
Post-quake uncertainty creates civil defence refresher
Uncertainty over the Maniototo's civil defence plan should a natural disaster strike has led to holding an information evening.
Civil Defence HQ may be relocated
Civil Defence HQ may be relocated
The Waitaki civil defence headquarters in Oamaru may be shifted for major emergencies because the present site is not adequate.
Civil Defence could have done more: Carter
Civil Defence could have done more: Carter
Civil Defence could have communicated better with frustrated business owners in Christchurch, its minister John Carter says.
Post-quake cash payouts total exceeds $6.2m
Post-quake cash payouts total exceeds $6.2m
Nearly 40,000 Civil Defence payments have been made to those affected by the Christchurch earthquake, including more than 1300 to people who have relocated to the Southern region.
Civil defence trio know their quakes
Civil defence trio know their quakes
Three civil defence emergency managers from Christchurch are giving other civil defence officers from around the South Island insights into the real thing at a conference in Dunedin this week.
Tsunami response exercise
Tsunami response exercise
While the people of Otago went about their daily business yesterday, Civil Defence was hard at work preparing the region for a one-in-2500-year disaster.
Built upon the sand - Otago's quake hotspots
Built upon the sand - Otago's quake hotspots
On Otago Regional Council earthquake maps, areas of liquefaction spread across the province like old-fashioned ink blots.
Quaking in our boots: How prepared is Dunedin?
Quaking in our boots: How prepared is Dunedin?
The Christchurch earthquake has raised the obvious question of whether Dunedin is likely to be similarly struck, and how prepared the city is to cope. Mark Price and Kim Dungey report.
Old timers could get wobbly
Old timers could get wobbly
Dunedin has a reasonably large number of unreinforced masonry buildings typical of those that failed in the Canterbury earthquake.
City stands ready
City stands ready
Collapsed buildings, landslips and disrupted services would face Dunedin people in a large earthquake.
The last good shake
The last good shake
The only earthquake to cause significant damage in Dunedin occurred on April 9, 1974.
Preparedness more an every day issue
Preparedness more an every day issue
When disaster strikes, items in everyday use around your house can make you better prepared than having a survival kit, says Dunedin's civil defence manager.
Quake loss likely to be same here
Quake loss likely to be same here
Dunedin's heritage buildings would bear the brunt of a 7.1 magnitude earthquake centred on the city, with damage likely to be the same as in Christchurch, a seismic expert says.
Central Otago 'as well prepared' as possible
Central Otago 'as well prepared' as possible
Central Otago is "as well prepared as we can be" for a significant earthquake, Mayor Malcolm Macpherson says.
Civil Defence emergency teams test snowstorm response
Civil Defence emergency teams test snowstorm response
An exercise to test the capacity and effectiveness of civil defence and emergency teams during a major snowstorm affecting almost all the Otago region will be held next week.
Interest in civil defence
Interest in civil defence
Every cloud has a silver lining: at least something positive has come out of flooding which hit North Otago after heavy rain at the end of May.