Tsunami Warning Sirens

2. Community Petition
TO: Thames Coromandel District Council, Mayor Sandra Goudie, Gary Towler - Civil Defence and
CDEM - Civil Defence Emergency Management Stop the Silencing of the
Tsunami Sirens on The Coromandel Peninsula! Emergency
sirens are a crucial component of our alert system for the Community and are relied upon by the
everyone; the elderly, parents, workers, school children as the most reliable medium to alert
Deactivating our sirens not only affects people’s lives, it actually puts them in jeopardy in critical
situations. Recently there were 3 major earthquakes in a 6-hour period and our community was
alerted three hours after the last earthquake which measured 8.1 on the Richter Scale. This is
unacceptable. We request this decision be reversed and the emergency sirens system be
until community consultation and feedback is taken and an effective replacement IDENTIFIED and
IMPLEMENTED.

3. Please join our fb page for further info & to
sign the petition.
Fb Page
Tsunami
sirens
Silenced in

4. A Statement by the Mayor: Talk to Central Government – it was their decision
to deactivate the sirens!
We spoke to the Senior secretary of the NEMA Minister &
asked him if the decision was made by Central Govt to
deactivate our sirens? He said, not under any circumstances,
the standards are set by us and its up to each individual
Council to make their own decision.

5. Extract from a NEMA Letter dated 31 July 2020
In March 2020 I was advised that the Waikato CDEM Group Joint
Committee formally resolved that they strongly encourage
Group member authorities to be compliant with all aspects of
the Technical Standard from 30 June 2020. However, I was also
advised that the Thames Coromandel District council (TCDC)
would be unable to meet the siren signal component of the
Standard by 30 June. I commend the position of the Joint
Committee. At the same time, the absence of clear pathway and
target date with regards to compliance for the TCDC sirens is a
concern

6. No Public Consultation?

7. The Community response has been swift, constant & one voice
“We want the Tsunami Sirens reactivated”
Come 30TH September 2021 sirens for the purpose of alerting Tsunami warnings are to be disconnected.
TCDC have held public meetings in Whitianga, Tairua, Pauanui and Whangamata on the 12th/13th April. It was
an opportunity for TCDC, Emergency Management Unit and Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) staff to tell
you their side of the Tsunami Siren Silencing.
It is a pity, that of the 18 sirens on FENZ property none were considered to be upgraded to a multi-tonal
capability and become a link into a public emergency alerting system.
You are all encouraged to download the New Zealand Red Cross Hazard App and to have your mobile telephone
always turned on 24/7 and with you to receive the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) mobile
alert.
Your Mayor said to put in submissions to the Long-Term Plan for Tsunami Siren retention! The question has been
asked “how the submissions will be shown in the long-term plan before any public discussion on the Long-Term
Plan in May?”
Reactivate/Reinstate/Upgrade the Tsunami Sirens
on The Coromandel Peninsula!

8. TCDC NOTIFICATION OF SIRENS DISCONNECT TO
COROMANDEL RESIDENTS = CONSULTATION

9. There Are Community
Response Teams in
each CRP Active
township.
Do you know of any
of them?

10. My question(s) to you the Mayor are:
How do you acknowledge to the public that siren submissions have been received?
How do you acknowledge the Long-Term Plan has been altered to include sirens?
Will you re-issue the Long-Term Plan with a line item of siren replacement?
Having stated clearly to the public that TCDC will accept Tsunami siren submissions it is expected that in some
manner you will publicly acknowledge your pledge to the community.

11. SUMMARY OF AGENCY INPUT
THAMES COROMANDEL DISTRICT COUNCIL (TCDC) = NO TO CONSULTATION + NO TO
FINANCING + NO TO TSUNAMI SIRENS + STATED TWICE + INPUT INTO THE LONG-TERM PLAN A
COMPLETE FARCE.
NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (NEMA) = NOT FUSSED ABOUT SUPPORTING
SIRENS + SUPPORTIVE OF THE MOBILE ALERTING SYSTEM.
FIRE AND EMERGENCY NEW ZEALAND (FENZ) = NOT HAPPY ABOUT SHARING ITS SIREN
NETWORK + NOT HAPPY WITH OTHER AGENCIES OVERRIDING THE FENZ SIREN NETWORK +
FENZ DOES NOT DO TSUNAMI’S + FENZ SIREN REPLACEMENT DOES NOT INCLUDE “VOICE-
OVER” OR MULTI-TONAL CAPABILITY.
COMMUNITY BOARDS = GENERALLY REPEATED MYTHS AND STATEMENTS MADE BY TCDC +
SHOWED VERY LITTLE ENTHUSIASM FOR TSUNAMI SIREN INSTALLATION.

13. FROM THIS TO THIS

14. $90,000 NZD Supplied by
Bartons Sound Systems-
Auckland

15. $75,000 NZD Supplied by Barton
Sound Systems-Auckland

16. SAMPLE AUDIO
MAPPING-WHITIANGA-
INFORMATION SUPPLIED
BY AMERICAN SIGNAL
CORPORATION & BARTON
SOUND SYSTEMS (NZ).

17. • SAMPLE AUDIO
MAPPING –COOKS
BEACH. INFORMATION
SUPPLIED BY
AMERICAN SIGNAL
CORPORATION AND
BARTON SOUND
SYSTEMS (NZ).
E-Class directional 1600

18. • SAMPLE AUDIO MAPPING –
HAHEI. INFORMATION SUPPLIED
BY AMERICAN SIGNAL
CORPORATION AND BARTON
SOUND SYSTEMS (NZ).

19. • SAMPLE AUDIO MAPPING-
PAUANUI INFORMATION
SUPPLIED BY AMERICAN
SIGNAL CORPORATION AND
BARTON SOUND SYSTEMS
(NZ)

20. WHITIANGA EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN
http://www.tcdc.govt.nz/Emer
gency-Management-
Unit/Community-Response-
Plans/

21. # Road Access –
More than one road exit.
Is the roadway wide
enough?
Pull over bays?
Are there signs showing
which road to use?
# Services at the
Emergency Destination- Is
there a shelter (Barn),
Water Access, Cooking
Access, Communication
Aerials, Solar USB
Charging Outlets
Centennial Drive

22. JOHN
GRANT’S
INPUT

24. Questions
and Answers

25. Moving
Forward…
Where to
from here