The recent Gisborne earthquake was a red alert and now we have yet another major 7.8 earthquake centred on Kaikoura, with tsunami alerts, reinforcing that the Mount-Papamoa area urgently needs tsunami disaster alarm sirens that work. Warnings no matter how prompt are no good without disaster alarms in place. Bay residents must ignore shagging around with Tauranga City Council and go straight to the community funders, seeking a $250,000 grant to install 12 fit-for-purpose air-raid type sirens. No Resource Management Act consents would be required if sited properly and these sirens will give the Mount-Papamoa residents an excellent disaster warning system. The irrelevant TCC and elected members have done nothing for five years and that includes the current Mount Papamoa Ward councillors - all of whom should have been taken to task at recent the election but apathetic voters didn't do that. Get on with the installation urgently, because bridges to nowhere aren't the solution and some of us don't want to go to a watery grave. To enable appropriate responses warning systems need to be in place otherwise people won't even know there is a disaster, let alone access the evacuation routes. Doing nothing about practical disaster alarm sirens is not the answer or a viable option. All local councils need to be held accountable for their slack dilatory attitudes.

SL Paterson, Arataki.