Updated tsunami evacuation maps will be delivered to all households within the Mount and Papamoa evacuation zones later this month.

Tauranga City Council emergency management manager Paul Baunton says the printing and distribution of the maps is being funded by NZ Post after a delivery error in January meant residents were sent evacuation maps for areas they did not live in.

During the week starting March 13, households will receive a copy of four separate brochures showing the tsunami evacuation zones for the Mount, Arataki, Papamoa and Wairakei.

Paul says NZ Post agreed to redeliver the maps at its own cost and suggested delivering all four brochures to each household.

'This is a great outcome and we are now able to give everyone evacuation maps for the entire coastal strip between Mount Maunganui and Wairakei.”

All of the maps were updated in December 2016, while the maps for Arataki, Papamoa and Wairakei were updated again in February to reflect minor changes to road and walkway networks.

Maps for Arataki and Wairakei (formerly Bayfair and Papamoa East) have been re-titled to better reflect local area names.

Paul says the evacuation maps are a prompt for residents to make their evacuation plans now, rather than when an evacuation is occurring.

'Use the maps to work out where you need to go to escape a tsunami, and practice your route.

'If you feel an earthquake that lasts longer than a minute or is strong enough to knock you over, that's the first and most reliable sign that a tsunami could be on the way. You should evacuate as soon as you can after that earthquake.

'We recommend you walk to avoid crippling traffic jams. The maps show there are safe locations and areas within achievable walking distances from most places along the coast.”

Tauranga area manager Trevor Grainger says NZ Post recognise people spend time in different parts of the coast, so they want to make sure everyone has access to important evacuation information for all areas.