Bay of Plenty Regional Council is calling for residents to have their say about how councils should manage the potential impacts of natural hazards in the region.

Regional planner Martin Butler says everyone is invited to attend a ‘Living with risk' community session from 4pm-6pm in Tauranga on Monday, March 10 or in Paengaroa on Tuesday, March 11.

Natural hazards, including tsunamis, floods and earthquakes, are up for community discussion.

Community sessions are also being run in Rotorua, Whakatane, and Opotiki during the week of March 10.

'A natural disaster could happen in the Bay at any time. Fewer than 27 per cent of us are adequately prepared for that, so it's important to think carefully about how we can minimise the damage of such an event to our lives and livelihoods,” says Martin.

'The Natural Hazards Policy of the Bay of Plenty Regional Policy Statement will guide district and city plan rules that influence where people live and work, and how they develop land and infrastructure.” Martin says council is currently reviewing that policy and needs information from the community to do so.

'Information gathered from the community sessions will help us to ensure a good balance between individual and shared responsibility in the policy.

'We'd also love to hear from anyone who can't attend a community session but would still like to have their say.”

For venue details and to register, contact Marie Radford at Bay of Plenty Regional Council, phone 0800 884 880 or email: [email protected].