Standing as a Candidate at Large has given me the opportunity to listen to the concerns of the electorate from right across Tauranga.
An overriding concern that is emerging is the unease felt in Papamoa and other coastal settlements about the failure to provide not only an effective Tsunami Alert Warning but also to provide realistic advice as to what action to take.
This is a complex issue which has national implications but the Christchurch earthquake should be a wake-up call to our Council that waiting five years for an effective alert system and appropriate advice is unacceptable. Even if we do have to wait for some national response there should be no problem with issuing advice at the local level which is where it must be generated.
For instance, if the warning received is very short are people better off staying in their homes or making a run for the hills?
The answer will depend very much on the individual geographic location and distance from the sea. It may be better to take a chance in a house rather then be caught in a car in the inevitable jam as people flock to the only two realistic evacuation points to the area.
I have a background in large scale disaster planning and evacuation control and offer my assistance to help complete the local part of this urgently needed work.
David Love, Tauranga.