Whakatāne District Council has begun work this week building facilities on council reserve land in Waiewe Street to help them be better prepared to respond to emergencies such as flooding and tsunami.

The council has engaged with various entities, including Horizon Networks and emergency services, to establish an alternative back-up location for Emergency Management operations.

The location already has existing facilities used by the Whakatāne Amateur Radio Club and is Eastern Bay of Plenty headquarters for Amateur Radio Emergency Communications, which works closely with the council to ensure communication can continue in case of damage to infrastructure in a natural disaster.

Climate change and resilience manager Lou Hunt said the council was set to start constructing additional garaging and workspace adjacent to the existing Waiewe Street Emergency Management building this week, with these backup facilities adding to the district’s emergency preparedness.

The site had long served as a hub for emergency preparedness, and the new facilities would enhance its functionality and resilience.

“Situated at an elevated location, the additional facility will act as an alternate Emergency Operations Centre to the council’s Civic Centre during large-scale flooding, tsunami events and any large-scale emergency events happening within our district,” Ms Hunt said.

“The additional office space will support the council’s Emergency Operations Centre staff, operations and training. This complements the existing facilities, which are actively used by the Whakatāne Radio Club and Amateur Radio Emergency Communications. The council continues to work closely with these groups.”

The project was part of the council’s long-term emergency resilience planning and had been in development for some time, she said. It reflected the council’s ongoing commitment to strengthening community readiness and response capability.

It is fully funded through central government’s Better Off Funding programme, with a total budget of $450,000. The funding programme is part of the last Labour-led Government’s Three Waters Reform process, to allow councils to progress and accelerate projects while ensuring minimal impact to ratepayers.

The council emphasises that the new facilities are not intended as a place for people to evacuate to.

To learn how to be better prepared for emergencies it encourages residents to visit the council’s website www.whakatane.govt.nz/services/emergency-management-whakatane-district.