Leaflets providing essential emergency preparedness information will be distributed to households in the Upper Clutha tomorrow (Friday November 17). 

Wānaka Community Response Group (WCRG) spokesperson Geoff McLeay told the Wānaka App the pamphlets are part of an awareness month the group is running to help improve natural disaster awareness and resilience in the community. 

The most significant natural disaster risk locally comes from the alpine fault, a geological fault which runs for about 800km up the spine of the South Island.

Scientific research indicates there is a 75 percent probability of an alpine fault earthquake occurring in the next 50 years and an 80 percent chance it will be a magnitude 8+ event.

“It tends to occur every 300 or so years,” Geoff said, “and we’re in that sort of region now.”

WCRG (an incorporated society and charity) was formed around 15 months ago to support emergency planning for an alpine fault or other event, and many of its eight committee members have experienced a natural disaster first-hand. 

“In the case of an emergency, other emergency organisations will be under-resourced….We will be the liaisons between them and the community,” he said.

That ‘during disaster’ work is one of the three key phases WCRG is building resiliency in, with the others being pre-event and post-event.

The leaflets are one of the ways WCRG is encouraging residents to get prepared pre-event.

“What we want to achieve in the ‘pre-event’ phase is to have a huge element of community awareness and resilience,” Geoff said. 

Following the steps in the leaflet (making a household plan, putting together emergency supplies and making your home safe, among others) and storing it in a safe, easy to access place, are a great way to get started. 

Geoff said the WCRG would run the November awareness month each year going forward “to repeat and build on what we are doing”.

He said the WCRG, which is still a fairly new group, also plans to build its relationships with other community response groups around the Upper Clutha and further strengthen those ties.

It is also looking for people who would like to become members of the WCRG - they can contact [email protected].

The emergency preparedness pamphlets will be distributed inside the Wānaka Sun newspaper tomorrow.

Read more: Risk of major earthquake more than doubled

PHOTO: Wānaka App