If you hear a continuous siren sounding a Tsunami warning at 10am on Sunday 7 April, remain calm, it’s only a test.

Fire sirens located in coastal Eastern Bay of Plenty communities have recently been converted to provide a tsunami warning system, which will be put into action for the first time to coincide with the end of daylight saving. Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki District Councils are jointly managing the siren test, which follows on from the release of the Eastern Bay Tsunami Evacuation Information booklet earlier this year.

The use of sprinklers and unattended irrigation systems has been banned throughout the Whakatāne and Ōhope urban areas until further notice.

As from 13 March, garden watering can only be undertaken with a hand-held hose, between the hours of 6.00am and 8.00am and 7.00pm and 9.00pm, on alternate days. Properties with an ‘odd’ street number (such as 3 or 23) can use a hand-held hose for garden watering on odd days of the month (March 15 or 17, for example). Properties with ‘even’ street numbers can only water on even days of the month (such as March 16 or 18).

It doesn’t matter if we win or not, we still think we have the best beach in New Zealand. That’s the message the Whakatāne District Council is sending with its call to get the whole community involved in our own version of the YouTube sensation, the ‘Harlem Shake’.

Whakatane and Ohope residents are being asked to conserve water now to avoid the inconvenience of restrictions, which could be required as early as next week if storage levels continue to fall.

Whakatāne District Council Infrastructure General Manager Tomasz Krawcyzk says the call for water conservation applies particularly to consumers connected to the Whakatāne and Ōhope schemes.

Knowing what to do if a tsunami occurs will now be clearer for residents along the Eastern Bay of Plenty coastline, thanks to the new Tsunami Evacuation Information booklet released this week.
 
Whakatane and Opotiki District Councils have jointly developed the booklet, which includes evacuation route maps, information about natural warning signs and how you can prepare for a tsunami.

Matatā residents are being invited to participate in the decision-making process which will determine how the town’s wastewater will be disposed of in future. The Whakatāne District Council is organising a public meeting for all Matatā residents (at the Matatā Rugby Club’s Division Street clubrooms at 6.00pm on Tuesday, 12 February) to discuss the options available and explain the implications of each option.

Whakatāne is to feature as a lunch and rest stop on the second leg of The Great British Car Rally next month.

More than 200 British-manufactured vehicles, old and new, are expected to take part in the rally, which begins in Auckland on 17 February and ends in Christchurch on 22 February. Day 2 (Monday 18 February) will see participants travel from Tauranga to Gisborne, with a two-hour stop scheduled in Whakatāne from noon till 2.00pm.

Water quality issues addressed

The Whakatāne District Council is taking action to address water quality issues affecting Whakatane and Ohope consumers.

A growing interest in the use of Whakatāne’s airspace for flight training purposes has prompted a trial next week to evaluate noise impacts from night flying.

Whakatāne District Council Manager Transportation Martin Taylor says the trial will run over two nights on 21 and 22 January, weather permitting, with flights operating from dusk till 1.00am.

“Flight paths that avoid flying over residential areas will be used wherever possible and we will measure noise levels in a range of locations in the vicinity of the Airport.”