About two dozen staff - most from the Northland Regional Council - will be taking part in an oil spill exercise at Ruakaka on Wednesday April 02.

The several-hour long exercise will centre on a fictional 750-litre waste oil spill which has found its way into the Ruakaka River near the end of Tamure Place.

A variety of equipment including booms to contain the fictional oil will be deployed. Council workboats and a drone will also be used as part of the exercise, which will also look at ways to protect local wildlife.

Tsunami Siren Testing

Northland’s six-monthly tsunami siren test will occur on Sunday, 06 April. This marks the first test of the newly upgraded sirens. The new sirens will sound at 10 am for about a minute, with performance closely monitored. Unlike the old system, the new sirens can be monitored remotely, reducing prolonged testing. 

The upgraded network will include over 90 outdoor sirens, enhancing coastal community safety. More than 80 sirens will be operational for this test, covering 97% of the previous area. The old sirens will remain operational until the new network is fully functional, but will not be tested. Indoor sirens will also not be tested, but should be checked manually. Feedback on the test can be provided on the day using a feedback form available on the Northland Regional Council website.

To find out more about the upgrade project, visit: www.nrc.govt.nz/sirenproject

To hear Northland’s new outdoor sirens online, visit: www.nrc.govt.nz/tsunamisirens

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