Award-winning AF8 Roadshow Visits More West Coast Communities

The award-winning AF8 [Alpine Fault magnitude 8] roadshow is visiting more communities in the West Coast this year, to help more people be better prepared for a large-scale earthquake.

The "AF8 Roadshow: The Science Beneath Our Feet", sponsored by Toka Tū Ake EQC, will tour the South Island for its third time from March to June, sharing world-leading science with local communities.

University of Otago’s Associate Professor Caroline Orchiston and scientist Jane McMecking, who has been carrying out landslide research on the West Coast, will visit communities in Haast and Fox Glacier to talk about how the region could be affected and encourage people to have conversations, identify resources and create plans.

The roadshow will return to the West Coast in May too, with the public events being hosted by West Coast Emergency Management.

• Wednesday 29 March – 7pm, Haast Community Hall
• Thursday 30 March –7pm, Fox Glacier Community Hall
• Monday 29 May –7pm, Westport NBS Theatre, 105 Palmerston Street
• Wednesday 31 May – 7pm, Greymouth Regent Theatre
• Thursday 1 June – 7pm, Hokitika Regent Theatre

The roadshow aims to share the Alpine Fault hazard science with communities to improve understanding of the hazard risk and enable conversations on how to be better prepared. This year the tour includes 22 public talks and 11 school sessions, around the South Island.

AF8 Programme Manager, Alice Lake-Hammond says the roadshow plays a critical role in raising awareness and increasing preparedness for the next large Alpine Fault earthquake, and any similar large-scale events.

“By sharing the science with communities in a context that is relevant to them, we can support informed decision-making at a local level. It’s about understanding how our landscape moves, so we can be better prepared to move with it," says Alice Lake-Hammond.

Toka Tū Ake EQC Chief Resilience & Research Officer Dr. Jo Horrocks says that recent weather events have shown how important it is we be prepared for different natural hazards.

“Cyclone Gabrielle and other recent storms have shown how much our lives can be turned upside down by natural hazards. A significant event on the Alpine Fault has the potential to impact the entire South Island and beyond, so it’s so important that we’re well-informed and doing all we can to build our resilience now."

Associate Prof. Caroline Orchiston, the AF8 Science-lead, stated, "We can't predict when earthquakes will occur, but scientific research has shown that the Alpine Fault has a history of generating regular, large earthquakes. The next major Alpine Fault event is likely to occur within our lifetime, and we must take steps now to prepare."

Events are hosted by the six South Island CDEM Groups and supported by world-leading earthquake research and science experts from Resilience to Nature's Challenges, QuakeCoRE, GNS Science, University of Otago, University of Canterbury, and the University of Auckland.

The AF8 Roadshow is part of an ongoing series of activities designed to support conversations and knowledge sharing around large natural hazard events like an Alpine Fault earthquake, ensuring that communities and agencies are collectively better prepared.

For more information, contact:

• West Coast Emergency Management: Claire Brown, Group Manager 0278363975.
• AF8 Programme for media requests and the AF8 Roadshow: Alice Lake-Hammond, AF8 Programme Manager, 027 330 3925
• AF8 resources and communications: Alanah Knibb, AF8 Communication & Engagement Coordinator, 021 2679961
• Toka Tū Ake EQC for media requests around public education and natural hazard preparedness: Lisa Cooke, 0273796576

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