Te Puna arms up in case of disaster

Heavy rain caused sever surface flooding on SH2 between Te Puna and the Whakamarama turn-off at Barret Rd. Photo/file

A group of Te Puna residents have taken matters into their own hands and established their own civil defence plan in the event of a natural disaster.

The Te Puna Heartlands group have created an 'all bases covered' civil defence plan to guide the community through a range of natural disasters.

Heartlands' Chairman Richard Comyn said the "Achilles' heel of Te Puna" was the potential for the community to be isolated in a natural disaster.

"Not only is Te Puna vulnerable due to being coastal, but it risks isolation if access to the north was prevented by road closures on State Highway 2 and to the south if there was no bridge access over the Wairoa River," he said.

The new plan details responses in the aftermath of an earthquake, tornado, landslip, tsunami, volcanic eruption, tropical cyclone or flood.

Other risks identified include coolstore fires and agri-chemical spills associated with the kiwifruit industry.

The area covered by the plan extends from Te Puna Stream in the north, Minden Ridge to the West, coast to the East and the Wairoa River to the south.

Te Puna has about 700 homes and is split geographically by the main Auckland to Tauranga highway and by the East Coast railway.

The plan, funded by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, also aligns with other plans including the Kaimai Management Plan and the Tauranga Moana Cycleway project.

Western Bay communities that also have response plans include Athenree, Katikati, Matakana Island, Omokoroa, Waihi Beach and Wright Road.