Back on deck

Well, it's good to be back and refreshed ready for the run up to Xmas. I've had a weeks leave and a week on an UNDAC refresher course and was in Taupo yesterday for the second Central Plateau Volcanic Advisory Group meeting. With only 1,124 e-mails in my inbox I'm sure I'll be getting to the one you sent me any day now!

First of all, let's welcome Stewart Davies QSM to the managers role previously filled by Matthew Smith at Palmerston North City Council. Stewart brings a wide range of experiences to the emergency management scene including that of a Director of Land SAR New Zealand and a local SAR advisor.

The CPVAG meeting in Taupo provided a good opportunity for members to be updated on activities over the past 6 months. Further work is on-going with the review of the monitoring networks and the development of the Volcanic Strategy for the Group. I'm pretty sure that the Group will continue to refine the arrangements for a co-ordinated response to activity as well as day-to-day initiatives of members.

The first of the CDEM Group Plan review response mini workshops is being held tomorrow for CEG members. This meeting will set the direction for the preparation of the response chapter of the plan. A Welfare Advisory Group meeting is scheduled for next week to get officer input to welfare response issues. This will all be written up in time for a further response workshop to confirm the chapter before it goes to CEG. Here is a link to all the posts about the Plan review.

The Horizons EOC was activated on two occasions while I was away. The team managed events well including an opening of the Moutoa Floodgates. I also heard good reports of the new equipment in the EOC. Well done team!

Task Force Green work continues to be co-ordianted by Ross Brannigan in the Manawatu and Rangitikei districts. There is still a little bit of clean up work to do from the storm event of July.

OK - that's a quick update... more regular posts to come.