Meeting calendar updated

The CDEM Group meeting calendar - linked on the sidebar, has been updated. At yesterday's EMO meeting the dates and times for rural fire meetings were confirmed. As we try and schedule the EMO meetings to run in line with these, we've adjusted a few EMO meeting dates.

I have removed the original calendar from the Google Group and replaced it with the new version.

The meeting on the 28th July follows what could be a big CEG agenda - the one where the completed CDEM Group Plan is endorsed before public submissions etc. If the CEG agenda starts to look too big we will cancel the EMO meeting.

On-line course

As part of the move to Microsoft Groove, I want to introduce staff to Groove and its capabilities in the simplest way possible. I've recently trialled the free on-line course linked below. I found this to be a useful programme and have asked some of the team for feedback before requesting that EOC and other staff work through the programme.

The pre-requisite is that you have a Microsoft Passport or Windows Live ID. The first hyperlink takes you to the sign-up page if you don't already have one of these. You will only need your e-mail address to sign up. Use your real name as this will print on the certificate at the end of the course.

Windows Live ID sign up.

Getting started with MSOffice Groove 2007.

I recommend that you have access to Groove so that you can do the 'labs' during the course.

I'd be interested in any comments you might like to add.

GIS portal

Horizons staff, on behalf of the CDEM Group, are currently working on a project to integrate GIS data from a variety of sources for use in day to day management of lifeline assets (by the utility operators) and emergency management decision making. This will include dynamic data relating to utility status and static data such as known hazards such as flood plains and earthquake faults. We believe that the project will be of interest to other CDEM Groups. Hawkes Bay Group has already expressed a significant interest and we are working collaboratively with Nigel and the team from HB in an effort to meet their needs too.

The project is in its infancy and as part of the development process we are inviting those interested to keep tabs on the project and to provide feedback throughout the process. At this stage, we think the end product will be a web portal with varying levels of access. Near real-time data will be fed into each layer by the agency responsible for the asset (or information contained in the layer). We hope to be able to achieve this without the agencies having to significantly change their operating systems or procedures... hopefully some clever automation can do this for us.

So far, we have posted information from the project management software to this site. We would welcome your feedback via our Google Group here.

Adrienne Bonnington is leading the development of this project from a technical perspective and I'm playing the part of the ever hopeful end user.

Nasties in the water

Science and hydro field staff have detected significant growths of the potentially toxic river cyanobacteria Phormidium sp. in the upper Manawatu River and tributaries. These growths have been responsible for the death of dogs in many parts of the country in the past few years. It is highly likely that these growths are also occurring in the lower Manawatu, Mangatainoka and other rivers throughout the region at the moment. Horizons are currently monitoring the growth of cyanobacteria at State of the Environment sites and working with the Cawthron Institute to address the risks caused by cyanobacterial toxicity in rivers.

The following information should be helpful for people working or recreating in rivers over the summer:

• Growths of potentially toxic cyanobacteria are relatively common on the bed of stony/gravel rivers in summer, during periods of warm water temperature and low flow and have been observed from time to time throughout the Region's rivers.
• Cyanobacterial growths are black and 'slimy' and tend to occur on the bed of shallow areas in the river.
• Affected rivers will have a strong 'musty' smell.
• The growths/mats can become exposed on gravel beaches or drift downstream as flows drop over summer.
• Toxicity to dogs (and stock) generally occurs through scavenging and ingestion of the algal material within the river, or on gravel beaches.
• Human contact with toxic cyanobacterial growths may cause skin irritation, but the main risk is to animals who may eat the material.
• Growths are likely to persist throughout summer until removed by elevated flows after rain.
• Any suspect black growths seen by staff should be reported, and if possible a GPS reference and photo taken.
• Members of the public should be advised when walking dogs to avoid allowing their dogs to scavenge in or along the gravel beaches of rivers that contain obvious black growths on the bed.

Here is a link to some useful information from DHBs in the Acukland area.

Checking out the bar...

It might sound like New Year celebrations but in reality, it's one of our new webcams up and running in Wanganui. The camera will help us to observe the effects of storm surge and wave activity in the vicinity of the Whanganui River mouth. The image is updated hourly but this can be adjusted from the office to provide a faster refresh rate.

For those who are not local, Wanganui is the city and district and Whanganui is the river. In the local Maori dialect, Whanganui is said without the traditional 'F' sound for 'wh'.

Here is a link to the Council's Whanganui webcam.
Here is a link to the Council's other webcams

Happy New Year

Well, it's day two back in the office and we haven't had an emergency yet (touch wood). This time last year we had a breach of a stop bank and rivers rising in several places.

Let's start the new year with some good news... the position for Principal Rural Fire Officer has been filled and Brent Fanning will be starting with the team in early February. Fortunately the fire season so far has been much quieter than last year. Brent comes to us from Horowhenua District Council where he is currently responsible for emergency management and rural fire for the district.

Stand down

I have returned from my UNDAC deployment earlier than expected. Having only made it to Brisbane and met with the team, I've had to return home due to a family emergency. Here is a link to the ReliefWeb page for Papua New Guinea for those still interested in the sea swell events.

As I am now officially on leave, the blog is likely to be quiet for the next few weeks.

I'd like to wish every a happy and safe Christmas and prosperous New Year.

The things we do...

Well, I thought the blog was going to go quiet for a few weeks while I'm on leave. Cancel that! A call has gone out for an UNDAC team to assist with the coastal inundation from unusually high sea levels in Papua New Guinea. Here is a link to the information on Reliefweb (this is updated regularly).

A team of four UNDAC members has been selected to assist with the response, especially as a second and possibly more significant event is coming through in the next few days. The team comprises Peter Muller (OCHA Fiji), Odeda Benin-Goren (Israel), Maj. Alan Toh (Singapore) and me. We will also have two IT experts from the Asia Pacific Humanitarian Partnership coming with us from Singapore.

At this stage, I depart on Tuesday morning. If time and communications permit, I'll keep you posted.

Group Plan update

The Joint Committee met last Friday and received and endorsed the first two chapters of the draft CDEM Group Plan (Chapter 1: Background and Chapter 8: Management and Governance). I provided some background for the Committee on the process to date and the sorts of discussions we have been having.

A couple of the key points were:

• Centrally co-ordinated and locally delivered emergency management is key to a consistent approach across the Group,
• A triennial business plan, agreed to and funded collectively by members, will drive the work programmes of the Group,
• We are following a nationally consistent approach to the layout for the revised Plan,
• The CEG and Joint Committee will endorse the entire draft Plan before it goes out for public consultation.

Members were happy with the progress to date and noted the effort that had been put in so far. Some feedback was received about the complexity of the Plan and discussion was had on the possibility of a summarised version being available for people that don't require the full technical and legal version of the Plan. This possibility will be explored with CEG members.