RAPID Number Replacement

How quickly the emergency services (fire, ambulance and police) can find your property could be potentially save your life or property from destruction? 

With this in mind, Whakatane District Council is initiating a district-wide project to replace all old Rural Address Property Identification (RAPID) number plates with durable materials that can withstand the harsh elements. 

Working in conjunction with the Eastern Bay of Plenty Emergency Services Coordinating Committee and Federated Farmers, the Council wants to ensure that the new design and number plates meet the standards and expectations such as not quickly fading or succumbing to the effects of the harsh weather conditions. Since the initial installation of RAPID numbers, approximately 75% of these have become illegible.   

The Council’s Community Projects Manager, Barbara Dempsey says the new numbers that will be installed over the next four months will be on materials that will last for a much longer period.  

‘The materials we are going to be using has been trialled and found to work well in other districts in the Baty of Plenty region’, said Mrs Dempsey. ‘Council staff will be out and about replacing the approx 8000 RAPID numbers across the district. An information brochure will be dropped in mailboxes prior to the installation in particular areas’ she added. 

About ten years ago, the Council adopted the national RAPID method for the numbering of rural residences and installed numbers across the district. RAPID numbers are allocated by measuring the distance to an entranceway of a property from the beginning of a road or major intersection; one side of the road given odd numbers, and the other even. 

The new numbers will be installed at a height of 900mm on the left hand side of the entranceway to the property facing the road so that they are legible either direction. The Council will also be verifying its information to ensure that the number allocated to a property is as accurate. 

For more information please contact, Community Projects Manager, Barbara Dempsey on 306 0500