Eruptions on agenda

Last night’s eruption on Mt Ruapehu was just the sort of event a recently proposed advisory organisation, encompassing 20 North Island agencies and groups, will ultimately handle.


“The eruption has helped focus the reasons for forming this group, and a first duty will be to consider how various organisations and services responded to this, and how any improvements can be made,” says Shane Bayley, manager of Horizons Regional Council’s emergency management office.


The formation of a Central Plateau Volcanic Advisory Group was decided at a meeting in Taupo last Friday.


It will oversee the three mountains of the Central Plateau - Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro – and the volcanic hazards they present.


The group integrates the three lahar planning groups formed after the 1995 and 1996 eruptions as concerns grew about a major lahar, or mud flow, from the crater lake. This ultimately burst, without major incident, on March 18, this year.


“A lot of systems were put in place to cope with the lahar, and everything worked really well. The idea of this group is to keep up that good work, and go one step further by combining the three groups into one.


“This way we can address the three main volcanoes in the central North Island and we will address all volcanic activity, not just lahars.


“There are other volcanic advisory groups, but these have a strong focus on the science, whereas the new group will adopt a broader perspective, looking not only at the science but also emergency planning and awareness.”


One aim would be to ensure consistency in event planning.


“We need to make sure there are no overlaps, or gaps, then look at issues of co-ordination.”


Last night’s eruption was a good case study, says Mr Bayley. Starting at approximately 8.23pm and lasting seven minutes, it sent up a huge steam and ash cloud and created two minor lahars, which spilled down two sides of the mountain. The top of the mountain was blackened.


“In the overall scale of things, it was relatively minor, though serious enough to cause injury. But it happened without warning and there was some concern when there was talk about evacuating the mountain.”


Group membership comprises all the local and regional bodies within that area, government agencies – including GNS Science, the Department of Conservation and emergency services – plus organisations with vested interested, such as Ruapehu Alpine Lifts and local iwi


Chairmanship will alternate between Horizons’ and Environment Waikato, and the first meeting is to be held next year, on the anniversary of the lahar.