Learnings from Christchurch

This month the Queenstown Lakes District Council will escalate a programme designed at sharing learning from the Canterbury earthquake, QLDC emergency management officer Brenden Winder said.

Staff from QLDC and Lakes Environmental joined other agencies and organisations from Queenstown to work in the Emergency Operation Centre in Christchurch.

“We had a mix of people working on the ground and for the Queenstown Lakes District the experience and the learning has been invaluable,’ Mr Winder said.

Seconded to both the September and February earthquakes, Mr Winder said the level of interest and awareness in the Queenstown Lakes continued to be understandably high.
“The situation is very real to our community, many have seen the destruction, many have friends and family who continue to be affected by these significant events. While there is awareness there is an opportunity for people to learn and prepare,” Mr Winder said.

In addition to a speaking series over the last few weeks, involving sharing images and stories with various community groups and schools in the district, the Council would next week host two public lunchtime lectures in Queenstown and Wanaka.
“It will be an opportunity for the community to come and find out what it was like during the initial response,” Mr Winder said. Joining Mr Winder would be other invited guests who would be called on add their perspective.

The experiences would also be captured in a special edition newsletter, which the Council would distribute at the end of the month.

“We felt it important to produce some material that would act as a reference for people to read and keep. It will cover learning and also reinforce what to do in an emergency and how to prepare,’ Mr Winder said.

Both the Wanaka and Queenstown Chambers would also host business continuity workshops for the business community, commencing the end of next week. “A workshop for large scale commercial operators was held today (Wednesday) and a Controllers and Councillors workshop, sponsored by the Ministry of Civil Defence Emergency Management, will be held later in the month.

The lunchtime lectures would be held on Monday June 13 at the Council Chamber on Gorge Road, Queenstown and Tuesday June 14 at the Oakridge, Wanaka. Both lectures would commence just after midday and finish before 1pm and people were encouraged to bring their lunch.