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Manawatu more prepared for disasters
MEDIA RELEASE
Horizons Regional Council
Wednesday 29 February 2011
Manawatu more prepared for disasters following Canterbury quake
Households in the Manawatu have improved their preparedness for a disaster, according to a recent Colmar Brunton poll completed for the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management.
Within Manawatu 20% of households have indicated they are fully prepared if disaster struck, an improvement on the 15% reported in 2009. To be fully prepared a household will have an emergency survival plan, even for when they are not at home, will have emergency items and water and will regularly check and refresh these items.
Furthermore 36% of Manawatu households have indicated they are prepared at home which is up on the 33% reported in 2009. This is slightly more than the national average of 30% and means that these households are fully prepared if disaster struck, but not when they are away from home.
Manawatu’s statistics echo those around the country, as the Canterbury earthquakes seem to have spurred thousands of New Zealanders to improve their preparedness for a disaster. Perhaps the most significant statistic is the 60% of households nationally who indicated they took steps to prepare for an emergency as a result of the Canterbury earthquakes.
Horizons Regional Council Manager of emergency management, Shane Bayley has also found public interest and awareness of emergency preparedness in the home has increased in recent times.
“We are getting more people contacting us to find out what they need to do to prepare for a disaster, as they seem to understand that if disaster struck they could potentially be on their own for a number of days,” said Bayley.
“It is important households create a plan to look after themselves and their loved ones for at least three days or more. This would include such things as where to meet up after a disaster, where to store emergency survival items and what to have in your getaway kits.”
More detail on preparation for natural disasters is available from www.horizons.govt.nz or www.getthru.govt.nz.
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