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THURSDSAY FEBRUARY 17, 2022
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FEBRUARY 17, 2022
New storm over Dovi By Mary Anne Gill
Waipā councillors are concerned the district council’s communications response during Cyclone Dovi at the weekend fell short of expectations with one saying it was woefully inadequate. The lack of information from the council through its Antenno App and social media channels was a “lost opportunity to engage and communicate with residents,” said Cr Susan O’Regan. Antenno is a free mobile app that helps councils and other public sector authorities engage and involve communities. At the Service Delivery committee meeting this week she said it would have been quite distressing for residents who had restrictions and in some cases damage to their property. And police constable Ryan Fleming, in a column for The Te Awamutu News, said the Police Communications centre found it increasingly difficult to get through to local authorities. He spent his early Sunday shift going to downed trees around the Waipā district. “It occurred to me during the day that when the proverbial hits the fan communities are often isolated and largely on their own as the relevant authorities are often swamped with calls,” he said. Council staff were continuing the clean up in Cambridge yesterday. Ex-tropical Cyclone Dovi swept through the district from Saturday afternoon and into Cr Mike Pettit told the Service Delivery noticeable lack of wind on Sunday. Sunday morning. committee he was shocked to see a Sally Sheedy, acting group manager Power was out throughout the region with helicopter still filming the cycling despite Community Services and Strategy said some consumers going without electricity being buffeted by winds. council’s priority was to make sure any for up to 48 hours. “If that came down, where would it have damaged trees were safe and then to clear Bruntwood, Hautapu, Tamahere, come down?” up any remaining debris. Pencarrow, SH1, Airport and Duncan roads Hamilton Police were urging residents Other services were communicating on seemed hardest hit by the cuts. not to go out and “we have a cycle race” social media and council did not want to The Narrows and Tīeke golf courses and cars on Facebook with bonnets being “over-filtrate” the messaging, she said. closed for health and safety reasons, trees crushed. But O’Regan said it was council’s fell across roads in Leamington and Ōhaupō “It just didn’t feel right,” said Pettit. responsibility to communicate with its and in car parks and footpaths while Ride Anecdotally it appears Dovi had more residents. Festival organisers closed off parts of its impact in Cambridge, Ōhaupō and Use of the Antenno App would have been cycling course due to high winds. an excellent way to communicate, she said. Tamahere; Te Awamutu contacts reported a
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Waipā sent no app messages over the weekend and posted twice on Facebook – encouraging residents to escape the heat by going to the pool and sharing a Waipā Networks post. In Hamilton, extra call centre staff were drafted in to help meet the surge in call demand and residents were told to report incidents through the Antenno App. The cost of the storm has been estimated at $20,000 to $30,000 but further clean-up costs are expected. See: Pictures of Waipā in the eye of the storm, pages 8 and 9.
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