Residents' spokeswoman Kris Vollebregt said yesterday sirens would give those who live on Little Mt Iron and nearby Mt Iron a better chance of escaping a fire if it was to sweep across the area's kanuka-clad slopes.
Mrs Vollebregt said she had researched the use of sirens a year ago but a vegetation fire two weeks ago in the nearby Hikuwai Conservation Area, which spread to a house in Albert Town and threatened others, had added urgency to the matter.
Although the fire risk had dropped back from ''extreme'' to ''high'', fires had occurred even when the fire risk was moderate or low, she said.
One of the issues for home owners in the area was that the council had given resource consent to subdivisions there despite access roads being steep, narrow and difficult for fire engines to use, Mrs Vollebregt said.
There were also covenants restricting the amount of kanuka that could be removed from sections.
Residents had liaised closely with the Wanaka Volunteer Fire Brigade, which had been helpful, she said, but she believed sirens to warn residents to leave the area were also needed.
The Waitaki District Council had installed two solar-powered sirens near forests in its area at a total cost $8500 and she believed the Queenstown council should have the ability to pay for something similar from its civil defence budget, Mrs Vollebregt said.
Today's meeting will be attended by representatives of the residents, the council, the Department of Conservation and the New Zealand Fire Service.
