Threats to public safety have come to light in accidentally released material for Emergency Management Southland.
A report prepared for a closed-door meeting last Friday has revealed the region does not have comprehensive evacuation mapping — important information should a tsunami strike.
As a result, emergency management faced decisions without adequate data three times this year.
"This placed additional pressure on the controller and duty officer and exposed significant risk in terms of public safety, operational clarity and community confidence," the report said.
It noted the issue had been on the radar for several years, but progress had been "constrained" due to cost.
When Local Democracy Reporting asked Environment Southland for comment on the report, the council said it had been published in error and had since been taken down.
A separate item relating to recruitment also appeared in the agenda and has since been confirmed as the replacement of Emergency Management Southland’s top boss.
Environment Southland confirmed new group controller Aly Curd was stepping away after less than a year in the role.
The council said she had resigned and would finish up at the end of October.
Following Ms Curd’s arrival in December, Southland faced at least two tsunami-related threats.
On March 25, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake off the region’s southwest coast prompted an emergency alert for potential danger near coastlines.
An 8.8magnitude earthquake near Russia on July 30 prompted warnings of tsunami activity around the country.
The report said the March and July events showed a lack of data could compromise public safety.
It also included a recommendation to exclude Fiordland from a proposed tsunami modeling package, which would drop the ballpark bill from $550,000 to $440,000.
A separate ministerial funding request was proposed for that section.
Council integrated catchment management general manager Lucy Hicks confirmed meeting attendees did not accept leaving Fiordland out because a "whole of Murihiku Southland" approach was needed.
Ms Hicks said although national-level evacuation maps existed, the report looked at the need for comprehensive and localised versions.
The Friday meeting related to Emergency Management Southland’s co-ordinating executive group, which includes representatives from the region’s four councils, emergency services, the Department of Conservation, the Ministry of Social Development, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, National Emergency Management Agency, mana whenua and Hato Hone St John.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
