Dunne Peter: General Debate 
Dunne Peter: General Debate 
[Volume:654;Page:3166] 
Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) 
: 
 Yesterday I was challenged by the Wellington City Council to stop pushing fiction and to concentrate on the facts with regard to the civil defence of this city. This afternoon I intend to do just that. 
The Wellington City Council has been reviewing its civil defence arrangements for some time. A very “high-powered” review team has been engaged: a Mr Stavros Michael who was the director of infrastructure for the Wellington City Council a Mr Mike Mendonca who runs city operations—we know that as including the rubbish tip—and Ms Jennifer Collins from human resources. As a consequence of their review as of last Friday the five permanent staff at the Wellington Emergency Management Office had all left. Earlier as a consequence of the review the network of volunteers—ever diminishing—around the city had been advised that because there was no technical officer or training officer available all volunteer courses had been cancelled until further notice. 
When I challenged Mr Mendonca yesterday on that point he said “Oh but we’ve got coverage from two other people seconded into the office in the interim.” By the end of the interview that figure had mysteriously grown to four. The reality is the round figure of zero. Mr Mendonca went on to say in a media statement yesterday that Wellington City Council was now in the process of appointing a new team—so it is not actually in place yet—but also that it had a network of hundreds of people around the city and around the council ready to step into the breach in the event of a civil emergency in the city. 
The plain fact is this: there is no civil defence structure in place. There is something called the Wellington City Council crisis management team which is actually culled from different parts of the council but relies very heavily on input from the Fire Service and the police. We have a team of operators at the Wellington Public Library who have apparently been trained to operate radio telephones but it is not actually clear to whom they report in the event of an emergency. When an official—one of those who has departed—was questioned by volunteers as to his assessment of the situation in Wellington his answer was a resounding no saying there is not enough help to help with the city in the event of a major civil emergency the police would have to take over and beyond that people had to realise that individuals would have to be responsible for their own areas for probably nearer to 3 months than the 3 days previously referred to. He also said none of the local civil defence centres were effectively operational and in large parts of the city there were no civil defence volunteers at all. 
I draw this to the attention of the House for two reasons. Firstly it is appalling that in the capital city of this country sited on a network of major earthquake fault lines this situation has been allowed to occur. Secondly and more seriously I accept that the council may be undertaking a review but why the secrecy? Why the lies? Why the threats to city council members and community board members that they will be up before the council on a breach of conduct if they dare to criticise council officers publicly? 
This issue is far too important for petty political games of this type. The Wellington City Council has to learn to accept some responsibility. It has to put in place an effective system. It has to stop the fob-offs that are going on at the moment when it says there is a mythical network of people out there to deal with the city in the event of a major emergency. Nature unfortunately does not sit back and wait for the Wellington City Council to be ready. I think those council members think it does. We have to have some clear and effective decisions. 
The Wellington City Council keeps offering to give me a briefing on the subject. I say that is fine; I am happy to accept that. I have said to the council that I will do so on one condition: that all of the people who have been expressing concern to me from around the city are entitled to receive the same briefing. The Wellington City Council’s answer to date has been a resounding silence. I am going to give it the opportunity. I am convening a meeting of all the civil defence volunteers this coming weekend. I am inviting the Wellington City Council to attend and to spell out to them the full and unexpurgated detail of the review—what is happening what the time frame for its completion is and what the structure will be when that is completed—and more important what the plan is in precise detail right now in the event of a civil emergency in the city. There are over 400000 people in Wellington. Their lives are at risk every day that this prevaricating bumbling and inefficient council—the best argument yet for a super-city—continues in this vein.