Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai says problems with people being able to exit the gridlocked city centre during this morning's tsunami evacuation will be looked into.
Tsunami evacuation traffic congestion at Whangarei's Bank St/Dent St intersection today. Photo: Northern Advocate / Mike Dinsdale
"We will be reviewing egress from the city," Mai said.
She said people trying to find their way out of the city centre to higher ground would have felt anxiety as they faced clogged roads and congestion, and addressing the situation was important.
"Imagine the anxiety people would feel if a big tsunami came through and they were still in the queue to get out [of town]," Mai said.
Whangarei central city was this morning jammed with vehicles evacuating the city centre, which is in a tsunami evacuation zone.
Whangarei District Council chief executive Rob Forlong said there had been rush-hour-like conditions, with vehicles evacuating from the town and heading north past Whangarei Primary for about an hour and a half after he and council staff arrived at the school, the council's official tsunami evacuation point, about 9.20am.
Mai said options for evacuating on foot would be further considered.
Similar traffic congestion at Ruakākā during this morning's tsunami evacuation would also be considered.
Mai said the council had already identified a major traffic pinch point at the Princes Road bridge. Two-laning of this bridge was a project already in the council's draft long-term plan.
She said one option for addressing Ruakākā traffic congestion in a tsunami evacuation was to allow traffic to travel in the same direction on both lanes of a two-lane road. She wanted to discuss with police whether it was possible to waive the requirement for vehicles heading out of the area to travel in just a single lane.
Evacuations from Ruakākā included from New Zealand's only oil refinery at Marsden Point.
Bream Bay area encompasses a large flat area where access to higher ground is not close.
Mai said it was a great relief the forecast tsunami had not eventuated.
There had been advantages in the timing of the tsunami warnings.
There would have been quite different local ramifications if this morning's tsunami warning had happened at 3am.
She said one of the clear lessons learned from today's events was the huge benefit in being prepared beforehand.
"People need to have their emergency grab kit ready with water, snacks, medications and a phone charger [that can operate without electricity]," Mai said.
Whangarei Mayor Sheryl Mai Photo: Northern Advocate / Tania Whyte
She said council staff evacuation from Forum North and Walton Plaza and other spaces such as Whangārei Central Library had gone well.
About 500 people including council staff and others today evacuated to Whangārei Primary School, where they stayed for about four hours until the evacuation order was officially lifted at 3.45pm. The Covid Tracer app was used upon arrival at the evacuation point.
Central city staff including from local pharmacies, Pak'nSave and White Cross were also among the evacuees.
Toilets were made available at Whangārei Primary School and nearby Salvation Army.
Nearby Regent New World owner and former All Black Eric Rush donated a pallet of water to those at the school.
The school also provided KidsCan healthy snacks to the evacuees. The Salvation Army provided chicken and lettuce sandwiches and chocolate squares.
The council's hub at Forum North, plus its Walton Plaza building, is in a tsunami evacuation zone.
Local Democracy Reporting is a public interest news service supported by RNZ, the News Publishers' Association and NZ On Air.
