National Headquarters
Level 12
80 The Terrace
PO Box 2133
Wel ington
New Zealand
Phone +64 4 496 3600
13 May 2022
Harwood Wilson
By email: [FYI request #19152 email]
Tēnā koe Harwood
Information Request – Banks Peninsula Rural Fire resourcing
I refer to your official information request dated 17 April 2022 asking for the following
information
.
I believe there has been some change of resources within Banks Peninsula area
fol owing the change over from Christchurch City Council RFA to FENZ, I
acknowledge many of those resources were very dated. Please can you specify the
current rural fire resources in the Bank Peninsula area, by rural I mean all resources
NOT based at urban stations.
Please supply a list of resources which includes the fol owing:
1. Location of resource
2. Type of storage for resource: i.e. certificated building or shipping container.
3. Turnout method for resource: i.e. pager, manual phone calls, text
4. Number and type of mobile equipment per location: i.e. trailer or appliance
5. Any currently planned future additions to rural resource or stations within this
area.
6. Any rural resource locations that have been disbanded and brief reason why.
In accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982, please see responses to
your questions below.
1. Location of resource
Fire Stations (resources) are currently situated at Pigeon Bay, Little Akaroa, Okains
Bay, Le Bons, and Wainui Bay.
2. Type of storage for resource: i.e. certificated building or shipping container
The storage at Pigeon Bay and Little Akaroa are recorded as shipping containers.
Okaines Bay, LeBons and Wainui are based in Council owned sheds.
3. Turnout method for resource: i.e. pager, manual phone cal s, text
The turnout method for resources is via landline with phone trees within the Bays.
A phone tree is a method in which each person alerted is responsible for calling
another person to alert them of an incident. It is common in remote areas as people
are reliant on landline services due to limited cel phone coverage.
4. Number and type of mobile equipment per location: i.e. trailer or appliance
Each Fire Station has a ful y equipped Wajax Pump trailer but only Le Bons Bay has a Fire and
Emergency New Zealand 4x4 Ute with a Rural Smoke Chaser unit. The remaining stations use
local farm utes to tow the equipment trailers.
5. Any currently planned future additions to rural resource or stations within this area
There are no planned future additions at this stage. There are enough resources
available for an initial response until supporting appliances arrive to an incident.
6. Any rural resource locations that have been disbanded and brief reason why.
The only resource location that has been relocated is Duvauchel e Bay, which has
moved to Akaroa Station (5 km away). This was due to the unavailability of
firefighters locally in Duvauchelle Bay, and the landlord requiring their building for
their own use.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available
at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa nā
Julia McCook-Weir
Manager, Information Requests