Eruption blows civil defence budget sky high

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 617, 19 December 1995, Page 1

Eruption blows civil defence budget sky high

Civil defence spending for the Ruapehu District Council is already overspent for the 1995-96 year, by $2000, at the end of just five months of its financial year. The over-spending is due to the eruption on Mt Ruapehu, chief executive Cliff Houston told councillors at their meeting last Friday. The council had budgeted for a total expenditure of $61,000 and had already spent $63,000 by 30 November 1995. Mr Houston said also, that the eruption will impact on a lot of other council work as officer's time was diverted from what they should have been doing at the time. Over a three-week period, the council maintained a civil defence headquarters for 24 hours per day. "A lot of other work has fallen behind," he told councillors, " and it has had quite an adverse effect." Mr Houston told the council that because no official civil defence — — —

emergency was declared, they could not make any claim for compensation from central government. In answer to a councillor's question, he said no insurance cover would be available for a reasonable price. Staff thanked for efforts Cr Graeme Cosford moved that the council formally thank the staff involved in the civil defence work for their " tremendous effort". Mr Houston said he was very grateful for the efforts of his staff, saying many of them worked until late into the night only to be back at work early in the morning as well through the three-week period. "We were very much at the sharp end of things," he said, " and it opened our eyes to the scenarios and emergencies we could face." Other over-expenditure due to the eruption included extra testing of the Raetihi water supply. This budget item was 57.8 per cent spent by 30 November — 41 per cent into the financial year.