Issue 966 - 7 September 2021 (07) 866 2090 - [email protected] Circulation 8,200 Sirens’ roar replaced by a “Whispir” By Gillian O’Neill The drawn-out debate over the fate of the Coromandel Peninsula’s tsunami sirens looks to be at an end as the devices are finally decommissioned this month. Thames-Coromandel’s Civil Defence controller, Garry Towler, confirmed that contractor, Kordia, would have commenced disconnecting the network from mid-August with the process taking up to a month. However, this would have been delayed by the recent Covid-19 lockdown. Mr Towler said the move towards alternative emergency alert mechanisms had now largely been accepted by local communities, including Mercury Bay, where 10 resident and ratepayer representative groups had indicated they would not be funding or contributing to the costs of new sirens. Speaking to Thames-Coromandel District Council’s Emergency Management Committee recently, Mr Towler said the extensive communications undertaken by council with residents, including a booklet on emergency preparedness which had been distributed to households, had helped allay fears. The tsunami sirens on the Coromandel Peninsula are to be finally decommissioned this month. The Civil Defence controller met with representatives from the 10 Mercury Bay produced because it has come to back to us little or no cellular reception. ensure they are registered. The system will groups on 9 August. “Some of them are that it was a great calmer. It calmed the farm According to Mr Towler, TCDC will have operate in addition to the National Mobile reluctantly accepting what we are doing, in those communities when that booklet was the platform operational by December this Alert System which many have become and some are quite relaxed and happy to move handed out, they understood it.” year. It will initially be used for internal familiar with during the Covid pandemic with on with the new technology,” he outlined. In recent years, TCDC has argued that sirens communications for staff and be rolled out news of major alert level changes arriving to “The communities we still have to are outdated and unreliable and thus should for public sign-up next year. Residents will be people’s mobile phones with a shrill alarm. work with in terms of getting some sort of no longer be part of the Thames-Coromandel able to select how they would like to receive Meanwhile, Mr Towler confirmed the agreeance are Tairua, Pauanui and Whitianga. District’s Emergency Plan. The re-vamped the alerts - text, email or voice call, and the first 21 new tsunami evacuation information The rest of our communities are accepting of plan includes a $225,000 investment in system could be used for any localised alert boards will be installed on the outside of the disconnection.” upgraded tsunami evacuation signage and such as fire, flooding, etc. beachfront public toilets and beach reserve There are a total of 27 sirens on the a new communications platform, Whispir - The service will be free for residents and accessways along the eastern seaboard of Peninsula. a system being set up by the Waikato National in particular will be targeted at vulnerable the Coromandel between Whangamata and Mr Towler agreed with members of the Emergency Management Group for the use of residents who cannot be reached through Whitianga between now and November this committee that communication would all 21 local councils in the region. other means due to not having a cellphone/ year. The second phase of installation from continue to be key going forward. “We were As well as quickly sending alerts out via internet or poor mobile and broadband Whitianga to Kennedy Bay will take place always going to get to this point sooner multiple social media channels, websites and coverage. TCDC’s Emergency Response between November and March next year, or later,” he said. “What we have to do is text message, Whispir also has the capacity Unit intend to work with local community with the west coast communities following continue to promote that booklet that we to make automated voice calls to those with response teams to reach these individuals and through to July next year. Distributed throughout the Coromandel Peninsula, coast to coast from Thames to north of Colville - www.theinformer.co.nz OPC aims to attract staff with living wage and wellbeing focus By Stephan Bosman Whitianga-based mussel processor, OPC, “Aquaculture has also been hit by the inability announced last week that they will be of seasonal workers to get through the New introducing a living wage for their 2021/2022 Zealand border as a result of the Covid-19 season with a starting rate of $22.75 per hour pandemic, like many other industries,” for new staff. Hygiene assistants will start at says Andrew. “Our industry is lobbying the $23.50 per hour, increasing to $27.50 per hour government for an exemption similar to the one when fully trained. the horticulture industry received, but there’s The 2021/2022 season is expected to start no progress yet. later this month or early October. “We’re hoping that the way we’re looking “Experienced mussel openers on our after our employees here at OPC will put us increased contract piece rate can expect to earn to the front of the queue when people are job up to $35 or even $40 per hour,” says OPC hunting. What we’re ideally looking for are managing director, Andrew Selby. “Over the employees we can build relationships with and course of our 45-week season and working who’ll be happy to work at OPC for many years eight hours per day, five days a week, some to come.” our experienced openers will be able to earn The OPC living wage is in line with the $63,000 and more.” hourly rate Living Wage Movement Aotearoa On top of paying staff the living wage, New Zealand set to be effective from the OPC will be providing their employees beginning of this month. complimentary breakfast every day of the OPC Greenshell™ Mussels are all exported working week. to North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Andrew says their decision to improve The OPC brand is highly regarded overseas. the conditions of employment for their staff Andrew says the hospitality and food service stems from the fact that Whitianga has seen, industry ground to a halt in the markets they sell like many other places, a significant increase into during the Covid-19 pandemic, but activity in the cost of living. “Housing is the obvious is starting to pick up again. “It was a tough 18 example,” he says. “Just to have a roof over months,” he says. “We couldn’t stop processing your head comes at an enormous cost. Add to as we’ve had to do our bit to keep the mussel that things like food and transport and it’s not farms around the Coromandel going, but we easy to make ends meet. were fortunately able to manage our inventory “Our employees’ wellbeing is of utmost and cashflow in such a way that we’re in fairly importance to us. We’re part of the Toi Te good shape now that life overseas is starting to Ora Public Health WorkWell programme and return to some sort of normal. it simply makes sense to have staff who feel “Two of the things we pride ourselves on are valued and who can focus on their jobs as they the quality of our product and the consistency don’t have to worry about paying their bills.” of supply. What we’re now looking forward Another factor that drove the OPC to is a group of employees keen to share the thought process is the availability of staff. journey into the future with us.” OPC managing director, Andrew Selby. What’s happening in the night sky? Night sky information provided and sponsored by Week of Tuesday, 7 September to Wednesday, 15 September - This week we can continue observing Venus and Mercury moving away from the Sun quite rapidly from our point of view by using the star Spica in Virgo as a reference point. Jupiter and Saturn remain shining brightly high in the sky at opposite ends of Capricorn all evening, but we are now moving away from them so they will become slightly fainter and smaller over the coming weeks and months. We can also see the International Space Station (ISS) narrowly miss two planets and the Moon within a few minutes on Thursday. Tuesday, 7 September - Venus lies above the star Spica after sunset. Mercury now lies below them, but will be at the same spot where Venus is now in about two weeks. A very bright ISS pass tonight from 6:41pm moving high overhead. Wednesday, 8 September - A minute crescent Moon sits just above faint Mars which is almost on the NW horizon at dusk. Thursday, 9 September - The thin crescent Moon now sits just to the right of bright Mercury Astronomy Tours and B&B at dusk with much brighter Venus above. This is the last evening ISS pass this month from 6:44pm in the west passing right next to Mercury and then Phone (07) 866 5343 the Moon and below Venus. Friday, 10 September - The crescent Moon is now next to brilliant Venus at dusk with fainter Mercury below and to the left. Wednesday, 15 September - The Moon is now in Sagittarius and sits high above and to the left of Saturn with much brighter Jupiter below. www.stargazersbb.com Whitianga and Hot Water Beach tides Tides data sponsored by nzwindows.co.nz 4 Dakota Drive Whitianga Tel 07 869 5990 Page 2 The Mercury Bay Informer - www.theinformer.co.nz Issue 966 - 7 September 2021 Public nominations requested for Business Awards Nominations are now open for three Hauraki Coromandel Business Awards’ categories where input from the general public is requisted - People’s Choice, Community and Not For Profit, and Service to Business.