Alpine Fault Roadshow Coming to Hanmer Springs
Hurunui residents and students will have a chance to hear from leading earthquake scientists when the award-winning AF8 [Alpine Fault magnitude 8] Roadshow visits Hanmer Springs and Amuri Area School next month.
The ‘AF8 Roadshow: The Science Beneath Our Feet’ features public science talks and interactive classroom sessions designed to share the story of the Alpine Fault, the impacts and consequences of a future magnitude 8 earthquake, and how people can become better prepared for it.
AF8 Programme Lead, Alice Lake-Hammond explains “A real success of AF8’s work has been the programme’s ability to blend world-leading science with local knowledge and experience to raise awareness and increase our preparedness for the next Alpine Fault earthquake.”
“The Roadshow plays a pivotal role in this. By making this science available in a community setting, sharing it in a local context where it is of most relevance to the community, this is where it comes alive and where we see actions beginning to be taken.”
The Roadshow arrives in the Hurunui on Tuesday the 6th of April, with a public meeting in the Hanmer Springs Sports Pavilion at 7pm and a stop at Amuri Area School the next day.
The Hurunui’s Emergency Management Officer, Allan Grigg, says the district’s communities have endured the impacts of earthquakes and wildfires, so the potential of an AF8 earthquake really hits home for some. “It’s vital our communities not just understand the geology beneath their feet but also how science can inform us about the likely impacts and response needs,” he says. “This is not about living in fear, but about enabling action now that can mitigate the effects of disaster events and help us recover from them in the best possible way.”
This year’s Roadshow has been made possible with funding from the Earthquake Commission (EQC).
EQC Chief Resilience & Research Officer Dr Jo Horrocks says that while thinking about the Alpine Fault and its potential impact can feel daunting, there’s still a lot of communities and homeowners can do to prepare. “From knowing how to Drop, Cover and Hold and storing food and water, to larger actions like securing tall and heavy furniture to the wall, or removing hazardous chimney types. We can all do something that will increase our resilience and keep us safer when an Alpine Fault quake occurs.”
Events and school visits are being held in many communities around the South Island, with leading scientists talking about the work they do and sharing the Alpine Fault hazard and impact science. The full itinerary is available here: https://af8.org.nz/af8-roadshow/