New emergency water tanks for Alicetown
By Tim O?Connell
Alicetown?s business community joins forces with Hutt Central School to ensure their local emergency post will be a watertight source of refuge in a time of crisis. ?? Residents in the proximity of Hutt Central School can now rely on plenty of water and essential disaster supplies, thanks to the installation of two large water tanks at the school?s civil defence centre. The 9000 litre capacity tanks were made in Auckland by Devan Plastics, and have been filled with reticulated water from the city local supply by the Hutt City fire brigade. Principal Tony Horsfall is thrilled with the improvements made on the centre, which would provide emergency assistance to the busy residential and light industrial Lower Hutt suburb. While situated on the school grounds, the need to maintain the centre was as vital to the community as the school itself, he said. ? ?At a cost of $4000 for both tanks, the initiative required some financial assistance from beyond the school gates to get the project off the ground. But thanks to dedicated work spearheaded by volunteers Russell Stuart, Penny Holotau and Sharon Doole, Alicetown?s local industry has offered the necessary support to the project. Mr Horsfall is full of praise for the team, who have helped to make the centre upgrade something the whole community can be a part of. ? ?They were the ones who took on the responsibility, and canvassed the board of trustees in the first instance.? ? Mrs Holotau, who also works in the office at Hutt Central, said the task of getting local businesses involved was made easier by the fact that the project was community-based. ?When we told them ?this is for you guys as well?, they were more than happy to get on board.? ? The efforts of Hutt Central School and the Alicetown community has prompted the Hutt City Council to get involved with bringing the rest of the city?s civil defence centres up to speed.? HCC Emergency management advisor Peter Walker said the council had been extremely pleased with the proactive measures taken by Hutt Central to ensure the community would be ready, should disaster strike. The installation of the tanks provided the catalyst for other local schools and businesses in the Hutt Valley to get similar tanks into civil defence centres around the area, he said. ? There are over twenty facilities around the Hutt Valley area, with six within the immediate vicinity of Hutt Central School. Mr Horsfall said the next step in the process was to have a member of the community trained up to co-ordinate future operations at the centre. Pictured: Peter Walker (left) and Hutt Central School Principal Tony Horsfall hold up survival packs in front of one of the new water tanks
