We asked for neighbours and the community's feedback on our resource consent application to build an Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) on part of Lytton West Reserve. We received 41 submissions.
Resource consent to establish and operate an ECC on part of a Lytton West Reserve on Potae Avenue was granted 24 November 2022.
How the ECC will be used and why it's needed
Tairāwhiti Civil Defence didn't have a fit-for-purpose coordination centre.
The ECC will provide a facility that's set up and ready to be activated for emergencies by the Tairāwhiti Civil Defence team and emergency response partners.
An ECC is not a community emergency shelter or food storage facility but a place where emergency services gather to manage any situation when an emergency requires it to be activated.
About the building
It's a single storey building approximately 266m2 in size. There are 19 onsite car parks.
Sensor lighting is included and all external lighting on site is designed and installed to avoid light spill beyond the boundary. Security cameras will be installed and the alarm will be monitored by a security company.
Existing trees on the reserve will remain with additional trees planted.
Other than during emergency events, the use of the ECC shall be limited to hours of operation between 7.30am - 7.30pm Monday to Friday and a maximum of up to 40 persons at any one time.
Why Lytton West Reserve?
The reserve is the preferred location for the ECC as it’s close to the hospital and its helipad. The reserve is also outside the flood and tsunami inundation zone.
Other locations were considered and Lytton West Reserve was seen to be the most appropriate and feasible.
Under the Reserves Act 1977, the centre is required to be located on the south-eastern or city-side of the park.
The proposed location on the reserve also ensures a large portion of the open space nature of the reserve and the playground will be maintained.
The eastern side of the reserve also allows the centre to link into the surrounding commercial landscape.
