Gamechanger for small Coast civil defence group

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:

A West Coast rural community has just gained a small piece of mobile charging technology that will be a game changer in a civil emergency.

Lions International has gifted the Grey Valley's Awahono Civil Defence Group a portable power station that can be charged by solar means or plugged into a portable generator.

The power station is a fast-charging portable unit for a range of purposes in emergency response including powering the Starlink and VHF radio links the Awahono group has to enable continuous connection in a power and communication outage.

Awohono Civil Defence Group controller Anton Becker, a member of Grey Valley Lions, said the need for the portable unit was mentioned in passing when the district governor of Lions International visited recently for the club's 40th investiture.

Word quickly came back the portable power pack for Awahono would be fully funded by Lions.

It would make the area "a lot more resilient" by enabling cell and radio communications without mains electricity.
"You can set up the solar panel and it charges the power like a little power station."

Becker said the longer benefit in being able to power up the alternative communication network's power source could not be underestimated given the known risk for the region to lose its National Grid connection in a major natural disaster.

"It could be out for a couple of weeks -- you just don't know."

Becker said he could see the immediate benefit of other small communities like Blackball and Nelson Creek - and more widely across the region - in getting a solar power unit.

West Coast Emergency Management group controller Claire Brown said the portable power unit for Awohono was worth somewhere between $1200 and $1500.

It would really "make a difference" for individual communities during an emergency event.

"To provide that extra power resource is huge in terms of building the resilience of that community… It might help spark another organisation or community group to think hey, we could do something as well."

Brown said the procurement of technology like Star Link communication units and alternative power sources for the region is building.

The Awahono example showed how particular communities could empower themselves.

"Across the region communities are building up their capability which includes resources."

In particular the Grey District Council had been proactive in its support of the scattered settlements in its area.

"That has enabled improved ultimate communication across the district and it has also raised the profile of community resilience to other partners," Brown said.

"The Lions example is how other community groups and business organisations are coming on board.

"It's not just about Government funding or district council funding - it's about how everybody works together."

Meanwhile, West Coast Emergency Management was now in year two of a project to ensure continuous accessible fuel supplies across the West Coast if it were cut off.

Brown said in the next year this would include practically ensuring strategic fuel stations' capability to continue to operate using appropriate portable generation when the mains power was down.