Increasing Southlanders’ awareness of natural hazards in their area is one of the goals set out in Emergency Management Southland’s draft Group Plan, which is out for public consultation from today (22 August 2016).

The Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan is the guiding document for Emergency Management Southland and its partners from 2017-2022.

Emergency Management Southland manager Angus McKay said a big part of the Group Plan is looking at community engagement, and how the organisation can best work effectively and efficiently with all areas of the community.

The plan sets three clear objectives for the next five years:

• Increasing community awareness of the hazards in the area
• Communities taking greater ownership of their own readiness to minimise the impact of an emergency on their lives
• Provinding a leading document that partner agencies can use to support their business planning

Public submissions on the draft Group Plan are invited until 5pm on Friday, 16 September 2016.

For more information and to read a copy of the draft Group Plan, visit www.civildefencesouthland.govt.nz or pick up a copy from the offices of Environment Southland, Invercargill City Council, Gore District Council or the Southland District Council.