About Essential Infrastructure Providers
We rely on essential services every day – whether it’s turning on the lights, filling a glass of water from the tap, sending a text or making a phone call, driving to work or accessing fuel. Most of the time, the thought of using essential infrastructure sits in the back of our minds until an emergency occurs, and ensuring they stay running becomes critical.
Essential Infrastructure Providers are the organisations that provide essential services such as electricity, water, wastewater treatment, transport, telecommunications, and fuel. When these services are disrupted, the impacts can be widespread. Homes may lose power, roads can become impassable, communications may fail, and access to clean water or fuel may be limited.
Failure of essential infrastructure in the Bay of Plenty region can significantly impact communities, businesses, and the environment. When a failure occurs, emergency management agencies and the infrastructure providers will work together to restore essential services as quickly as possible. It’s important to remember that repairs can take time, particularly if multiple services are affected at once.
The best way you can prepare for Essential Infrastructure Failure is to create a household emergency plan and stock up on emergency supplies so you and your whānau know what to do, and are prepared to go without normal services for up to seven days.
Are you prepared for critical infrastructure failure?
Know how to stay informed. Telecommunications and internet connections may be disrupted in an emergency so it’s a good idea to know how to stay informed, especially offline. Click here to learn more about different ways you can stay informed in an emergency.
Have emergency supplies. In an emergency, you may be stuck at home for three days or more. Therefore, you will need to have supplies on hand such as long-lasting food and water. Click here to work out what supplies you need.
Get to know your neighbours. Sharing your emergency plan with your neighbours is a great way to find out what resources and supplies you both have and could potentially share with each other if there is an emergency. For example, they may have a gas bbq that they are willing to share with you, and you may have a portable radio they can use.
Turn off appliances. Unplug or switch off appliances to prevent damage when power returns. Leave one light on so you can see when the power is back on.
Conserve resources. Use water, long-lasting food, electricity, and gas sparingly. Avoid open flames or gas appliances indoors to prevent fires or carbon monoxide poisoning.
If water supply is cut or contaminated: Use water that has been safely stored as part of your emergency supplies first and use it sparingly. Water from your hot water cylinder and toilet cistern are valuable sources of emergency water. Check that your hot water cylinder and header tank are well secured. Do not use water from the toilet cistern if you are using chemical toilet cleaners. If you use collected rainwater, make sure that you disinfect it with household bleach. If you are ever uncertain about the quality of water, do not drink it.
Pro Tip! If the power goes out, eat the food from your fridge first, then your freezer, before you eat the non-perishable food in the cupboard or your emergency kit.
Watch out for fallen power lines or broken gas lines. Stay away from damaged areas until they have been properly inspected and officials have given the all-clear it is safe to return. If you come across broken utility lines, please report it to your local council or appropriate authorities and suppliers.
Keep phone lines clear for emergencies only. If you need to contact someone about something that is non-urgent, please do it via text. Do not overload phone lines with non-emergency calls. Only use the phone for short essential calls to keep the lines clear for emergencies.
Follow official health advice. If water infrastructure or water supply has been impacted, Te Whatu Ora/Health New Zealand or Emergency Management may implement boil water notices or other instructions. Stay informed and follow the official advice.
Restock your emergency supplies. Replace any items you used from your emergency kit such as food and water.
