Table of Contents
Agenda (Page 143)
https://christchurch.infocouncil.biz/Open/2025/04/CAPL_20250403_AGN_10570_AT.PDF
Banks Peninsula Volunteer Fire Brigade Submission to the Christchuch City Council Annula Plan 2025/26
Enhancing Fire Detection for Banks Peninsula
As of 2025, around 20% of Banks Peninsula is covered in regenerating native vegetation—an impressive recovery from the 1920s when indigenous forest had been reduced to just 1%. While this regeneration brings ecological benefits, it also increases the risk of wildfire. With climate change driving more extreme weather, early fire detection is crucial to protecting both our communities and the environment.
I applaud Christchurch City Council for taking this opportunity and install the self-powered fire detectors on and around Port Hills – bringing the total to 15 strategically placed units designed to detect fire in its early stages. I reiterate that it is critical to expand this network to remote areas such as the Eastern and Southern bays of Banks Peninsula as very few people travel there it is less likely that that fire will be detected/reported as not many people visit those areas where world-famous reserves such as Hinewai Reserve remain unprotected.
I have been strongly advocating for an Early Fire Detection Network expansion across the entire Banks Peninsula—not just at a single site—ensuring all communities are safeguarded against the growing risk of wildfire. Last year Port-Hills fire cost taxpayers around $3M and with small investment now we can save a good cost. The Council Smart City Team has already identified various areas and it will be good to allocate funding for this project. This will improve the Council’s fire resilience and save lives and livelihoods and our native forests regeneration.
Past emergencies have demonstrated the need for continuous improvements in fire response strategies. This fire detection network is part of that ongoing commitment, and by expanding and refining these capabilities, we can better protect our communities and regenerate forests for generations to come.
I would like to add a quote from Canterbury Community Risk Manager Dean Harker “The Canterbury network is a great tool in the toolbox for Fire and Emergency, it provides us near real-time information that assists us in an emergency and helps to reduce the impact of fire on our community. The system has been used operationally by Fire Commanders, IMT members and the Fire Communications centre to gain situational awareness, weather data, smoke analytics, and images of incidents. We saw how the network provided information & intelligence during the 2024 Port Hills fire including capturing its growth.”
“From a Community Risk Management point of view. Several of the areas across the Port Hills and Banks Peninsular are remote and access to them is via 4wd or helicopter. If a fire was to break out any form of early notification or oversight of the fire is a huge advantage. The Attentis towers are not only a system that can be used by Fire and Emergency, they are a fantastic tool for other agencies to utilise.”
Improving Fire Resilience on Banks Peninsula
As a volunteer brigade, we have faced significant challenges in securing water during large-scale fire events. Across Banks Peninsula, the limited water storage capacity is a major barrier to effective firefighting, putting lives and livelihoods at risk.
Reflecting on past experiences, particularly the Port Hill fires, we have recognised the critical role of nearby water reservoirs and open water sources in combating fires. However, our existing infrastructure fails to fully utilise these resources, and access to them is often hindered during extreme weather conditions.
In our Annual Plan submission, we strongly urge the Council to invest in constructing water ponds in key areas across Banks Peninsula. Simple ponds, such as the dirt dams used during last year’s Port Hill fire, have proven to be highly effective. For instance, my crew and I operated two such dams during the fire, and we found them to be invaluable, as they store significant amounts of water with minimal maintenance and can be built at a much lower cost than more complex solutions.
These ponds would serve as essential reservoirs, providing a reliable water supply during emergencies. With numerous natural springs on the Peninsula, we have an opportunity to create small ponds/reservoirs/dams, offering a sustainable solution to our water storage capacity/needs and greatly enhancing our firefighting capacity and resilience.
Investing in these water ponds will help mitigate the risk of devastating fires and strengthen the safety and resilience of our community. This initiative aligns with the Council’s commitment to ensuring the long-term sustainability and resilience of the region.
The 2024 Port Hills fire, although occurring in a similar location to the 2017 fire, was a distinct event, driven by strong winds rather than fuel accumulation—much like the recent wildfire in California (LA), fuelled by the region’s infamous Santa Ana winds. We can prevent such disasters by investing in technology that enables proactive measures to safeguard lives and livelihoods.
Additionally, we welcome the Council’s allocation of funding in the Annual Plan 2025/26 for the Banks Peninsula Communal Fire Water Storage Tanks, which will provide fire storage for areas without access to fire hydrants. Currently, facilities are being planned for Birdlings Flat, Little River, Wainui, and Pigeon Bay. However, the Eastern Bays, including Hinewai Reserve, are not included. A major challenge we face in these areas is the absence of water supply systems and the lengthy average 40-minute response time for fire trucks. To address this, it would be ideal to install water tanks plus some water ponds along the summit road to save time during refuelling and enhance firefighting efforts in these remote areas.
We appreciate your consideration of our proposal and look forward to collaborating with the Council to improve fire preparedness across the Banks Peninsula.
Asif Hussain
Chief Fire Officer
Banks Peninsula Volunteer Fire Brigade