5 February 2026
File Ref: IRC-9576
Roger Calkin
[FYI request #33302 email]
Tēnā koe Roger
Thank you for your email of 17 December 2025 to Te Kaunihera o Pōneke | Wellington City Council
(the Council) requesting the following information:
I refer my LGOIMA request and the response to this IRC9366
In your response you stated, "In the event of a major outage caused by a natural disaster, the
waterfront lighting is low priority, as all generators would be required to sustain power in
emergency departments (Civil Defence purposes only)".
Questions:
1. In the event of a natural disaster, like a significant earthquake for example, what are the
planned safe pedestrian evacuation routes out of the CBD in the event that the streets are
blocked by glass, fallen debris from damaged high rise building etc?
2. Would the Waterfont still be considered a "safe route" in this situation if the power was out
for a considerable time?
3. in the absence of proper edge protection on the Wellington CBD Waterfront what is
planned to keep people needing to use this route to evacuate the city safe?
Additionally in your response IRC9366 you state;
"There is no dedicated back up power systems to power the waterfront or lighting
infrastructure in the event of a major power outage. Under the business continuity plan, if
there is a loss of functionality of services on waterfront, a contractor would be engaged to
restore power".
I would ask;
1. How long would it be anticipated that the waterfront lighting infrastructure would be down
in the event of a major power outage?
2. What standards / time frames / and/or contractual obligations/expectations is your
contractor required to meet to both respond, and to get the lighting systems fully
functional again?
3. In the absence of proper edge protection, and in the event of loss of functionality of these
lighting systems during a major power outage, what plans are in the business continuity
plan to keep people safe in the drowning black spot that is the Wellington CBD waterfront
area?
Your request has been considered under the Local Government Of icial Information and Meetings Act
1987 (LGOIMA). Please find my response below.
The questions you have raised relate to hypothetical scenarios, and Council Of icers have done their
best to provide responses based on the information currently available to them. As hypothetical
situations can vary widely, it can be difficult to offer definitive answers without the full context of an
actual event.
Safe pedestrian evacuation routes depend on the conditions at the time of an event. Following an
emergency, damaged areas (including buildings and land) would be assessed, and any unsafe zones
would be cordoned off. For this reason, there are no predetermined safe routes, including along the
waterfront. This was evident during the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, when significant damage occurred
in port areas and parts of the inner city.
The length of time waterfront lighting is unavailable in the event of a major power outage is dependent
on the size, location, and cause of the wider outage. We cannot anticipate the length of an outage
without this information. Waterfront lighting is not specifically addressed in emergency planning;
however, would be considered as part of the emergency response should the need arise.
The Council's existing Waterfront electrical contract comes to a completion in February 2026, and a
new contractor will be appointed. As the lighting is new, it was not included in our existing contract;
however, obligations around response and repair times will be negotiated with the new provider as
part of the tender process.
I trust this information is helpful. If you have any concerns about this response please contact
[Wellington City Council request email]. Alternatively, you are advised of your right to raise any concerns
with the Of ice of the Ombudsman at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Chelsea McHugh
Senior Advisor Of icial Information
Of icial Information & Privacy
Wellington City Council
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