AELG Publications

Take these links for more detailed information:

AELG-1: Inter-Utility Emergency Communications Systems
AELG-2: Lifelines Co-ordination (Response)
AELG-3: Infrastructure Hotspots
AELG-4: Exercise Marconi report
AELG-5: Priority Emergency Sites and Routes in the Auckland Region
AELG-6: Resources Available for Response and Recovery of Lifeline Utilities
AELG-7: Health and Safety Issues in a Volcanic Ash Environment
AELG-8: Coordination of Public Communications (Lifeline Utilities)
AELG-9: Volcanic Eruption: Recommended Actions for Airports
AELG-10: Business Continuity Management and Planning
AELG-11: Impact of Volcanic Ash in Auckland's Water Supply
AELG-12: Framework to Implement Lifeline Strategies
AELG-13: AELG Volcanic Ash Review - Part 1 (Impacts on Lifelines Services and Collection/Disposal Issues)
AELG-18: Volcanic Ash Poster: Managing Ash on Roads

Auckland Engineering Lifelines Project Stage 1.
Fire Following Earthquake
Report on Volcanic Field Visit Kagoshima

To order any of the AELG publications, please contact:

The Librarian
Auckland Regional Council
Private Bag 92012, Auckland
Ph: 0064 9 379 4420 ext 8338
Fax: 0064 9 366 2154
email: library@arc.govt.nz

Auckland Engineering Lifelines Project - Stage 1

This report summarises the results of three years work by several largely voluntary task groups into the risks posed by selected natural hazards to critical utility networks in the Auckland region.

Its objective was to reduce the impact of hazards on lifeline infrastructure.

• Examines the effects of direct damage by major natural hazards to lifeline services
• Assesses the vulnerability of lifeline services to damage from natural hazards which would directly affects more than one utility at a time
• Identifies interdependencies between the lifeline services
• Identifies practical strategies for reducing risk
• Helps project participants identify and implement mitigation and response strategies for their own networks and co-ordinate these with the plans of their lifelines.

Download extracts from the AELP report here:

- Executive Summary (710Kb)
- Conclusions
- Recommendations (1.27Mb)

Inter-Utility Emergency Communications Systems (AELG-1)

This report, completed in July 2004, was the outcome of a study to design and/or
recommend a preferred communications system and method for
implementation to enable effective and efficient dialogue between
utilities, contractors and the Emergency Operations Centre. Download
the executive summary (58Kb PDF)

Lifelines Co-ordination (Response) (AELG-2)

This project was completed in April 2002, with the objective to design and
recommend a means of effective and efficient lifelines co-ordination in the
event of an emergency so as to:

• enable prompt identification of priorities for service reinstatement
• provide a single point of reference for matters relating to lifelines
• enable effective inter-agency co-ordination of resources
• streamline the flow of information
• assist civil defence and emergency services response efforts

Download the executive summary from the report (344Kb PDF).

Infrastructure Hotspots (AELG-3)

The objectives of this project were the identification of network areas where numerous services were co-located, and the assessment of the vulnerability of each site to external influences such as third party disruption, earthquakes, slips, and floods. The report is available from the AELG project manager – contact details on the home page

Exercise Marconi report (AELG 4)

Exercise Marconi was held in June 2007 to test the lifeline utility coordination (LUC) processes in the Group Emergency Operations Centre (GEOC) through escalating levels of emergency (culminating in a Group Declaration) and to assess the lifeline utility interface with the GEOC. Specifically, the focus was on communications and information transfer between lifeline utilities and the ACDEMG (Auckland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group) GEOC, and processing within the GEOC during the response phase of a regional-scale emergency.

The exercise scenario was based on a major impact cyclone hitting Auckland with widespread damage resulting from it.

Download the report

Priority Emergency Sites and Routes in Auckland Region (AELG-5)

Project Objectives

• To ensure essential or emergency services are operational as soon as practicable;
• To identify essential critical lifeline utility sites and priority safe routes;
• To confirm and document the priority sites and routes that each lifelines organisation will recover first after an emergency taking into account the CDEM priorities and interdependencies with other utilities.

Key Deliverables
The key deliverables from this project are:

• An agreed priority route network for road transport (that will have first call on response and recovery resources) with alternative routes identified where vulnerabilities are identified;
• Each lifelines organisation has a list of critical community and lifeline utility sites in Auckland, has an assessment of the need for their service at those critical sites, and is able to assess emergency management expectations in light of company priorities;
• Each lifelines organisation has a prioritised list of their own critical sites for recovery taking into account the dependency by other critical services for their supply;
• There is regional list of critical sites for recovery in the Auckland region for use in emergency management;
• Managers of each critical community site are able to assess the adequacy of its emergency planning in light of understanding the priorities given to restoration of service by utility providers.

Download the report here

Resources Available for Response and Recovery of Lifeline Utilities (AELG-6)

The objective of this project was that:

· Utilities understand their dependency on key resources for response and recovery and are aware of the likely resources available to them.

· Processes for prioritising and allocating resources at all levels are understood.

This report summarises the findings of an initial survey to identify the extent of resource issues in the region.

Download the Resources Available for Response and Recovery of Lifeline Utilities report (pdf 362 KB)

Health and Safety Issues in a Volcanic Ash Environment (AELG-7)

“The specific objectives of this report are to provide AELG members with information that:

• Allows them to understand the health and safety issues for their staff working in a volcanic ash environment
• Provides advice on steps employers and staff can take to keep themselves safe in varying levels of ash exposure (e.g. what safety equipment is needed; what safety procedures need to be followed)
• Explains these issues in the context of New Zealand’s health and safety legislation, and
• Identifies any gaps in knowledge or in preparedness for safely carrying out activities in an ash environment, and makes recommendations for further work and research to fill these gaps.

Download the Health and Safety Issues in a Volcanic Ash Environment report (1.5Mb PDF)

Coordination of Public Communications (Lifeline Utilities) - AELG-8

The project brief originally developed for this project was to develop protocols and processes for how utilities communicate with the media and coordinate media messages with each other and the EOC during an emergency.  The AELG agreed to initially carry out a scoping phase to review current processes and to consider whether revised approaches were necessary.  This report summarises the findings from the phase 1 report.

Download the Coordination of Public Communications (Lifeline Utilities) report (pdf 74 KB)

Volcanic Eruption: Recommended Actions for Airports (AELG-9)

Download the poster

Business Continuity Management and Planning - AELG-10

This project was intended to assist AELG members in achieving compliance with business continuity plan requirements of the CDEM Act and improving business resilience of members to adverse events.  The attached report summarises the BCP workshop held and recommendations on appropriate BCP planning approaches and templates.

Download workshop report in parts:

Part one (pdf 157 KB)
Part two - workshop slides (pdf 266 KB)
Part three - expanded diagrams (pdf 91 KB)
Part four - workshop handouts (pdf 377 KB)
Part five - attendee's comments(pdf 81 KB)

Volcanic Ash in Auckland's Water Supply (AELG-11)

This report into the impact of volcanic ash on Auckland's water supplies was completed in August 2004. Download the abstract (43Kb PDF)

Framework to Implement Lifeline Strategies (AELG-12)

This project, completed in January 2003, was set up to develop a framework to ensure that for all Lifelines Projects are appropriately conveyed to and acted upon by individual utility organisations.

The Auckland Engineering Lifelines Group (AELG) wish to ensure that the work that it has and continues to develop can be readily used by lifelines organisations to improve their risk management and emergency response processes.
Download the full report. (709Kb PDF)

A blank copy of the project checklist developed as part of this project is available as follows,
Project checklist as a word document (132Kb) or
Project checklist as a PDF file (10Kb).

AELG Volcanic Ash Review - Part 1 (AELG-13)

(Impacts on Lifelines Services and Collection/Disposal Issues).

• identify the likely quantity and properties of ash that may require removal and clean-up from the Auckland region,
• identify methods of collecting and transporting ash,
• identify the wider effects and risks associated with various ashes,
• identify health and safety issues associated with the collection, storage and disposal of ash,
• identify environmental issues associated with the collection, storage and disposal of ash and other volcanic debris,
• identify consultation and legal issues associated with collecting, transporting, storage, and disposal of ash,
• identify gaps in knowledge and further work and research that is required to fill these gaps,
• discuss practical solutions for dealing with the issues identified above,
• learn from others' experiences (via a literature review).

Volcanic Ash Poster: Managing Ash on Roads (AELG-18)

Download the poster (546Kb)

Report on Volcanic Field Visit Kagoshima

In June 2001 the AELG Chair Rob Lorden participated in a field visit to Kagoshima, Japan to enable learning from their volcanic eruption to be built into NZ Emergency Management procedures. Rob's particular interest (on behalf of the AELG) was the impact on utilities/ lifelines organisations and tips to assist recovery of these services.

Download the summary of findings report (628Kb PDF).

Also, you can download the volcanic visit report by GNS here (1.07Mb PDF).

Fire Following Earthquake

The Wellington Lifelines Group has recently completed a national research project to identify the key issues for New Zealand with regard to fire following earthquake. Download the Fire Following Earthquake report (151Kb PDF)