SIMON O CONNOR/Stuff
Taranaki Civil Defence acting regional manager Todd Velvin (right), with communications manager Alister Newton, in front of the Robe St, New Plymouth headquarters.
After 230 years of dormancy, volcanologists estimate there is a 50 per cent chance Taranaki Maunga could erupt within 50 years, spewing tonnes of ash over the region. When it does, the new roof about to be installed on Taranaki’s Civil Defence emergency management (CDEM) building will be able to withstand the estimated hundreds of tonnes of wet ash dumped on it. The total $568,600 refurbishment cost of the upgrade is being shared proportionately between New Plymouth (40 per cent share), Stratford (8 per cent) and South Taranaki (18 per cent) district councils, and Taranaki Regional Council (34 per cent).
The bells automatically sound daily at 10am, 11am, noon, 2pm, 4pm and 5pm, but the last time it was played manually and live was by organist Raymond Ashworth, after its installation. “I’m just bringing something back to the community, and I’m quite privileged to do that, Luke said. It requires him sitting in a small brick bunker with a small keyboard which is connected to the bells and can play them individually or all at the same time. “So suddenly there s a vast range of music that can be played on it from Bach to Andrew Lloyd Webber.”