Council is inviting the community to tune in to an online presentation of how a major alpine earthquake would impact the Ashburton District, and how they can prepare for such a disaster.

An AF8 workshop for councillors on Thursday afternoon will be live-streamed and also available as a recorded version.

Compliance and Development Group Manager Ian Hyde said AF8 was a programme designed by scientists about the likelihood and impact of a massive alpine fault rupture in the South Island.

“Civil Defence has designed a response to that quake and our emergency management officer Jim Henderson will be presenting to Councillors about our role, and what people can do at home.

“The science shows the alpine fault line ruptures about every 300 years and we are due. We can’t predict when the quake will happen, but we can prepare for it and help our residents prepare for it.”

The AF8 workshop will be live on Council’s Facebook and YouTube channels at 1.30pm on Thursday, and available later as a recording.

Mr Hyde said a rupture from the south to the north would be the most serious for the Ashburton District, and the whole South Island.

“It would affect roads, drinking water and wastewater systems, electricity and telecommunications. Many of our residents in rural areas may find themselves isolated and so people need to be prepared to fend for themselves for seven days, and store enough water, food and medicines to get them through.”

An alpine quake of magnitude 8 and greater would create two minutes of intense shaking – the shaking associated with the Darfield, Christchurch and Kaikoura quakes was considered short and sharp.

As part of his emergency management role, Mr Henderson also talks to community groups and organisations about the impacts of a major alpine quake. He encourages them to think beyond the shaking, and to prepare for widespread secondary impacts like the loss of infrastructure and how that will affect them.

His key messages are to have an emergency plan, find out where to go for information, have enough food, water and supplies to last seven days, and have a getaway bag.

Mr Hyde said larger quakes in the upper South Island and in the North Island over the past 10 days were a reminder that people needed to be prepared.

“We can’t predict big quakes but we can prepare for them, and we all have a part to play. Anything we do will make a difference.”