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National Geohazards Monitoring Centre is Go

GeoNet helps power the state-of-the-art National Geohazards Monitoring Centre which opened today at GNS Science’s Avalon campus.

The new centre shows what can be achieved when government agencies work together, says EQC’s Director of Resilience Research Dr Hugh Cowan, who attended the opening. 

“EQC has been a founding partner in GeoNet since 2001 with GNS Science and LINZ. We continue to fund this national system for earth hazard monitoring. Last year’s announcement by MBIE that they will contribute $19.5 million over four years has meant GNS can deliver even faster information to key decision makers. The new facility will be staffed around the clock.

“This means that when an earthquake, tsunami, large landslide or volcanic activity is detected, it can be analysed almost immediately and information sent to people making decisions and managing response.

“GeoNet has become a critical service used by many people in many ways to detect and respond to natural hazards,” says Dr Cowan.

“As well as being essential for emergency management, it provides the foundation for modern scientific research on New Zealand’s natural hazard risk and is linked to leading centres of expertise worldwide.

“GeoNet now has a network of more than 600 sensors around New Zealand with data made freely available online and analysed by scientists here and around the world,” says Dr Cowan.

“It’s wonderful to see the service develop as agencies collaborate and contribute funding and expertise.  From the original partnership of EQC, GNS Science and LINZ plus several specialised partners, it now includes MCDEM and MBIE. The result of this collaboration will help all New Zealanders be more resilient in our very active environment.”

EQC invests $16million each year in science research to reduce the impact of natural disaster on people and property. $12m of this funding goes to GeoNet.

Photo caption: Hugh Cowan, EQC’s Director Resilience Research with Bruce Girdwood, Acting Director of Natural Hazards, GNS at the opening of the National Geohazards Monitoring Centre.

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