The Japanese tsunami has spurred more Northland communities to take action on civil defence.
Far North District Council civil defence co-ordinator Bill Hutchinson says pictures of the tsunami and the havoc it caused on 11 March have been a wake-up call for a lot of people living on the Northland coast.
He says he has had calls from people wanting to set up community response groups or review existing emergency plans.
About three dozen civil defence groups in the region have approved response plans for emergencies.
Meanwhile, councils have begun installing 70 tsunami warning sirens along the coast, from the Far North to Mangawhai, at a cost of $120,000.
