North Otago AREC

28/09/2026

⚡Update: Power Has Now Been Restored

Power has now been restored to all affected properties. We apologise that today's emergency outage took longer than originally expected and thank you for your patience and understanding.

If you are experiencing any issues with your power supply, please contact us on 0800 440 220.

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EMERGENCY POWER OUTAGE – There will be an emergency power outage today that will affect some properties on Yare, Warren, Aln, Joy & Cross Streets & Devon Terrace. This is due to an emergency pole replacement that needs to be carried out. Properties that will be affected should have received direct notification.

Power is expected to be off from 9.30am - 3.00pm to allow our field teams to do the urgent repair work safely.

We are very sorry for any inconvenience, and thank you for your patience and understanding.

Please treat all wires as LIVE as normal power supply could be restored at any time, and as a precaution, please ensure all your sensitive equipment is switched off at the wall.

Thank you, the Network Waitaki Team.

27/09/2026

As you enjoy everything Waitaki has to offer this summer, our AREC North Otago volunteers continue working behind the scenes.

Amateur Radio Emergency Communications brings together trained volunteers with specialist radio equipment and communications skills.

When requested, we support our lead agencies by helping establish and maintain communications during emergency operations.
Whether it's deploying portable communications equipment, operating radio networks or supporting activities in challenging environments, our focus is on being prepared.

We're proud to be part of our local community.

To everyone exploring Waitaki this summer, have fun, stay prepared and look after each other.

Waitaki District Council, Otago Regional Council, Southern District Police, North Otago Land Search and Rescue, Land Search & Rescue New Zealand, AREC - Amateur Radio Emergency Communications

26/09/2026

📡 NORTH OTAGO IS GETTING CONNECTED!
🌐 One network. Growing coverage. Connecting regions.

Something exciting is happening in North Otago!
AREC North Otago is developing and deploying a network of MeshCore repeaters, with the goal of creating a resilient, off-grid communications network across our region.

📍 It all starts in Oamaru!

Our initial deployment will focus on establishing coverage in Oamaru before progressively expanding throughout North Otago.

But our vision goes much further…
Our long-term goal is to link into the developing MeshCore networks to our north and south, helping create a connected regional communications network.

Using low-power radio technology, MeshCore enables text-based communications without relying on traditional cellular networks or internet infrastructure for local messaging.

🚧 We're only getting started!
Follow AREC North Otago as we share our progress, reveal new coverage areas and explore the possibilities of this exciting project.

📡 STARTING LOCAL. CONNECTING REGIONS. BUILDING RESILIENCE.

Waitaki District CouncilOtago Regional CouncilOtago Civil Defence and Emergency ManagementSouthern District PoliceOtago - Fire and Emergency

21/09/2026

Kakanui Volunteer Fire Brigade are having an open day.
Go and check our friends at Kakanui Volunteer Fire Brigade out. 💛

🚨COMMUNITY ALERT📢
🚒OPEN DAY 2026🚒

SAVE THE DATE - October 3rd 2026!!

The Kakanui Volunteer Fire Brigade is hosting an Open Day on October 3rd!

Come along at 10:30am till 1:30pm to;
- MEET THE CREW 🧑‍🚒
- TOUR THE STATION 🏤
- SEE OUR TRUCKS 🚒
- PLAY WITH SOME GEAR🧯
- AND MORE!!!

There will also be a Sausage Sizzle 🌭 around lunch time for everyone!

MORE INFORMATION TO COME ON WHAT TO EXPECT!!

Stay Safe Everyone.

01/09/2026

Thank you to Greg for his comprehensive magazine.
The Ham Shack

I am VERY proud of the New Zealand and Australian Amateur Radio Magazine. What started as a club newsletter morphed into the best amateur radio magazine in New Zealand, with the most amazing covers.

This month we have reviews of the new Icom IC7110 and the new Guohetec 1Kw Amp, The Tokyo Ham Fair, stories of activations and a whole lot more.

It is free, and now read in NZ, OZ, UK, USA, Canada, South Africa, Portugal, Holland and Czech Republic.

To read: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HPheAQ0xj2VhfVtcDCtxr5w7q5KUc1G8/view

To Subscribe:
https://thehamshack.us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=fcf22f553297b6cd6262f884e&id=b1a20a5405

30/08/2026

North Otago AREC Members Up-Skilling in Christchurch!

A great weekend of learning and development for two of our AREC members, who headed to Christchurch to take part in the General Operators Training and Assessment weekend.

It’s fantastic to see our members continuing to build their skills, knowledge and capability so they’re ready to support our community when it matters most.

A big thanks to the trainers and everyone involved in delivering the course, and well done to our members for putting in the time over the weekend!

Great work, team — we’re proud to have you representing AREC and investing in your ongoing training.



AREC - Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
Otago Civil Defence and Emergency Management
North Otago Land Search and Rescue
Land Search & Rescue New Zealand
Southern District Police
Waitaki District Council
Otago Regional Council

26/08/2026

11/07/2026

At our monthly club meeting on Monday, we had the privilege of hosting Kevin Murdoch, Volunteer Support Officer for Fire and Emergency New Zealand, who gave us a fascinating presentation on the Public Safety Network — the digital communications system currently being rolled out and tested nationwide.

Kevin walked us through how Fire and Emergency NZ is transitioning from their current analogue network to the new digital system, and what that shift means for their day-to-day operations. It was a genuinely informative session, and we're hoping to bring our incident management truck along to one of their upcoming trainings in the future.

On a related note, the organisation behind the Public Safety Network has recently changed its name from Next Gen Critical Communications (NGCC) to Safety Net.

We'd love to hear from any organisations involved in the Public Safety Network who might be interested in giving a presentation to our club or to North Otago AREC — please get in touch!

Fire and Emergency NZ | New Zealand Police | Hato Hone St John
AREC - Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
Tait Communications

08/07/2026

Have you ever thought about volunteering in an operational support role?

Behind every operation, there's a team working quietly to keep things running smoothly — logistics, communications, planning, and on-the-ground coordination. If you're organised, enjoy problem-solving, and want to make a real difference in your community, we'd love to have you on board our communications team.

No two operations are the same, and you'll be working alongside a great team who are passionate about what they do. Whether you can offer a few hours a month or more, your support matters.

Get in touch
https://arec.nz/volunteer/

AREC - Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
Volunteer South
Otago Regional Council / Otago Civil Defence and Emergency Management
Waitaki District Council

05/07/2026

⚠️ Severe Weather ⚠️

With the current weather event intensifying, please take care and stay safe.

If you, your family, or your property are in immediate danger, call 111.

Please remember:
🌧️ Stay home unless you absolutely need to travel.
🚗 Don’t go “tiki touring” to look at flooded areas or storm damage.
🌊 Never drive through floodwaters. It only takes a small amount of moving water to sweep a vehicle away, and you can’t always see what’s beneath the surface.

Keep an eye on official weather updates and check in on friends, family, and neighbours if it’s safe to do so.

Stay safe, everyone.

Waitaki District Council Otago Civil Defence and Emergency Management