The Wellington Region has experienced a number of emergencies caused by hazards, including earthquakes, floods, landslides, drought and pandemics.
Geography of the Wellington Region
The Wellington region covers the lower North Island of New Zealand. It is bordered by the Cook Strait in the south and extends to Otaki and Mt Bruce in the north. Geologically the region’s most notable features are a series of north-south trending faults, reflecting the stresses of the plate boundary located to the east of the region. These faults reflect the stresses on the earth’s crust caused by the tectonic plate boundary located to the east of New Zealand.
Geographically the region is dominated by a series of mountain ranges and hills, also trending north-south. These hills and ranges have an impact on the region’s climate. As westerlies are the prevailing wind the ranges result in higher rainfall on the western side. The ranges of both the North and South Island can funnel winds through the Cook Strait, resulting in Wellington’s infamous winds.
Wellington city is the seat of government and a critical point in the national infrastructure. Both main state highways and the main trunk rail line terminate in the city, the inter-island ferries are based in the port and the cable connection between the North and South Island power grids.
“Sometimes it does us a power of good to remind ourselves that we live on two volcanic rocks where two tectonic plates meet, in a somewhat lonely stretch of windswept ocean, just above the roaring forties. If you want drama you’ve come to the right place”
Sir Geoffrey Palmer
Hazards in the Wellington Region
These geological and geographic features combined with human activity present a number of hazards. The hazards in the region have been identified and assigned a risk rating based on the likelihood of a hazard event happening and the overall regional consequences.
Find out more
Learn more about New Zealand and Wellington's hazards:
- National Hazardscape (Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management)
- Natural hazards overview (Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand)
Hazard and Risk Analysis, 2007 (PDF, 1.2 MB)
A report analysing the hazards and risk of the Wellington region.