Potential Disasters : Opportunities for Resilience

New Zealand Hazardscape

New Zealand has a broad range of hazards:

“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

NZ’s CDEM History Mid 1930’s – Concerns around

earthquakes; air raids; poison gas attacks

Early 50’s – threat of nuclear war 1959 – Ministry of Civil Defence created 1962 – First Civil Defence Act 1968 – 30 of 262 local authorities had

no plan 1968 – 1980 Events led to amendments

of Act

1983 Civil Defence Act

Emphasised regional civil defence

Government agencies given specific responsibilities

‘Recovery’ mentioned for the first time

2002 – Civil Defence Emergency Management

Act Greater regionalisation of CDEM

Lifelines mandated to replace Government departments that had been privatised

Recognition of ‘4 R’s’

Led to integrated planning framework

Key Legislative Acts

Resource Management Act 1991

Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002

Building Act 2004

All influence and promote integrated environmental management & recognition of hazards and risks

The Integrated Planning Framework

CDEM Groups

Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002

Provided the framework for civil defence emergency management with key elements:

1. A clear statement of purpose that mandates risk management

2. A structure to enable cooperative planning, response and accountability

3. An integrated planning framework

Purpose of the Act

Promoting sustainable management of hazards

Enabling communities to achieve acceptable levels of risk

Requiring co-ordination of CDEM activities

Encouraging co-ordination and integration across sectors to address interdependencies

Reduction, readiness, response and recovery arrangements

National CDEM Strategy

Resilient New Zealandcommunities, understanding & managing

their hazards

To increase awareness, understanding & participation in CDEM

To reduce the risks from hazards to New Zealand To enhance New Zealand's capability to manage

emergencies To enhance New Zealand’s capability to recover

from disasters

Disaster Resilient Communities

CDEM sector structure

Role of the Ministry

MCDEM’s 4 business goals are:

To build and maintain MCDEM capability To develop CDEM initiatives for hazard risk

reduction To enhance CDEM stakeholders’ capability To increase awareness and understanding of, and

commitment to, CDEM

How the CDEM Group is made up

Senior Managers - Local Authority

Emergency Services,Health and others

Coordinating Executive Group

Policy makingStrategic PlanningImplementation of

Group Plan

LocalEMO/EOC

LocalEMO/EOC

LocalEMO/EOC

LocalEMO/EOC

LocalResponse/Planning

CDEM Officers

LocalAuthority

LocalAuthority

LocalAuthority

LocalAuthority

Members ofCDEM Group

Local Government

Professional ServicesHazards & Risks

Coordination

CDEM Group Manager

CDEM GroupEMO/EOC

Political Leaders -Local Authority

CDEM GroupCommittee

AccountabilityDecision making

Governance

www.civildefence.govt.nz