National Disaster Resilience Strategy

The National Disaster Resilience Strategy outlines the vision and long-term goals for civil defence emergency management in New Zealand

The National Disaster Resilience Strategy outlines the vision and long-term goals for civil defence emergency management (CDEM) in New Zealand, and the objectives to be pursued to meet those goals. It sets out what we expect in respect of a resilient New Zealand, and what we want to achieve over the next 10 years.

This Strategy is for all New Zealanders, and all those who live, work or visit here. It is intended to provide a common agenda for resilience that individual organisations, agencies, and groups can align with for collective impact.

The Strategy came into effect on 10 April 2019 and replaces the previous National Civil Defence Emergency Management Strategy. It will last for 10 years, although it can be reviewed before then if necessary.


Download the National Disaster Resilience Strategy

A summary version of the National Disaster Resilience Strategy is available online and in pdf. This outlines the key points in the Strategy:

 



Vision and goal of the National Disaster Resilience Strategy

Our Vision

New Zealand is a disaster resilient nation that acts proactively to manage risks and build resilience in a way that contributes to the wellbeing and prosperity of all New Zealanders.

Our Goal

To strengthen the resilience of the nation by managing risks, being ready to respond to and recover from emergencies, and by enabling, empowering and supporting individuals, organisations, and communities to act for themselves and others, for the safety and wellbeing of all.



How will the Strategy’s objectives be achieved?

The Strategy provides the vision and strategic direction, including outlining priorities and objectives for increasing New Zealand’s resilience to disasters. The job of the Strategy is to show what we want to achieve over the next ten years. It is deliberately high level, with objectives broadly described.

A roadmap for the National Disaster Resilience Strategy will be developed, detailing how these objectives will be achieved. Its emphasis will be on work to be done over the next three-five years (and will be updated over time).

The roadmap will set out initiatives that contribute to the Strategy’s objectives. Examples of these are:

  • The implementation of the emergency management system reforms to improve how New Zealand responds to natural disasters and emergencies.
  • Revised CDEM Group plans and the National CDEM Plan
  • Local government planning, including long term plans, annual plans, and asset management plans.
  • Review and reform of key legislation that contributes to risk management and resilience, and any guidance on its implementation.
  • Climate change adaptation initiatives.

The roadmap is not a statutory document and cannot compel particular actions. Instead it will help people and organisations understand how the objectives of the Strategy will be achieved.

An initial roadmap will be developed in early 2021, and a longer-term roadmap developed alongside the National CDEM Plan review.

For further information please contact Trifecta@NEMA.govt.nz



National Disaster Resilience Strategy Toolbox

The National Disaster Resilience Strategy Toolbox contains resources and graphical assets to help promote and implement the National Disaster Resilience Strategy.


Development of the National Disaster Resilience Strategy

Over the last 3 years the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management held workshops with a wide range of people to think about a new Strategy. Representatives from over 300 organisations (from local and central government, social, community and voluntary sector groups, and the private sector including the business, lifelines and infrastructure sectors) participated.

The workshops sought views on resilience, including looking at our current state of resilience, discussing our desired outcomes and priorities for the future, and the actions we need to take to get to the desired future state.

A draft for public consultation was also released.

The Ministerial Review into Better Responses to Natural Disasters and Other Emergencies, and the Government response to that report, as well as international frameworks and best practice (such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Sustainable Development Goals, and Paris Agreement on Climate Change), also played a key part in determining the long-term Strategy.