About emergency management
Being able to operate and adjust to whatever the climate, society, economy and the future throws at us will underpin New Zealand’s resilience.
Effective emergency management is fundamental to safeguarding dignity, wellbeing, safety and prosperity of all New Zealanders. A resilient New Zealand is a nation where resilience thinking is integrated into all aspects of life as a matter of course. There is a deep, shared understanding of a wide range of risks and the nature of the action that each of them requires.
From an individual level, to families and whānau, communities and hapū, cities and districts, and at a national level, everyone understands their own share of responsibility for reducing risk and strengthening resilience.
The Emergency Management System and stakeholders
The Emergency Management System is part of the National Resilience System. It builds preparedness and manages the consequences of national and local emergencies. The Emergency Management System is led by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The Emergency Management System includes the National Emergency Management Agency, other central government agencies, local government, emergency services, lifeline utilities, community groups, iwi/Māori, businesses, and research and science organisations. The system is supported by agreements with other domestic and international partners, and there is an international community that work closely around the globe.
Communities
New Zealand’s communities – both location and population based – are diverse and unique. They each have their own strengths and vulnerabilities.
An emergency management system must recognise the diversity of New Zealand’s communities and enable the participation of those communities within the system. This includes understanding the special challenges emergencies present for population groups.
Iwi/Māori
Iwi/Māori, including hapū, whānau and marae, play an important role in Aotearoa New Zealand’s emergency management system.
To achieve a well-coordinated emergency management system with iwi/Māori it must include:
- A partnership between the emergency management sector and Māori.
- Māori-led approaches being utilised and supported.
Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups
Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups (CDEM Groups) are a core component of the CDEM Act 2002.
16 CDEM Groups have been formed across New Zealand as committees of elected councillors from each council within regional boundaries.
Download a graphic illustrating the CDEM Groups and their associated Councils (.pdf 3.2mb)
The Group delivers CDEM through its executives, planners and operational staff of the many agencies involved in CDEM. Groups can be viewed as a consortium of the local authorities in a region working in partnership with emergency services, lifeline utilities and government departments, amongst other things, to:
- identify and understand hazards and risks
- prepare CDEM Group plans and manage hazards and risks in accordance with the 4R's (reduction, readiness, response and recovery).
The CDEM Act 2002 provides more information on the formation of CDEM Groups.
CDEM Groups are also explained in Section 5 of the Guide to the National CDEM Plan.
The 4Rs
Aotearoa New Zealand’s integrated approach to emergency management can be described by the four areas of activity, known as the ‘4 Rs’: risk reduction, readiness, response, and recovery.
Risk reduction
Identifying and analysing long-term risks to human life and property from hazards; taking steps to eliminate these risks if practicable, and, if not, reducing the magnitude of their impact and the likelihood of their occurring.
Readiness
Developing operational systems and capabilities before an emergency happens including self-help and response programmes for the general public, and specific programmes for emergency services, lifeline utilities, and other agencies.
Response
Actions taken immediately before, during, or directly after an emergency to save lives and protect property, and to help communities recover.
Recovery
The coordinated efforts and processes used to bring about the short, medium, and longterm holistic regeneration and enhancement of a community following an emergency.