Media Release Archive

Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management Rapid Impact Assessment was published today as new guidance to be used by staff carrying out rapid impact assessments.

The Review of Tsunami Hazard in New Zealand (2013 Update), released today, reinforces the need for the public to understand and be prepared to respond to the threat of a tsunami.

Getting to know your neighbours and your community are the major themes for this year’s Get Ready Week which started today (23 September) and runs to 29 September, says John Hamilton, Director Civil Defence and Emergency Management.

Research released today shows the Get Ready Get Thru emergency preparedness campaign is proving highly successful.

It is frightening to stay in a building immediately after an earthquake but it is much safer than immediately going outside. The Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management, John Hamilton, said it is not like a fire. You do not have to evacuate a building straight away unless it is showing obvious signs of distress.

The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management has approved funding for 17 local government projects that will improve local and regional civil defence emergency management.

An initial trial has shown that emergency composting toilets might be an alternative to port-a-loos and chemical toilets if sewerage lines are damaged or broken.

Additional information for Oklahoma City tornado story

I would like to thank media organisations for your support yesterday in advising New Zealand of the potential risk we faced after the Santa Cruz earthquake and the tsunami that hit the Solomon Islands.

Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group manager, Graeme MacDonald, returned last night from a two-week United Nations deployment in the typhoon ravaged Philippines.

New Zealander Graeme MacDonald is one of the seven-strong United Nations team deployed in the Philippines ahead of Tropical Cyclone Bopha (known in the Philippines as Super typhoon Pablo).

The independent Review of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Response to the 22 February Christchurch Earthquake was today released by the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management.

So many New Zealand ShakeOut evaluation forms are being returned that GNS Science is hiring a group of students to input all the data.

The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management is delighted with New Zealand’s tremendous response to our first ever national earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut, and that response from schools, businesses, councils, people at home and media is continuing.

New Zealand’s first ever national earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut happens in about 45 minutes, at 9:26am.

Yesterday saw a big increase in numbers registered for New Zealand’s national earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut.

New Zealand’s national earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut, happens at 9:26am tomorrow - but what should people do after the drill?

It is only two days to go until the start of our country’s national earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut, and thousands of schools and workplaces, including shopping centres and national retail chains, and more than 1.2 million people are already involved.

With one week to go until our first ever nationwide earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut, Waikato’s Te Aroha Community Hospital might just be the most involved organisation in the country.

This morning, on the second anniversary of the first Canterbury earthquake, we reached our goal of 1 million people for the Drop, Cover and Hold national earthquake drill.

New Zealand’s first ever national earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut, is exactly four weeks away, at 9:26am on September 26 (9:26-26:9).

As of today, more than 750,000 people are participating in New Zealand’s biggest ever earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut.

From tomorrow (Monday), people will hear new Drop, Cover and Hold earthquake preparedness ads on the radio - in six different languages.

The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management has reviewed its advice about storing water for emergencies and has issued new, additional information.

The latest issue of the Education Gazette features Mt Roskill Primary School as a champion of emergency preparedness. www.edgazette.govt.nz

More than 250,000 people are now registered to take part in New Zealand’s biggest ever earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut.

For the first time one website now provides a way to easily access information about regional earthquake hazards across New Zealand. Go to http://www.shakeout.govt.nz/whyparticipate/ and select a region under “New Zealand earthquake hazards”.

Media are invited to preview new television advertising and online videos that will begin screening on Thursday June 28.

In less than a day more than 8,000 people have registered to take part in New Zealand ShakeOut.

At 9:26am on 26 September (9:26-26:9) New Zealand ShakeOut aims to have 1 million people in New Zealand do a “Drop, Cover and Hold” earthquake drill.

Top Japanese scientists and senior government officials arrive in New Zealand tomorrow (Thursday) to share Japanese and New Zealand disaster management expertise.

All early childhood education (ECE) services will soon have new guidance on how to plan for emergencies.

There are lessons for both the United Sates and New Zealand from the way Kiwi primary and intermediate school children are taught how to prepare for disasters.

New Zealand’s civil defence response team returned today from the Queensland floods.

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement last night that New Zealand could provide a second civil defence Response Team to Queensland, planning has begun for the selection and formation of that team.

Members of the 15-strong New Zealand Civil Defence Response Team assisting with flood relief in Queensland have been stood down today for a well-earned rest.

Additional flooding in the Queensland town of Condamine has resulted in the New Zealand Civil Defence Response Team returning to help residents cope.

The Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management, John Hamilton, said that, anecdotally, New Zealanders seem to be more aware and better prepared after a year of emergencies and disasters here and overseas.

The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management and the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today signed a memorandum of cooperation that includes 24/7 contact between the agencies.

New Zealand’s ability to respond to a warning of a potentially destructive tsunami will be tested by Exercise Tangaroa on Wednesday, 20 October 2010.

Eruption screens on TV3 at 8:30pm tomorrow. It is a New Zealand-made drama that follows several Auckland families in the days before a volcanic eruption in their city.

The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management has signed a contract with New Zealand telecommunications company, TeamTalk, to build a new alternative communications network for the National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC).

Initial summary of New Zealand/Australian engineering visit to Chile

From Monday (31 May 2010) people might hear electronic civil defence emergency alarms on their radios.

Statistics New Zealand’s General Social Survey, released today, shows that 15% of households are prepared for a natural disaster, i.e. they have enough food and water stored to last three days, and they have an emergency plan.

New Zealand’s tsunami risk management programme has taken another step forward with the announcement today of a revised national Tsunami Advisory and Warning Plan.

The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management has added a Twitter feed to the emergency status bar on its website www.civildefence.govt.nz .

Thirty years ago, on Wednesday 8 August 1979, New Zealand’s biggest urban landslide hit Abbotsford in Dunedin.

In the last few weeks Waihi Village was evacuated because of a threatened landslide, Wellington rail and road links were closed by slips, tornadoes struck Kaitaia and Opunake, heavy rain caused flooding in Gisborne district and a large earthquake, followed by aftershocks, occurred in Fiordland.

The purchase of an electronic emergency management information system (EMIS) for the National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) has come a step closer today with the issuing of registration of interest (ROI) documentation.