News and Events

A nationwide test of the Emergency Mobile Alert system will be undertaken on Sunday 25 November between 6pm and 7pm.

The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management is encouraging New Zealanders to have their say about the future of disaster resilience in New Zealand.

The tragic earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia is a reminder for New Zealanders of the importance of knowing how to stay safe in the event of a tsunami.

Civil Defence Emergency Management authorities and media are joining forces to ensure better access to emergency information for diverse communities.

In June Civil Defence Minister Hon. Kris Faafoi launched New Zealand ShakeOut 2018, our national earthquake drill and tsunami hīkoi (walk out), on 6 June at Wilford School in Wellington.

Deaf communities will have improved access to emergency information as the result of a new agreement signed today, says Civil Defence Minister Hon Kris Faafoi.

Now is a good time to think ahead about how Cyclone Gita might impact you and your household, and plan accordingly, the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management is advising the public.

New Zealand’s new Emergency Mobile Alert system has been well received by New Zealanders, according to an independent survey commissioned by the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (MCDEM).

Civil Defence Minister Kris Faafoi has released a report into how New Zealand responds to natural disasters and emergencies.

On 14 November 2016, Kaikōura and North Canterbury experienced a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that had wide reaching impacts on New Zealand’s North and South Islands. The November 2016 Earthquake recover Story pulls together the many strands of support that government and councils have provided to help people back to a new normal.

The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (MCDEM) is leading the implementation of Emergency Mobile Alert, New Zealand’s new nationwide emergency alert channel. A live nationwide test of Emergency Mobile Alert will be held on 26 November 2017 between 6pm and 7pm.

World Tsunami Awareness Day on Sunday 5 November is a chance for all of us to find out more about tsunami and how to prepare for them, Civil Defence Minister Kris Faafoi says.

The New Zealand Lifelines Council has completed the report ‘New Zealand Lifelines Infrastructure Vulnerability Assessment: Stage 1 September 2017’ which provides a summary of New Zealand’s national lifelines infrastructure and vulnerability to hazards.

We apologise to those who have received test emergency alerts in the early hours of 4 October 2017.

The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management have updated the information on this website about recovery. The updated content includes information about recovery planning and the role and powers of Recovery Managers.

We videoed the speakers from this years Future of Emergency Management Conference to help us share the lessons and ideas from our domestic and international experts and speakers as far and wide as possible. These are now available via our Youtube channel.

The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management has released the results of the Colmar Brunton disaster preparedness survey for 2017. This annual survey of 1000 New Zealanders assesses disaster preparedness and the effectiveness of our public education programme.

This version (1.1) of the WENIRP has been developed post the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake in order to ensure that, if a major aftershock occurred affecting the Wellington region, an effective response could be initiated.

This report provides an overview of Exercise Tangaroa 2016 and summarises the key findings derived from evaluation and feedback provided about the Exercise

The Kaikoura Earthquake and Tsunami: 14 November 2016 Post Event Report (MCDEM response) outlines the Ministry’s response to the Kaikoura earthquake and tsunami on 14 November 2016.