Transition Periods

This page lists the transition period notices given from November 2016. Note: not all emergencies involve a transition period.

Transition periods support a transition from response into the initial recovery phase. It is the giving of notice of transition period that provides for recovery managers and others with powers designed to assist with recovery for a specific period of time (28 days for a local transition period and 90 days for a national transition period but these can be extended).

More information about giving notice of, extending, and terminating a local transition period is available here.

A transition period enables a seamless transition from the emergency response phase to the recovery stage.

Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups can give notice of a local transition period following an emergency, whether a state of local emergency has been declared or not. A local transition period lasts for 28 days (unless extended or terminated earlier).

The Minister for Emergency Management can give notice of a national transition period. A national transition period lasts for 90 days (unless extended or terminated earlier).

During a transition period Recovery Managers have access to powers they may need during the early stages of recovery. These powers allow them to take actions such as

closing roads and public places
undertaking works – for example, earthworks required for stabilising land and properties
removing or securing dangerous structures and material
entering a property to rescue people or save lives.

Powers can only be used if they meet three legal tests. The action must in the Recovery Manager’s opinion be

in the public interest
necessary or desirable to ensure a timely and effective recovery AND
proportionate in the circumstances.

You can still go about your daily business under a transition period but make sure you listen to and follow any instructions from civil defence and emergency services.

Year	Region	Naming Convention	Hazard Type	Locality	Type	Start Date	End Date	Number of days	Comment
2016	National	2016 / November / 14 Kaikoura/Hurunui earthquake	Earthquake	Kaikoura, Hurunui and Wairau-Awatere ward of Marlborough District	National Transition Period	09/12/2016	07/06/2017	180	Dwelling damage, infrastructure, limitation of access. Marlborough District reduced to a ward after 90 days.
2016	Wellington	2016 / November / 14 Kaikoura / Hurunui earthquake	Earthquake	Wellington City	Local Transition Period	14/12/2016	07/12/2017	56	Assessments of building damage
2017	Canterbury	2017 / March / Port Hill Fires	Fire	Christchurch City and Selwyn Districts	Local Transition Period	01/03/2017	29/03/2017	28	Limitation of access
2017	Bay of Plenty	2017 / April / Edgecumbe Flooding	Flooding	Whakatane District	Local Transition Period	21/04/2017	08/09/2017	140	Renewed on 19 May 2017, 16 June 2017, 14 July 2017 and 11 August 2017. Dwelling damage, infrastructure, limitation of access
2017	Canterbury	2017 / November / 14 Kaikoura / Hurunui earthquake	Earthquake	Kaikoura District	Local Transition Period	07/06/2017	22/11/17	168	Renewed on 5 July 2017, 2 August 2017, 30 August 2017, 27 September 2017 and 25 October 2017. Notice given after end of national transition period. Dwelling damage, infrastructure, limitation of access.
2017	Otago	2017 / July / Waitaki Dunedin Clutha flooding	Severe Weather	Waitaki, Dunedin and Clutha Districts	Local Transition Period	24/07/2017	21/08/2017	21
2017	Canterbury	2017 / July / Christchurch flooding	Flooding	Christchurch City	Local Transition period	25/07/2017	22/08/2017	28
2018	Nelson-Tasman	2018 / February / Cyclone Gita	Severe Weather	Tasman District	Local Transition Period	23/02/2018	23/03/2018	28
2019	Nelson-Tasman	2019 / February / Pigeon Valley Fires	Fire	Moutere – Waimea Ward of Tasman District	Local Transition Period	27/02/2019	27/03/2019	28
2020	Southland	2020 / February / Southland flooding	Flooding	Southland Region	Local Transition Period	18/02/2020	17/03/2020	29
2020	National		Pandemic	National	National Transition Period	13/05/2020	08/06/2020	27	A National Transition Period for all of New Zealand owing to the impacts of COVID-19 came into force at 12.21pm on Wednesday 13 May 2020 – the point at which the state of national emergency expired. The National Transition Period was terminated at 1.53pm on Monday 8 June 2020. Report on use of powers during national transition period given owing to the impacts of COVID-19 (.pdf 200kb)
2020	Otago	2020 / October / Ōhau Village Fire	Fire	Ahuriri Ward of Waitaki District	Local Transition Period	12/10/2020	19/11/2020	39	Notice of a local transition period over the Lake Ōhau Village and surrounding area - Ahuriri Ward was given at 12.00pm on 12 October 2020 and extended at 12.00pm on 9 November 2020. The transition period was terminated at 4.30pm on 19 November 2020.
2021	Canterbury	2021 / June / Canterbury flooding	Flooding	Hurunui District	Local Transition Period	03/06/2021	30/06/2021	28	Notice of a Local Transition Period over the areas of Hurunui District Council, Timaru District Council and Mackenzie District Council owing to severe flooding across the region was given at 4:00pm on 3 June 2021.
2021	Canterbury	2021 / June / Canterbury flooding	Flooding	Timaru District	Local Transition Period	03/06/2021	01/07/2021	29	Notice of a Local Transition Period over the areas of Hurunui District Council, Timaru District Council and Mackenzie District Council owing to severe flooding across the region was given at 4:00pm on 3 June 2021.
2021	Canterbury	2021 / June / Canterbury flooding	Flooding	Mackenzie District	Local Transition Period	03/06/2021	28/07/2021	56	Notice of a Local Transition Period over the areas of Hurunui District Council, Timaru District Council and Mackenzie District Council owing to severe flooding across the region was given at 4:00pm on 3 June 2021. Transition period was renewed once.
2021	Canterbury	2021 / June / Canterbury flooding	Flooding	Ashburton District	Local Transition Period	10/06/2021	04/08/2021	55	Notice of a Local Transition Period over the Ashburton district was given at 3:00pm on 9 June 2021. The transition period came into force at 4:00pm on 10 June 2021 when the state of local emergency for the area of the Ashburton district expired. Transition period was renewed once.
2021	Canterbury	2021 / June / Canterbury flooding	Flooding	Waimakariri District	Local Transition Period	10/06/2021	08/07/2021	28
2021	Canterbury	2021 / June / Canterbury flooding	Flooding	Selwyn District	Local Transition Period	10/06/2021	03/09/2021	84	Notice of a Local Transition Period was given at 4.30pm on 10 June 2021. The Local Transition Period was extended on 7 July 2021 and again on 3 August 2021.
2021	Marlborough	2021 / July / Marlborough flooding	Severe Weather and Flooding	Marlborough District	Local Transition Period	28/07/2021			Notice of a Local Transition Period was given at 12.01pm on 28 July 2021. The transition period came into force at 12:01pm when the state of local emergency for the Marlborough district was terminated. The transition period was extended on 22 September 2021 over the following geographic areas: Awatere Valley Road to Molesworth Station and any associated side roads, Queen Charlotte Drive from Havelock to Picton and any associated side roads, full length of Keneperu Road and any associated side roads, Northbank Road including Top Valley Road and any associated side roads, Waihopai Road from Avon Valey Road intersection to the top of the Waihopai Valley and any associated side roads. The transition period was revised on 30 September 2021 to cover the areas of Wairau/Awatere Ward and Marlborough Sounds Ward. The transition period was extended on 20 October 2021.
2021	Buller	2021 / August / Buller flooding	Flooding	Buller District	Local Transition Period	06/08/2021	05/03/2022	211	Notice of a Local Transition Period was given at 1.15pm on 6 August 2021. The transition period came into force at 1.15pm when the state of local emergency for the Buller district was terminated.
2022	Buller	2022 / February / West Coast Severe Weather	Severe Weather	Buller District	Local Transition Period	05/02/2022	16/05/2022	100	Notice of a local transition period over the Buller District was given at 2:45pm on 5 February 2022 owing to the need to manage, coordinate and direct recovery activities in the Westport Ward as a result of the individual and aggregated effects of severe weather events in July 2021 and February 2022; and in other parts of the Buller District as a result of the severe weather event in February 2022. The transition period was extended twice.
2022	Tairāwhiti	2022 / April / Tairāwhiti Severe Weather	Severe Weather	Tairāwhiti CDEM Group Area	Local Transition Period	01/04/2022	29/04/2022	28	Notice of a local transition period over the Tairāwhiti CDEM Group area was given at 10:30am on 1 April 2022 owing to the March 2022 severe weather and heavy rainfall event.
2022	Canterbury	2022 / July / Timaru Flooding	Flooding	Temuka - Pleasant Point Ward	Local Transition Period	27/07/2022	24/08/2022	28	A local transition period began on 27 July 22 following the expiry of a state of local emergency given on 20 July due to flooding.
2022	Marlborough	2022 / August / Marlborough Severe Weather	Severe Weather	Marlborough District	Local Transition Period	26/08/22	18/10/2024	784	Notice of a local transition period was given owing to the cumulative severe weather event of August 2022. The local transition period comes into force at 4.30pm on 26 August 2022, which is the time and date when the state of emergency declared at 4.30pm on 19 August 2022 expired. The local transition period was extended 27 times.
2022	Nelson-Tasman	2022 / August / Nelson-Tasman Severe Weather	Severe Weather	Nelson Tasman CDEM Group area	Local Transition Period	31/08/22	26/10/22	56	A local transition period owing to the effects of the severe weather event in August 2022 came into force at 2:54pm on 31 August 2022 which is the time and date when the state of emergency declared in Wednesday 17 August 2022 expired. The local transition period was extended once on 28 September 2022.
2023	National		Severe Weather	Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Tairāwhiti and Hawke's Bay Regions and Carterton, Masterton, South Wairarapa and Tararua Districts	National Transition Period	03/03/23	12/06/2023	101	A National Transition Period over the Northland, Auckland, Waikato regions and Tararua District came into force on 3 March 2023 when the states of national emergency over these areas owing to Cyclone Gabrielle ended. Carterton, Masterton and South Wairarapa districts were included in the national transition period on 7 March. Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay were included on 14 march when the states of national emergency over these areas ended.
2023	Auckland	2023 / May / Auckland / Severe Weather	Severe Weather	Auckland Region	Local Transition Period	11/05/23	01/06/2023	21	A local transition period came into effect at 9:52 am on 11 May 2023 when a state of local emergency declared on 9 May 2023 owing to severe weather was terminated. The transition period was ended on 1 June 2023 when a new local transition period owing to the severe weather events that have impacted the Auckland region (including the January Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle) came into force.
2023	Auckland		Severe Weather	Auckland Region	Local Transition Period	01/06/2023			Local transition period owing to the severe weather events that have impacted the Auckland region (including the January Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle).
2023	Tairāwhiti		Severe Weather	Tairāwhiti CDEM Group area	Local Transition Period	12/06/2023	22/06/2023	10	Notice of local transition period given when national transition period for Cyclone Gabrielle ended. This transition period ended when a state of local emergency was declared due to severe weather.
2023	Tairāwhiti		Severe Weather	Tairāwhiti CDEM Group area	Local Transition Period	25/06/2023			This local transition period covers both Cyclone Gabrielle and the June severe weather events. The transition period was extended on 21 July 2023 and on 19 August 2023.
2023	Otago		Flooding	Queenstown	Local transition period	23/09/2023	16/12/2023	114	Notice of local transition period give following the termination of a state of emergency due to flooding.
2023	Southland		Flooding	Southland region	Local transition period	23/09/2023	21/10/2023	28	Notice of local transition period given following the termination of a state of emergency due to flooding.
2024	Canterbury		Fire	Christchurch City and Selwyn District	Local transition period	21/02/2024	20/03/2024	28	Notice of local transition period given at 1pm on 21 February 2024 when the state of local emergency due to Port Hills fires was terminated.
2024	Southland		Coastal hazards	Waiau Aparima Ward	Local transition period	17/03/2024	14/03/2024	28	Notice of local transition period given at 7am on 17 March 2024 when the state of local emergency due to coastal erosion at Bluecliffs was terminated.
2024	Hawke's Bay		Flooding	Wairoa District	Local transition period	03/07/2024			Notice of local transition period given at 6:37am on 3 July 2024 when the state of local emergency due to coastal inundation in the Wairoa District expired.
2025	Canterbury		Severe Weather	Banks Peninsula	Local transition period	12/05/2025			Notice of a local transition period over Banks Peninsula given at 3:00pm on 12 May 2025 owing to high rainfall, landslide near Lighthouse Road and other weather related risks. The transition period was extended at 10:10am on 29 May 2025.

Last updated: 9 Nov 2020

Transition Periods

What is a transition period?