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.

Year	Region	Naming Convention	Hazard Type	Locality	Type	Start Date	End Date	Number of days	Comment
2016	Canterbury and Marlborough	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.