New legislation will ensure that our emergency management system is inclusive, modern and responsive to its needs, said Emergency Management Minister Kiri Allan.
“A new bill that builds on what is already working will be introduced to replace the two-decade-old Civil Defense Emergency Management Act of 2002.
“The proposed emergency management law will not constitute a fundamental transformation of the emergency management system, but rather address a number of identified gaps to ensure that the system can meet current and future needs,” said Kiri Allan.
“A program of work to build capacity and capacity has been underway since a ministerial review highlighted vulnerabilities in the system, especially in the response phase, following the Kaikoura earthquake in 2016 and the Port Hill fire in 2017.
“Since then, the government has allocated $ 46.6 million over four years in the 2021 budget to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to strengthen our emergency management system and support inclusive and community-based disaster responses. natural and health events.
“The new bill will introduce changes that clarify roles and responsibilities at national, regional and local levels, and those of our providers of critical infrastructure – essential services for daily life – to ensure optimal use of resources and coordination of efforts. .
“The CEO of NEMA will have the power to authorize ’emergency management rules’, which will make the system more flexible. For example, rules could be used to specify what health and disability services will do in an emergency, or define who is responsible for what during a mass evacuation.
“It currently takes a lot of time and effort to update even the most minor provisions.
“The bill will also better enable Maori system-wide, at the governance, planning and operational levels, recognizing the critical role Maori and Marae play in community responses to emergencies.” “Said Kiri Allan. .
More information on the work to develop the new bill and other aspects of the emergency management system reforms can be found at https://www.civildefence.govt.nz/cdem-sector/regulatory-framework -review-trifecta-program /
