Auckland CDEM Group Forum at Mt Smart Stadium

The challenge of building resilient communities is one that you are all facing. This is an excellent opportunity, not only to hear from the speakers, but to learn from each other throughout the day.

Today we will talk about the best way to develop resilient communities.

But before we get onto the main topics of my address, I would like to thank all involved in civil defence emergency management. 

I appreciate the difficult roles you have and the demanding responsibilities.

I am grateful for your willingness to serve your community, and I know that the community appreciates what civil defence can do for them.

Many of you have been through real emergency situations, like last year's National Storm Event, as well as some of the smaller events that occur on a regular basis. 

These highlight the important role you play and the positive effect you and your organisations have on your communities in difficult and challenging times.

Civil Defence and Local Government

You will be aware that I am also the Associate Minister of Local Government.

I have had a background and interest in local government and communities for many years. Being involved in the community has always been really satisfying.

There are many synergies between my two portfolios of Civil Defence and Local Government. 

This comes from the way in which we expect civil defence to be delivered, with primary responsibility being held at the local level. 

Civil defence aims to provide for communities and their wellbeing. It is delivered through the local government mechanisms. I am very keen to make sure that these connections are well understood. 

The new Auckland 

The synergies between the two portfolios are even more apparent at the moment, with the changes underway in Auckland governance. 

As Associate Minister of Local Government, I have been deeply involved in this issue since the Royal Commission presented us with its report. 

As the Minister for Civil Defence, I am committed to making sure that civil defence emergency management in Auckland benefits from any changes made.

Civil defence emergency management is critical for a city the size of Auckland. 

Expectations of the public in the face of an emergency will be uncompromising, and the planning and readiness must be up to the challenge. 

For this reason, I have spoken to the Minister of Local Government and to the Auckland Transition Authority about the need to keep a structure in place throughout the transition period, and will continue to emphasise the importance of this through the months to come.

The size and diverse nature of Auckland society are part of the city's uniqueness. 

The diversity and complexity of agencies and infrastructure contributing towards its safety and well-being presents challenges for those who must plan to address emergencies. 

Co-operation and collaboration are essential for managing the complex civil defence emergency management environment.

This is probably highlighted in Auckland more than any other New Zealand region. 

The final structure of the civil defence emergency management functions within the Auckland Council will be determined by the Auckland Transition Agency. 

Nothing is pre-determined, but there are a few general comments that can be made.

Arrangements in the new Auckland Council have to be, and will be, in accordance with the requirements for civil defence emergency management Groups under the CDEM Act 2002.

A single unitary council can provide the environment for the objectives of the Act to be realised more effectively for the delivery of civil defence.

The structure of civil defence emergency management functions within the Auckland Council could be based around the concept of centralised planning and co-ordination and de-centralised implementation through geographic zones.

The cleaner, uncluttered unitary authority can allow the bottom-up approach that best serves civil defence objectives and the empowerment of communities and individuals to take responsibility for themselves. 

But again, the final structure will be developed by the Auckland Transition Agency.

The changes to Auckland's governance provide an opportunity to give civil defence emergency management the focus it needs in New Zealand's biggest city. 

The new arrangements for Auckland civil defence emergency management will set a benchmark against which other Groups are going to judge the effectiveness of their arrangements. 

We must get it right!

I want to assure those of you involved in civil defence emergency management that I appreciate the contributions that you have put into the wider Auckland region over the years. 

The changes underway are not being made because there was anything wrong with your focus or your effort. 

New governance arrangements for the city mean that management of CDEM will have to evolve. A new structure will give new benefits. 

Think of it as an opportunity to leverage Auckland's strength and the skilled and experienced civil defence emergency management professionals.

It is an opportunity to provide those of you who work in the region with the best structure to plan and deliver civil defence emergency management across the region. 

I am confident that when the revised arrangements are developed and implemented, they will not only work well for communities across all four Rs, but will also strengthen co-ordination and accountability and improve effectiveness.

Engaging with others 

As you all know, civil defence emergencies can hit communities at any time.

Our approach to civil defence emergency management is to work together to generate greater degrees of resilience in communities, so that they are better able to cope with whatever is thrown at them. 

As we all know, the vision of the National CDEM Strategy is for a resilient New Zealand - communities understanding and managing their hazards. 

That it is your vision for Auckland as well, to have a resilient Auckland region.

One thing I think we could do more is engaging with the service clubs, church groups and other community organisations. 

Over the last few decades, I have been personally involved in several community organisations, including my community health committee, Lions Clubs, school committee, and my local rugby club.

These groups and others like them in the community could play a key role in getting their members engaged with civil defence emergency management, and raise their own personal preparedness.

Some of them could be valuable in providing local community leadership, some discipline and organisation, and for helping people to get their lives back on an even keel after a disaster.

I encourage you all to engage with these community groups, particularly if you are a member, and get them involved in civil defence.

Coordination and logistics

Another focus for me as Minister of Civil Defence is ensuring that we have coordination mechanisms in place to cope with the huge logistics tasks that are likely to crop up in response to and in recovery from an event. 

I am heartened to hear that the Auckland CDEM Group has good practices and procedures in place for managing local logistics, which have stood up well in recent events. 

The supporting agencies and the lifelines group deserve a lot of credit for their planning work for essential services. 

Auckland has a lot of interdependencies with its neighbours in Northland. As a Northlander, I am impressed by the way the lifeline agencies work with each other and with Auckland councils in developing their local plans and arrangements.

But I also know that the two national-level civil defence exercises held over the last two years, Exercise Capital Quake in Wellington and Exercise Ruaumoko in Auckland, highlighted the need for far better coordination of the demand and supply of support across agencies.

This is one of my key priorities. The team is working on it but there is much more to be done. 

The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management has a number of projects underway, including the planning for the Wellington earthquake scenario and how to tackle the challenge of coordinating logistics in Auckland in a disaster.

Exercises are an invaluable way to test yourselves and increase your preparedness for the real thing, and I encourage all of you here, particularly those who have a role to play in the logistics area, to learn from the experience.

Most of you in this room have a formal involvement in civil defence - I trust your local arrangements and I trust your abilities. 

However, all New Zealanders have a responsibility to be prepared. We need to continue working to involve more individuals, families and community organisations in civil defence.

I am impressed by the steps that have already been taken here in Auckland, and around the country, to engage with the community.

I encourage you to keep up the good work and never stop looking for new ways to involve our people in civil defence. 

Thank you for your efforts and your commitment.