DATE
15 MAY 2006

Emergency confusion concerns continue

Canterbury’s Civil Defence Emergency Management Group has restated its concerns about the inadequacy of the new National Civil Defence Emergency Management Plan, and will be asking other groups around the country and their regional controllers to articulate their views.

At a meeting in Christchurch this morning, the group heard about significant problems which arise from the new plan, including:

- Confusion over the co-ordination of a multi-agency response to major emergencies, including an influenza pandemic.

- Tsunami, pandemic, earthquake and volcanic hazards have not been identified as national hazards.

- The National Warning System about how communities would be warned about impending emergencies is not clear.

The group’s concerns are reinforced in a 40-page legal opinion from public law specialists Chen Palmer, but dismissed in a 10 paragraph response from the Crown Law Office.

ENDS