Civil Defence Emergency Management Bill Introduced
Civil Defence Emergency Management Bill Introduced To House
Minister of Civil Defence Hon. George Hawkins said a new Bill that will ensure New Zealand is capable of managing an emergency of national and local significance has been introduced to the House.
The Civil Defence Emergency Management Bill is necessary to provide a platform and framework to ensure this managed capability is achieved.
George Hawkins said: "New Zealand has a significant exposure to environmental hazards and an increasing exposure to technological hazards.
"Since 1983, the government and economic structures have changed in ways that make the current Civil Defence Act impractical.
"At the same time more effective ways to manage hazards through a comprehensive risk management approach are now recognised as best practice, but are outside the conceptual and organisational framework of the current Act.
"As a consequence of these changes, New Zealand's capability to deal with a large scale emergency event is barely adequate," George Hawkins said.
The Bill requires local authorities
to join with emergency services to form civil defence
emergency management groups (CDEMGs). These groups will be
based on regional boundaries. Members within each group will
co-ordinate in:
identifying local
hazards
building capability and expertise to
address those hazards
reducing the likely
consequences of hazards
developing planned
responses to emergencies
facilitating community
recovery programmes.
George Hawkins said: "Mayors will retain the right to declare a local state of emergency. The Bill encourages Civil Defence Emergency Management Group members to agree to a planned response and to share resources.
"The Bill also describes what is to be done by whom but allows discretion on how," George Hawkins said.
Key components of the Bill are:
that
Civil Defence Emergency Management take a risk management
approach
national and local plans, based on
regional boundaries, will be developed
local
planning is to be consistent with a national
strategy
other than in a state of emergency,
powers and processes are in existing legislation (e.g.
Resource Management Act and Local Government
Act)
Emergency powers.
"The current Civil Defence Act gives inadequate attention to risk reduction and some aspects of readiness. The new Bill adopts the 4Rs concept of Reduction, Readiness, Response, and Recovery," George Hawkins said.
Differences between the proposed Bill
and the current Civil Defence Act
Civil Defence Emergency
Management Bill Civil Defence Act
4Rs concept
-reduction, readiness, response & recovery Inadequate
attention to risk reduction and some aspects of
readiness
Local authorities co-operating in regional
groups Each local authority is independent
A National
Strategy No opportunity for the Crown to set a strategic
direction
National capability builds from regional groups
National capability stands alone
Requirements for
publicly consulted plans No requirements for
consultation
Duties and powers that meet Bill of Rights
standards Little accountability for powers
An
‘all-hazards’ and risk management approach Some hazards
(e.g. technological failure) not envisaged in 1983
The
Bill will also:
enable government to determine
and control its exposure [economic and social] to a range of
hazards
make Civil Defence Emergency Management
consistent with altered roles and capabilities though
government, local government and the private
sector
improve local capacity to deal with
emergencies and understanding of how to develop and allocate
resources
update the mechanisms for the
co-ordinated control of people and resources during an
emergency
increase the focus on risk reduction
and readiness so that communities are more resilient to
emergencies
provide for Crown statements on
strategic direction for Civil Defence Emergency
Management
co-ordinate Civil Defence Emergency
Management with other recent legislation such as the
Resource Management, Biosecurity, Hazardous Substances & New
Organisms and Health Acts.
George Hawkins said: "I have received overwhelming support from mayors for the introduction of this Civil Defence Emergency Management Bill.
"On becoming law, this Bill will ensure New Zealanders are better equipped to reduce risks of civil emergencies, and able to assume an improved state of readiness. It will also ensure New Zealanders are prepared for a managed response to an emergency, and are able to recover from an emergency in the shortest time possible," George Hawkins said.
Ends