In a region with a history of severe flooding, the ability of the Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group to respond to and recover from future events is critical for everyone living and working in Waitaha Canterbury. Following the North Island flood events in 2023, central government signalled a clear expectation for all regions across Aotearoa to strengthen their capacity and capability to respond effectively to civil defence emergencies.
Each year, we assess the Group Office (regional) and territorial authorities (local) against a set of detailed performance measures. Emergency management staff from each council provide a score, with the Group Office supporting the process to ensure scores are applied consistently.
We assess community awareness, preparedness and resilience by looking at improvements in individual and community readiness, increased understanding of hazard-related risks, and greater participation in CDEM activities.
We evaluate how effectively risks from hazards are being managed and reduced across Waitaha Canterbury. This includes assessing the coordination, promotion and accessibility of CDEM research; our understanding of the national hazardscape; the extent to which CDEM stakeholders are reducing risks from hazards to acceptable levels; and how well we support wider community participation in hazard risk management decisions.
We also contribute to the overall assessment of Aotearoa New Zealand’s capability to manage and recover from civil defence emergencies. This includes how we promote ongoing and coordinated professional development across the CDEM sector, how we strengthen the capacity of CDEM Groups to prepare for and manage civil defence emergencies, and how we support agencies involved to manage the recovery process. As part of this, we measure the technological and operational readiness of our Emergency Coordination Centre and District Emergency Operations Centres.
We are close to completing the measurement tool to capture this information for Waitaha Canterbury.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is exploring how to evaluate and assure this at a national level. A consistent approach to measure response and readiness is expected to be developed over the next one to two years.
Our work directly impacts and supports agencies across the region in preparing for and planning emergency management response and recovery. This includes our investment in flood protection schemes, the provision of emergency warnings and developing readiness and response plans.
The overall capability of local authorities and mana whenua, along with the decisions they make around emergency management, also play a key role in shaping how well communities are prepared for and able to respond to emergencies.
NEMA gives direction on civil defence and emergency management at a national level.
More information about Canterbury’s CDEM Group is available on their webpage.
NEMA also has lots of valuable resources.