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Civil defence emergency management
Last updated: 13 May 2026
Reporting frequency: Quarterly
Core service: Community Preparedness and Response to Hazards
Environment Canterbury enables and funds the Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management Group (CDEM Group).
The CDEM Group is a partnership between Environment Canterbury, territorial authorities, emergency services and others. CDEM Group works with communities to identify and reduce risks, increase readiness, and prepare for responding to, and recovering from, emergencies.
How are we tracking on our service measures?
Service measure 24: Percentage of time that an Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) and a CDEM Group Controller, are available and ready to activate
Target: 100%
How are we doing: 100% - all ECC equipment was tested in accordance with standard operating procedures. The ECC was used during severe weather in the Banks Peninsula area and worked well
On track
Service measure 25: Percentage of appointees in the Emergency Coordination Centre that are trained to Civil Defence Emergency Management Group standards
Target: 90% or more
How are we doing: 100% – during quarter three, ECC training activity remained strong, with 35 staff attending formal ECC training courses and a further 52 staff participating in an online ECC staff hui. As at the end of the quarter, 160 Council staff were trained or engaged in ECC-related activities, supporting ongoing compliance with Civil Defence Emergency Management Group training standards
On track
More information
The response to a Civil Defence Emergency is coordinated by the CDEM Group. Appointees in the Emergency Coordination Centre are Environment Canterbury staff members, and members of the public, who are volunteers.
Training refreshers take place when we exercise for an event (or when an event occurs).