Agenda of Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee

I hereby give notice that an ordinary meeting of the Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee will be held on:

Date:

Time:

Meeting Room:

Venue:

Tuesday, 14 June 2022

2.00pm

This meeting will be held remotely and a recording of the meeting will be available on the Auckland Council website.

Kōmiti Ārai Tūmatanui me Te Toko Raru Ohorere

/ Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee

OPEN AGENDA

MEMBERSHIP

Chairperson	Cr Sharon Stewart, QSM
Deputy Chairperson	Cr Wayne Walker
Members	Cr Fa’anana Efeso Collins
	Cr Tracy Mulholland
	Cr John Watson
IMSB Member	Glenn Wilcox
Ex-officio	Mayor Hon Phil Goff, CNZM, JP
	Deputy Mayor Cr Bill Cashmore

(Quorum 3 members)

Sonja Tomovska

Kaitohutohu Mana Whakahaere / Governance Advisor

8 June 2022

Contact Telephone: 09 890 2906

Email: sonja.tomovska@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Website: www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Terms of Reference

Responsibilities and powers

The Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Committee is a statutory committee required under S12(1) of the Civil Defence and Emergency Management Act 2002 (CDEM Act) and is responsible for:

· being Auckland’s strategic forum for civil defence and emergency management planning and policy

· establishing an emergency management structure for the Auckland region

· developing, approving, implementing and monitoring the Auckland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan

· developing, approving, implementing and monitoring other relevant strategies and policies relevant to the powers and functions of the Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group as identified in the CDEM Act

· performing the statutory functions of a civil defence emergency management group

· representing Auckland in the development of national emergency management policy including approving relevant policy and legislative submissions to external bodies

· engaging with Local Boards and local board portfolio holders on civil defence and emergency management issues.

The Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Committee will exercise the statutory powers outlined in the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 and the Auckland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan. The Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Committee is authorised to approve use of the established emergency funding facility provided for emergency management.

Relevant legislation includes but is not limited to:

Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002; and

Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996.

Code of conduct

For information relating to Auckland Council’s elected members code of conduct, please refer to this link on the Auckland Council website - https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/about-auckland-council/how-auckland-council-works/elected-members-remuneration-declarations-interest/Pages/elected-members-code-conduct.aspx

Exclusion of the public – who needs to leave the meeting

Members of the public

All members of the public must leave the meeting when the public are excluded unless a resolution is passed permitting a person to remain because their knowledge will assist the meeting.

Those who are not members of the public

General principles

· Access to confidential information is managed on a “need to know” basis where access to the information is required in order for a person to perform their role.

· Those who are not members of the meeting (see list below) must leave unless it is necessary for them to remain and hear the debate in order to perform their role.

· Those who need to be present for one confidential item can remain only for that item and must leave the room for any other confidential items.

· In any case of doubt, the ruling of the chairperson is final.

Members of the meeting

· The members of the meeting remain (all Governing Body members if the meeting is a Governing Body meeting; all members of the committee if the meeting is a committee meeting).

· However, standing orders require that a councillor who has a pecuniary conflict of interest leave the room.

· All councillors have the right to attend any meeting of a committee and councillors who are not members of a committee may remain, subject to any limitations in standing orders.

Independent Māori Statutory Board

· Members of the Independent Māori Statutory Board who are appointed members of the committee remain.

· Independent Māori Statutory Board members and staff remain if this is necessary in order for them to perform their role.

Staff

· All staff supporting the meeting (administrative, senior management) remain.

· Other staff who need to because of their role may remain.

Local Board members

· Local Board members who need to hear the matter being discussed in order to perform their role may remain. This will usually be if the matter affects, or is relevant to, a particular Local Board area.

Council Controlled Organisations

· Representatives of a Council Controlled Organisation can remain only if required to for discussion of a matter relevant to the Council Controlled Organisation.

1 Apologies

At the close of the agenda no apologies had been received.

2 Declaration of Interest

Members are reminded of the need to be vigilant to stand aside from decision making when a conflict arises between their role as a member and any private or other external interest they might have.

3 Confirmation of Minutes

That the Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee:

a) confirm the ordinary minutes of its meeting, held on Tuesday, 16 November 2021, as a true and correct record.

4 Petitions

At the close of the agenda no requests to present petitions had been received.

5 Public Input

Standing Order 7.7 provides for Public Input. Applications to speak must be made to the Governance Advisor, in writing, no later than one (1) clear working day prior to the meeting and must include the subject matter. The meeting Chairperson has the discretion to decline any application that does not meet the requirements of Standing Orders. A maximum of thirty (30) minutes is allocated to the period for public input with five (5) minutes speaking time for each speaker.

At the close of the agenda no requests for public input had been received.

6 Local Board Input

Standing Order 6.2 provides for Local Board Input. The Chairperson (or nominee of that Chairperson) is entitled to speak for up to five (5) minutes during this time. The Chairperson of the Local Board (or nominee of that Chairperson) shall wherever practical, give one (1) day’s notice of their wish to speak. The meeting Chairperson has the discretion to decline any application that does not meet the requirements of Standing Orders.

This right is in addition to the right under Standing Order 6.1 to speak to matters on the agenda.

At the close of the agenda no requests for local board input had been received.

7 Extraordinary Business

Section 46A(7) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (as amended) states:

“An item that is not on the agenda for a meeting may be dealt with at that meeting if-

(a) The local authority by resolution so decides; and

(b) The presiding member explains at the meeting, at a time when it is open to the public,-

(i) The reason why the item is not on the agenda; and

(ii) The reason why the discussion of the item cannot be delayed until a subsequent meeting.”

Section 46A(7A) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (as amended) states:

“Where an item is not on the agenda for a meeting,-

(a) That item may be discussed at that meeting if-

(i) That item is a minor matter relating to the general business of the local authority; and

(ii) the presiding member explains at the beginning of the meeting, at a time when it is open to the public, that the item will be discussed at the meeting; but

(b) no resolution, decision or recommendation may be made in respect of that item except to refer that item to a subsequent meeting of the local authority for further discussion.”

Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee

14 June 2022

FENZ – Final Business Plan Te Hiku Region

File No.: CP2022/07708

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To inform the committee of Fire and Emergency’s Business Plan 2022-2025 for the Te Hiku Region and its implementation.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Fire and Emergency NZ has created its first three-year Business Plan (the Plan) for the Te Hiku (Tāmaki Makaurau and Te Tai Tokerau) Region.

3. The Plan identifies:

· challenges and opportunities in the Region’s operating environment

· how Fire and Emergency will seek to address its identified challenges and opportunities

· priorities and success measures

· strategic initiatives and areas of focus.

4. To monitor delivery of the Plan, four portfolios with supporting working groups have been established for the Region. The portfolios aim to increase the Regions:

· communication and engagement

· development of our people

· alignment of deliverables.

5. Engagement and partnership are key priorities of the Plan and will be supported through the delivery of the Te Hiku Engagement Framework.

6. Delivery of the Plan will commence in July 2022.

7. The Plan and implementation process are being shared with the Committee as an information item only. No action is required but questions are welcomed.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee:

a) receive the presentation on Fire and Emergency NZ Regional Business Plan and Implementation for information only.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Te Hiku Regional Business Plan and Implementation presentation	11

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author	Casey Hart - Business Operations Lead AEM
Authoriser	Paul Amaral – General Manager, Auckland Emergency Management

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Partnership Charter presentation 1	27
b ⇩	Partnership Charter presentation 2	29

Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee

14 June 2022

Approval to add Alternative Controller and Auckland Emergency Management Plan Appendix 1 Update

File No.: CP2022/07281

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To appoint Adam Maggs, Head of Competency and Public Awareness, Auckland Emergency Management, as an Auckland Civil Defence Emergency Management Alternative Controller.

2. To provide an updated list for the positions of Group Controller and alternatives for approval and publication on the Auckland Emergency Management Group Plan webpage as an amendment of Appendix 1. Group Recovery Manager and alternatives and Group Welfare Manager and alternatives will be included, however are unchanged.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

3. Due to the successful completion of the Response and Recovery Leadership Development Programme (RRLDP) combined with six years of emergency management response experience it is recommended that the Civil Defence Emergency Management Committee approve the appointment of Adam Maggs as an alternative Controller, taking effect 14 June 2022.

4. Given this change the Group Controller (and alternatives) list will require updating for publication on the Auckland Emergency Management Group Plan webpage.

5. The Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 requires CDEM Groups to appoint “suitably qualified and experienced” personnel to the positions of Group Controller and Group Recovery Manager and to maintain a number of “suitable and experienced personnel as alternatives”.

6. The National Civil Defence Emergency Management Plan Order 2015 requires CDEM Groups to appoint a “suitably senior and experienced” person to the position of Group Welfare Manager and to maintain a number of “suitable and experienced personnel as alternatives”.

7. A complete and up-to-date list of positions and appointees for publication can be found in the Appendix 1 to this report.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee:

a) approve the appointment of Adam Maggs to the position of alternative Controller effective 14 June 2022.

b) agree to the publication of the Group Controller list (Appendix 1) on the Auckland Emergency Management Group Plan webpage as an amendment of Appendix 1 of the Auckland CDEM Group Plan. Group Recovery Manager and alternatives and Group Welfare Manager and alternatives will be included, however are unchanged.

Horopaki

Context

Requirements under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002

8. Under Section 26 of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 (the Act), each CDEM Group must appoint, “either by name or by reference to the holder of an office, at least 1 suitably qualified and experienced person” to the position of Group Controller and to maintain a number of “suitable and experienced personnel” as alternatives.

Reason for new appointment of Group Controller

9. Due to the successful completion of the Response and Recovery Leadership Development Programme (RRLDP) combined with six years of emergency management response experience it is recommended that the Civil Defence Emergency Management Committee approve the appointment of Adam Maggs as an alternative Controller.

Reason for updating appointments

10. Changes in personnel and the increase in the ability of key personnel to fulfil the requirements of the CDEM Group’s statutory appointments mean that Appendix 1 of the Group Plan needs to be updated and presented to the Committee for consideration and publication on the Auckland Emergency Management Group Plan webpage as an amendment.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

Appointment of Group Controller

11. The appointment of a Group Controller and suitably qualified alternatives is required to ensure Auckland Emergency Management meets its obligations under Section 26 of the Act.

Updating appointments as Appendix 1 Group Plan

12. Upon adoption of the Auckland CDEM Group Plan (2016-2021) in 2016 [CP2016/17633] and subsequent appointments between 2018 and 2020, the Auckland CDEM Group Committee approved the appointment of several Group Controllers, Group Recovery Managers and Group Welfare Managers.

13. Auckland Emergency Management have conducted a review of the named holders of the Group Controller and alternatives.

14. This review has confirmed the addition of Adam Maggs as an alternative Controller

15. Appendix 1 shows the list of active position holders of Group Controller and alternatives, Group Recovery Manager and alternatives, and Group Welfare Manager and alternatives.

16. This list is now ready for publication (Appendix 1) on the Auckland Emergency Management Group Plan webpage as an amendment of Appendix 1 of the Auckland CDEM Group Plan.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

17. The appointment of controller under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 is not a decision that impacts on greenhouse gas emissions or approaches to reduce emissions.

18. Guidance from the Ministry for the Environment advises that climate change will likely generate higher temperatures, rising sea levels, more frequent extreme weather events and a change in rainfall patterns before the end of the century.

19. The occurrence of extreme weather events, for example can require Auckland Emergency Management being activated to coordinate an emergency management response under the direction of a controller. Maintaining a cadre of suitably qualified Controllers is an essential part of Auckland’s preparedness for emergencies.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

20. The position of Controller is a statutory role under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002. There are no impacts for the Council group arising from the appointment of individuals to perform the role of Controller.

Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe

Local impacts and local board views

21. The position of Controller is a statutory role under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002. There are no local impacts arising from the appointment of individuals to perform the role of controller.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

22. The position of controller is a statutory role under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002. As Head of Competency and Public Awareness for Auckland Emergency Management Adam Maggs is committed to Auckland Council’s Treaty Responsiveness Framework.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

23. There are no financial implications arising from this report.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

24. The Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group is required to appoint suitably qualified and experienced personnel to perform the functions and duties and exercise the powers of the Group Controller.

25. The Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group is required to maintain a current and accurate list of appointed Group Controller and alternatives as an Appendix to the Group Plan.

26. Approving the appointment of the additional alternative Controller and approving the publication of the update to Appendix 1 Group Plan ensures the Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group has met its’ obligations under the Act.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

27. Appendix 1 Group Plan to be published to the Auckland Emergency Management Group Plan webpage.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Attachment 1 Updated List Appendix 1 Group Plan	45

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author	Adam Maggs - Head of Competency and Public Readiness
Authoriser	Paul Amaral – General Manager, Auckland Emergency Management

Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee

14 June 2022

Appendix 1: Updated list: Group Controller, Group Recovery Manager, Group Welfare Manager and alternatives

Group/Alternative Controller

Name	Position – Auckland Council	Position
Andrew Clark*	General Manager Commercial and Finance	Alternative Controller
Fleur Aldridge*	Senior Solicitor Commercial	Alternative Controller
Mace Ward*	General Manager Parks, Sport and Recreation	Alternative Controller
Mara Bebich*	Stakeholder Manager	Alternative Controller
Parul Sood*	Waste Planning Manager	Alternative Controller
Rachel Kelleher*	Manager Regional Parks	Alternative Controller
Alan Tresadern	Construction Performance Manager	Alternative Controller
Craig McIlroy	General Manager Healthy Waters	Alternative Controller
Ian McCormick	General Manager Building Control	Alternative Controller
Jazz Singh*	General Manager Procurement Risk	Alternative Controller
Jennifer Rose*	Head of Business Performance	Alternative Controller
Ross Roberts*	Geotechnical and Geological Practice Lead	Alternative Controller
Victoria Walker*	Head of Marketing and Publicity	Alternative Controller
Adam Maggs	Head of Competency and Public Awareness	Alternative Controller

* Completed 2017 Auckland Emergency Management / University of Auckland Controllers Programme

Group/Alternative Recovery Manager

Name	Position – Auckland Council	Position
Jennifer Rose	Head of Recovery	Group Recovery Manager
Alan Tresadern	Construction Performance Manager	Alternative Recovery Manager
Barry Potter	Infrastructure and Environmental Services Director	Alternative Recovery Manager
Craig McIlroy	General Manager Healthy Waters	Alternative Recovery Manager
Mace Ward	General Manager Parks Sports and Leisure	Alternative Recovery Manager
Phil Wilson	Governance Director	Alternative Recovery Manager
Wayne Brown	Principal Recovery Advisor	Alternative Recovery Manager

Group/Alternative Welfare Manager - recommended updated list of for publication

Name	Position – Auckland Council	Position
Daniel Mayo-Turner	Procurement Systems Lead	Alternative Welfare Manager
Rachel Orr	Principal Resilience and Welfare Advisor	Alternative Welfare Manager

Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee

14 June 2022

Auckland CDEM Group Plan

File No.: CP2022/07263

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To update the Committee on the review of the Auckland CDEM Group Plan (Group Plan) and agree to extend the review’s timeframe to accommodate the later introduction of the Emergency Management Bill.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Work on the Group Plan review has proceeded in accordance with discussion and a previous report to the Committee (CP2021/16647 refers) and is outlined in paragraph 4.

3. After the March 2022 memo to Committee outlining National Emergency Management Agency’s (NEMA) Trifecta work programme (including the Emergency Management Bill), the Hon Kiritapu Allan, Minister for Emergency Management agreed to delay the introduction of the Emergency Management Bill until after this years’ local body elections.

4. The delayed introduction of the Bill makes it more challenging to complete the Group Plan review and ensure alignment with the Bills contents. An extension for the completion of the Group Plan review is sought to address these issues. A modest extension until 20 November 2023 will be sufficient.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee:

a) agree to extend the end date for the review of the Auckland CDEM Group Plan from the end of the 2022-23 financial year to 20 November 2023.

Horopaki

Context

5. The review of the Group Plan was discussed with the Committee in the General Managers update in February 2021 and a Group Plan Update was reported to the Committee in November 2021. The Committee agreed to the timeline for the review as until the end of the financial year 2021-22 (CIV/2021/39).

6. Work on the Group Plan from February to May 2022 has included:

· AEM recruitment for Group Plan support

· Review of current plan actions

· NEMA Directors Guidelines used to identify plan requirements

· Background research - alignment with National Disaster Resilience Strategy

· Emergency Management Bill consultation feedback

· Risk assessment project initiated (contractor procured)

· AEM has members of their team participating in plan review workstreams for Phase 1 – Scoping (Iteration and co development) March-July 2022.

· AEM has members of their team participating in plan review workstreams for Phase 2 – Testing and Refining Sept 2022-March 2023.

7. in December 2021, the Hon Kiritapu Allan, Minister for Emergency Management announced the Emergency Management Bill to modernise the emergency management system. The Bill is one project of NEMA’s so called Trifecta Programme which also includes:

· a review of the National Emergency Management Plan

· a roadmap for the implementation of the National Disaster Resilience Strategy (published in 2020).

8. As advised by Memo to the Committee (March 2022), Hon Minister Allen agreed to delay the Bills introduction until after this years’ local government elections. It is anticipated that submissions will be due early in 2023 and enable time for Select Committee and Parliamentary processes before central government elections.

9. The later date for the introduction of the Bill means it will be challenging to complete the Group Plan review on the current timeline. An extension to the timeframe for the review of the Group Plan is sought to better ensure the Group Plan aligns with the Emergency Management Bill as enacted.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

10. The extension until 20 November 2023 provides time for legislation to be enacted within the current parliamentary term and is modest.

11. The intent of the extension is to ensure the reviewed Group Plan aligns with the new legislation and avoids the prospect of subsequently amending the reviewed Group Plan. Group Plan amendments, unless they fall within the criteria for a minor change, are required to go through the same, extensive process as a full review.

12. Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) has commenced the review in accordance with the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 (The Act). The Act does not set a timeframe for the review’s completion. AEM is aware of other CDEM Groups who are similarly reviewing or considering the review of the Group Plans. The continued use of the operative Group Plan complies with NEMA guidelines issued for this purpose.

13. Accordingly, there are neither barriers to, nor adverse impacts resulting from the extension.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

14. An extension to the review of the Group Plan is not a decision that impacts on greenhouse gas emissions or approaches to reduce emissions. The review of the Group Plan seeks to take account of prospective changes in New Zealand’s climate through the Auckland Regional Hazard Risk Assessment project. This project provides a 5-year iterative, collaborative framework for assessing the impact damaging hazards may have on our communities. Aligned to the Group Plan cycle, it ensures every hazard in the Plan is reassessed every 5 years, allowing us to understand how the changing climate is impacting the disasters our communities are facing.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

15. The review of the Group plan is required by the Act, and the prescribed process requires opportunities for people interested in the plan to make submissions and be heard. There will also be engagement with our CEG partners and lifelines groups.

Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe

Local impacts and local board views

16. The review of the Group plan is required by the Act, and the prescribed process requires opportunities for people interested in the plan to make submissions and be heard. Local Boards will be engaged through the review process.

17. As an aside, a memo is also being prepared on NEMA’s Trifecta programme and specifically the Emergency Management Bill to update Local Boards

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

18. An emergency event may adversely impact on land, water, sites of significance, waahi tapu flora or fauna affecting mana whenua and Māori wellbeing in general. The recovery from such an event, as well as the social and economic impacts of a disaster, are of significant interest to Māori.

19. Building relationships with mana whenua and mataawaka is a priority for AEM (CP2021/01180 refers) and an engagement strategy will be developed to ensure engagement with mana whenua and mataawaka on the Group Plan review connects with the right people and input is reflected and understood.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

20. There are no increased costs incurred for the review of the Group Plan as a result of the three month extension for the review’s completion. The costs associated with the review of the Group Plan will be managed from within existing council budgets.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

21. While the extension is to better align the Group Plan review with the emergency Management Bill, it is a possibility that the Bill is not passed within the current term of parliament, in which case the Group Plan might need amending. This possibility is mitigated as set out below:

Risk

Mitigation

· Bill not passed by Government before end of term / next election

· Emergency Management Bill inherited by incoming Minister of Emergency Management.

· Emergency Management Bill not likely to be priority of an incoming government

· Auckland CDEM Group Plan updated in interim.

· Amendment required to the reviewed Group Plan

· May have some insight into what incoming government might wish to do with Bill from Select Committee reports and minority comments.

· Minor amendments (less onerous change process)?

· The Auckland CDEM Group can include the request in its submission to Bill that compliance with an enacted Bill or any replacement Bill be made through the next scheduled Group Plan review (rather than requiring mid-cycle amendments).

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

22. The next update on the Group Plan review will be reported to the Auckland Council Committee responsible for decision making under the under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 in first quarter 2023.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author	Wayne Brown - Principal Recovery Advisor
Authoriser	Paul Amaral – General Manager, Auckland Emergency Management

Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee

14 June 2022

Resilience Fund

File No.: CP2022/07096

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. Provide an update on two Auckland Emergency Management Resilience Fund applications to the National Emergency Management Agency

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Auckland Emergency Management has received funding from the National Emergency Management Agency totally $128,500 for two projects. The outputs will be four storybooks in four community languages about understanding and preparing for storms and floods, and a free emergency preparedness and resilience conference for Auckland’s Chinese business community.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee:

a) note the two successful applications and opportunities to contribute to the outputs in the 2022-23 financial year.

Horopaki

Context

3. Each year the National Emergency Management Agency provides funding through the CDEM Resilience Fund to enhance New Zealand’s hazard risk resilience through the development of local and regional capability and practices.

4. Auckland Emergency Management applied to the Resilience Fund in January 2022 and has been successful with two applications.

5. The applications relate to strengthening the disaster resilience for communities and businesses that can be disproportionately affected in an emergency: Chinese businesses and children in four of Tāmaki Makaurau’s linguistically diverse communities.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

6. In January 2022 Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) applied to the National Emergency Management Agency’s Resilience Fund for $128,500 to deliver two projects.

7. One project requested $85,500 to design and develop four children’s story books aimed at children aged between 5 and 9 years. The second project requested $43,000 towards hosting a free emergency preparedness and resilience conference for Auckland’s Chinese business community.

8. On 3 May 2022 AEM was advised both applications were success. They were two of only nine projects funded in Aotearoa.

Four children’s storybooks

9. Aotearoa has many cultural and ethnic groups that live, work and play in areas that can be impacted by storms and floods. It is essential that all have a plan on how they can best mitigate, prepare and respond to these common emergencies.

10. This project builds the sector’s inclusiveness of disproportionately affected communities, both ethnic, migrant and young people, as well as increases CDEM’s responsiveness to and with these communities.

11. As children and young people are agents of change, this makes them not only future leaders of community, but current leaders to influence and encourage their families, schools, peers and others on the importance of emergency preparedness. This project provides them with the initial stepping stone to develop their knowledge and skills to influence their environment as they grow.

12. The four children’s storybooks will comprise of one significant cultural story about storms and floods or other severe weather conditions (including drought) - one language per book.

13. The intent of the storybooks is to increase the understanding of and teach ways to prepare for these hazard events. It affirms these communities as key leaders and contributors in building disaster resilience in Aotearoa.

14. AEM will actively engage with each language community and their children to draw out cultural insights unique to each community to inform their storybook story and illustrations

15. The four books will be in Te Reo Māori, and three community languages of simplified Chinese, Hindi and Samoan. These three language communities are highlighted through statistical data and the Council’s top languages in our ‘Translating for a diverse Auckland’ policy who have the highest level on non-English speakers. This is a challenge for engaging and delivering disaster preparedness and response during a disaster.

16. The four books will also include English translations – serving as a bilingual resource for children.

17. The storybooks provide excellent opportunities for community resilience engagement and collaboration between CDEM groups and these communities. This process helps build whakawhanaungatanga, allows better understanding of the impact of severe weather, storms and floods, how to prepare if there is a large scale event, different roles and responsibilities and builds community trust with agencies responsible for emergency messaging. Ultimately this contributes to better response outcomes for communities.

Chinese Business Conference

18. The second project is to host a free emergency preparedness and resilience conference for Auckland’s Chinese business community.

19. At the 2019 census, 28.2% of Auckland’s population identified with an Asian ethnicity, with over a third (36.0%) of those identifying as Chinese. Many are small business owners.

20. The 2021 Colmar Brunton Disaster Preparedness Survey repeatedly identified Asian New Zealanders as being one of the least prepared, especially Chinese business owners and/or managers. They have few business connections outside the Chinese community, often struggle with English and have little understanding of how emergency management works.

21. To build the resilience of Auckland’s Chinese small business community to emergency events, AEM already has a dedicated programme of work, which includes resources in Simplified Chinese and an engagement strategy. However, it remains increasingly challenging to engage with this time poor and hard to reach section of Auckland’s business community.

22. Chinese business owners are hesitant to engage with Council, mainstream business associations and business support organisations which are often seen as culturally irrelevant. This proposal helps reduce these engagement barriers by empowering Chinese business owners to build their emergency preparedness capacity in an environment which is familiar linguistically and culturally appropriate. It increases trust in the emergency management sector, ensuring more positive outcomes from future resilience building and response activities. This project will pilot a new engagement model and the approach has been endorsed by Chinese engagement practitioners.

23. The conference will include keynote addresses from prominent business leaders and breakout workshop sessions hosted by different business organisations. The breakout sessions will give attendees the chance to hear from a number of different organisations on a variety of topics from business continuity, fire prevention, emergency response planning and recovery to the benefits of building community networks. We will work with the business community on identifying key areas of interest.

24. All sessions will be tailored specifically for the Chinese small business owner and/or manager. All sessions will be in Mandarin, or have interpretors, with ample opportunity for conference participants to ask questions and seek clarification.

25. Attendees will leave the conference with a greater understanding of how the emergency management system in New Zealand works and what they need to do to ensure their business survives and thrives during and following an emergency event.

26. Attendees will be provided with an information pack containing emergency response and business continuity templates guides and templates in Mandarin. Sessions will be recorded and shared widely, via WeChat and other relevant channels, after the event.

27. With support from Connected Communities and Local Board priorities, the conference will encourage establishing locally based Chinese business associations and networks. This will help increase businesses’ resilience and establish an avenue for further capacity building and engagement initiatives.

28. If successful, the conference could become a regular annual or biannual event and may be replicated to support Auckland’s other ethnic business communities.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

29. Both these initiatives contribute to building the disaster resilience of Auckland’s communities and businesses to the impacts of hazards that are exacerbated by a changing climate. They focus on communities and businesses that are more at risk to these impacts due to language barriers.

30. Auckland Emergency Manage will collaborate with other council departments (for e.g. Healthy Waters, Auckland Unlimited) and partner with community agencies to create and deliver these initiatives.

31. The storybooks and the template of the Business Conference will be available to Civil Defence and Emergency Management groups across Aotearoa for their use if they wish. This extends the reach and education on climate impacts and increasing preparedness and readiness to respond as a community and businesses.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

32. Both these proposals have the full support of other departments and CCOs in the Auckland Council Group. This includes Healthy Waters, Resilient Land and Coasts, Parks, Sport and Recreation, Chief Sustainability Office, Auckland Unlimited, Business Improvement District Programme and Connected Communities.

33. AEM will work closely with them to ensure key messages, insights and contributions are accurately reflected from them.

Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe

Local impacts and local board views

34. Both these projects have regional application and will engage with both the language communities and the business communities across Tāmaki Makaurau.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

35. One of the children’s storybooks is in Te Reo Māori. It will complement the existing Ruaumoko’s Hikoi storybook (on volcano and tsunami) and the Kia Rite, Kia Mau educational resource (5 hazard Atua and preparedness activities) that AEM has created and is using with tamariki.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

36. Funding for both initiatives, totalling $128,500 has been sourced from the National Emergency Management Agency.

37. Both these projects are priority projects for AEM’s Community Resilience Unit’s Prepared and Ready Tamariki and Rangatahi Programme and Business Resilience Programme. There will be full-time staff members allocated to delivering these project.

38. The dissemination of the four storybooks across Tamaki Mākaurau should not incur costs as this will be done by local ethnic and migrant networks, and via schools, early childhood centres, libraries and health providers.

39. Should there be a need for a narrated version of these storybooks, AEM will work with NEMA to source funding for this.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

40. As with any community and business engagement, collaboration and deliver, demands on time may cause delays in delivery. Although funding for both projects is not due to commence until July 2022, work is already underway with project partners to ensure we can deliver project outputs that are meaningful and deliverable in a timely and respectful manner with those we are engaging with.

41. Should a large scale event impact Auckland, AEM has contingencies in place to ensure staff associated with important business-as-usual projects such as these two projects can still progress this work. However, if there are significant delays due to AEM doing emergency response work, we will advise the National Emergency Management Agency of the delay.

42. If there are further restrictions due to Covid, work on the storybooks will move to a virtual setting for engagement to ensure that all cultural beliefs and knowledge are still being shared by the community.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

43. Bridget Vercoe, Principal Business Resilience Advisor is leading the Chinese Business Conference. A Working Group has been convened to assist with the scope, content and delivery of the conference. It includes staff from Connected Communities and Auckland Unlimited and will include other partner agencies.

44. In June 2022 the Working Group will be reaching out to the Chinese small business community to determine what would best meet their needs, timing, format and topics of interest. We welcome ideas for workshop topics and speakers and invite you to contact Bridget Vercoe on bridget.vercoe@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

45. Angela Joseph, Senior Advisor Community Resilience is leading the four multi-lingual children’s storybooks project. She is currently drafting an engagement plan to identify key partners in each of the language communities and the processes by which AEM will co-lead the design and development of the four children’s storybooks. AEM will also set up an advisory group to ensure the project’s outputs and outcomes are met in line with the National and Auckland CDEM group plan.

46. As this project will be run as a co-design approach, it requires genuine community buy-in prior to design or development of the books. Therefore, work is underway to connect with individuals, community groups and key partners, who will make up the membership of working groups (for each language group) who will contribute to and monitor the progress of each children’s storybook.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Angela Joseph – Senior Advisor Community Resilience

Melanie Hutton - Head of Resilience

Authoriser

Paul Amaral – General Manager, Auckland Emergency Management