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Civil Defence
and Emergency Management Committee
25 July 2023
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Civil
Defence Emergency Management Group Plan - approval of draft for public
consultation
File No.: CP2023/09492
Te take mō te
pūrongo
Purpose of the report
1. To
seek approval to consult with the public on the Auckland Civil Defence Emergency
Management Group Plan consultation version (draft CDEM Group Plan).
Whakarāpopototanga matua
Executive summary
2. The
Civil Defence Emergency Management Act requires Civil Defence Emergency
Management Groups to develop Group Plans. Group Plans are strategic documents
that set out the strategic vision and action plan for achieving disaster
resilience in an area.
3. The
current Auckland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan is dated
2016-2021 and is under review. It will remain in force until replaced. A draft
Group Plan has been developed for consultation with the public.
4. This
paper describes the content of the draft Group Plan, the process that has been
taken to prepare the draft Group Plan, the parties that have been involved in
its development, the consultation that will be conducted in August, and next
steps.
Ngā tūtohunga
Recommendation/s
That the Civil Defence and
Emergency Management Committee:
a) whakaae
/ approve the draft Civil Defence Emergency Management Plan (Attachment A) for
consultation, subject to the correction of any minor errors or omissions
identified prior to consultation.
Horopaki
Context
5. A
Group Plan is a statutory requirement of the Civil Defence Emergency Management
Act 2002 (the CDEM Act). The current Group Plan is dated 2016-2021. A CDEM
Group Plan remains operative for the period specified, but if the plan is not
replaced before the close of that period, it remains in force until replaced.
The review of the current Group Plan commenced with public notice in the New
Zealand Herald on 21 October 2021. There have been delays in completing this
review due to local elections, intended alignment with the Emergency Management
Bill, and other factors, which have previously been reported to the Coordinating
Executive Group (CEG) and the CDEM Committee.
6. In
April 2023, the CDEM Committee approved a project timeline for completion of
the review of the current plan (Attachment B). The programme requires public
consultation on a draft Group Plan in August 2023.
Tātaritanga me ngā
tohutohu
Analysis and advice
Content of the Group Plan
7. 
The draft Group Plan sets out the strategic direction for our work
on Auckland’s Civil Defence Emergency Management system. It outlines the
CDEM mission and objectives for Tāmaki Makaurau, how we will achieve them
and how we will measure our performance.
8. 
The draft Group Plan is designed to be used by the CDEM Group and
key partners and stakeholders involved in CDEM functions in Auckland. It also
provides the public with an understanding of how these stakeholders work
together, and the role they themselves can play in building individual and
community resilience.
9. In
accordance with the CDEM Act and Director’s Guidelines for Group Plans,
the draft Group Plan includes a comprehensive summary of the natural, built,
social and cultural environments of Tāmaki Makaurau and an analysis of the
hazards and risks facing Auckland. These factors guide the focus of activities
and actions that are described in the later chapters of the plan.
10. The
plan contains chapters on the four Rs of emergency management (reduction,
readiness, response and recovery), and chapters addressing mana whenua and
mātāwaka partnership, management and governance, and monitoring and
evaluation.
11. Each
chapter describes the existing arrangements that are in place, identifies what
we need to focus on to make improvements in that area, and sets out objectives
and actions over the 5-year life of the plan. An ‘action plan’
table is set out for each chapter, which describes the objectives, actions, key
deliverables or success measures, and results expected from achieving the
objectives. The lead within Auckland Council and key supporters (either from
within Auckland Council or the wider community of CDEM partners and stakeholders),
are also identified for each action. This is intended to support clarity of
roles and responsibilities, and to communicate that everyone has a role to play
in contributing to a Tāmaki Makaurau that is resilient to disasters.
12. Further
detail on timing of delivery of actions will be set out in business plans, to
ensure they can be adapted quickly to changing circumstances.
Development of the Group Plan
13. The
Group Plan has been developed in accordance with, and informed by the following:
a) the
legal requirements of sections 48-56 of the CDEM Act
b) CDEM
Group Planning Director’s Guidelines [DGL 09/18]
c) the
National Disaster Resilience Strategy 2019 Ruataki ā-Motu Manawaroa
Aituā
d) supporting
plans of Auckland Council and partners and stakeholders
e) risk
assessments, involving collaborative workshops with CDEM partners and
stakeholders, and online surveys
f) international,
national and local climate change and emergency management research and policy
g) learnings
from previous emergency responses, including independent reviews of Auckland
Council emergency management readiness and response.
14. The
draft has been developed incorporating input and advice from a range of parties
including:
a) the
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
b) a
working group comprised of CEG organisation representatives
c) a
project advisory group comprised of subject matter experts across the Council
whānau regarding strategy, the four environments (natural, built, social
and economic), strategy, sustainability, hazard risk, infrastructure and
statutory land use planning
d) the
Independent Māori Statutory Board Secretariat (IMSB)
e) Auckland
Emergency Management department and Controllers
f) Auckland
Council legal advisors
g) Ngā
Mātārae, Ngati te ata Waiohua, the National Māori Wardens
Response Team, Nelson / Tasman emergency management, Ngai Tahu emergency
management and Massey University (specifically in relation to development of
Whakaoranga marae, Whakaoranga whanau), the framework for supporting disaster
resilience of mana whenua and mātāwaka that is embedded within the
draft Group Plan.
15. We
have communicated directly with the IMSB Secretariat, NEMA and the CEG
organisations who provided feedback on an initial draft circulated in May, to
advise how their feedback has been taken into account.
Consultation
16. The
CDEM Act requires public consultation for a period not less than 1 month to
enable the public to make submissions on the draft Group Plan. It also requires
that any person who makes a written submission, is given a reasonable
opportunity to be heard by the body to which the submission is made. These
factors have informed arrangements for the consultation phase.
17. The
draft Group Plan will be made available on Auckland Council’s ‘AK
have your say’ online platform, along with frequently asked questions and
a feedback form. Submissions will be accepted from 01 to 31 August. A hard copy
reference document will be made available in all council libraries and service
centres, accompanied by the feedback form. A summary document and feedback form
will be translated into Te Reo Māori, simplified Chinese, traditional
Chinese, Samoan, Hindi, Korean and Tongan (available online and in libraries
and service centres) to support participation of Aucklanders who either do not
speak English, or English is their second language.
18. To
raise awareness about the consultation, a link to the AK have your say platform
will be shared with our CDEM partners and stakeholders, along with posts on the
Auckland Emergency Management social media channels and website. CEG partners
are invited to share the consultation material with their networks. The Citizen
Engagement team at Auckland Council will also share the consultation link with
their network of community partners, who are representatives of
Auckland’s diverse communities, and work with Council to broaden
engagement reach.
19. The
Recovery Office and Healthy Waters department of Auckland Council are engaging
with the public at the same time as consultation on the draft Group Plan. We
are working with the communications and engagement specialists across both
projects to ensure clarity of messaging to the public. To assist with this, a
flyer is being developed for placement at libraries, service centres and any
community events throughout this period (such as community hui on local board
plans). The flyer will describe the projects, where people can go for more
information, and how they can provide feedback.
20. Any
party that indicates they wish to be heard in support of their submission on
the draft Group Plan will be given the opportunity to present to the CDEM
Committee in September.
Tauākī whakaaweawe
āhuarangi
Climate impact statement
21. The
latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change[1] declares the scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is
a grave and mounting threat to human wellbeing and the health of our planet.
People’s health, lives and livelihoods, as well as property and critical
infrastructure, including energy and transportation systems, are being
adversely affected by hazards from heat waves, storms, drought, and flooding,
as well as slow-onset changes including sea level rise.
22. The
evidence for warming in New Zealand continues to build. New Zealand experienced
its warmest year on record in 2022, surpassing the previous record set in 2021.
The upper North Island and Auckland confidently point towards increasing
temperature trends[2]. Annual rainfall patterns are also expected to change, with eastern
portions of the North Island likely to see more summer rainfall, and rainfall
intensities accompanying sub-tropical systems and airmasses expected to
increase. Marine heat waves and drought are also set to become more frequent
and intense. Climate change is likely to increase the chances of strong El Nino
and La Nina events.
23. The
Group Plan contains actions that intend to reduce the risk of hazards
(including those influenced by climate change), and to support community and
operational readiness, response to and recovery from emergencies.
24. While
not directly incorporated into the risk calculations for the hazard risk
assessment described in the draft Group Plan, the 5-year reassessment cycle
will allow us to incorporate the latest science and understanding of the
changing climate into our scenarios and severity determination.
Ngā whakaaweawe me
ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera
Council group impacts and views
25. The
Project Advisory Group described in paragraph 14 c) was established to contribute
to the development of the draft Group Plan. This has been integral to ensuring
that the draft Group Plan aligns with related Council policy, and that the
activities of the wider Council that contribute to building disaster resilient
communities are incorporated.
26. Council
Controlled Organisations are connected to the Group Plan review through both
CEG and Lifelines.
Ngā whakaaweawe
ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe
Local impacts and local board views
27. Local
boards have an important role
to play in supporting disaster resilient communities through their knowledge of
local communities and local government. Auckland Emergency Management’s
Lead Team have conducted a series of workshops with local boards in recent
months to build and strengthen relationships. Clarity on roles and
responsibilities, communication, and the need for local plans to support
response were key themes that were expressed by the board members.
28. The
draft Group Plan sets out the roles and responsibilities of local board members
before, during and after emergencies. Actions to support response communication, local board plans, and
community resilience plans are also included.
29. A
Local Board member briefing
session on the draft Group Plan was held on 26 June 2023. The draft Group Plan
will be presented to Local Boards through their business meetings in August,
inviting feedback.
Tauākī whakaaweawe
Māori
Māori impact statement
30. In
line with the National Disaster Resilience Strategy- Rautaki ā-Motu
Manawaroa Aituā, Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) have been working
hard to incorporate a Te Ao Māori worldview into our mahi to ensure
greater recognition, understanding, and integration of iwi/Māori
perspectives and tikanga in emergency management. The impacts on Māori
from disasters can be significant and there are real strengths in integrating
kaupapa Māori, mātauranga Māori and tikanga Māori into
resilience building for disasters.
31. Engagement
with iwi and Māori on the Group Plan began with a presentation to the Mana
Whenua Kaitiaki forum in late 2022. The forum was encouraging and supportive of
the kaupapa. AEM continues to build relationships with iwi and Māori at
all levels, from the Independent Māori Statutory Board secretariat, to
individual marae through their resilience planning work via Whakaoranga Marae,
Whakaoranga Whānau.
32. The
draft Group Plan acknowledges our partnership obligations under Te Tiriti o
Waitangi and acknowledges mana whenua mātauranga mai rā anō
(traditional and historical lived-experience and knowledge of an area, place or
space). Objectives and actions within the plan aim to:
· coordinate with our
partners and stakeholders to expand work to support mana whenua and mātāwaka
with disaster resilience through Whakaoranga Whānau and Kia Rite and Kia
Mau (a resilience programme focused on tamariki and rangatahi), and
· secure
representation of mana whenua and mātāwaka in the Incident Management
Team and Coordinating Executive Group.
33. Whakaoranga
whanau, Whakaoranga marae was developed collaboratively as described in para.
14 g). These parties were also involved in the development of Ngā
Mātāpono, values and principles that underpin ways of working with
iwi and Māori in Auckland that form part of the strategic framework for
the Group Plan.
34. The
engagement period in August provides an opportunity for mana whenua and
mātāwaka to consider the Group Plan content (that has been developed
collaboratively as described above) and advise if there are any areas that
could be further enhanced from a Te Ao Māori perspective.
Ngā ritenga
ā-pūtea
Financial implications
35. The
consultation process can be delivered within approved
budgets.
Ngā raru tūpono me
ngā whakamaurutanga
Risks and mitigations
Submission
numbers and programme
36. The
weather events in early 2023 and the subsequent Auckland Flood Response Review
(the Bush Report) generated an increased level of interest in the Auckland CDEM
Group Plan. This is likely to increase the number of submissions than might
have otherwise been expected. Whilst this is positive in terms of public
participation, only a month has been allocated to submission analysis in the
programme in Appendix B. Additional support from the wider Council family (or
consultants) may be required, depending on the number of submissions received.
37. Similarly,
two days of hearings have been scheduled with the CDEM Committee in September,
to enable those parties who wish to be heard, to do so. If a large number of
submitters wish to be heard, the number of hearing days will need to be
increased.
Public and
media interest
38. There
is a need to be clear in public messaging about the purpose of the Group Plan;
that it is a strategic vision and action plan for CDEM activity in Auckland. It
is not an operational document, nor a tactical response plan. Key messages are
being developed with Corporate Communications and Media to address this.
39. To
anticipate potential media interest in the draft Group Plan, Adam Maggs, Group
Controller and Head of Capability and Public Awareness, has been identified as
media spokesperson.
Emergency
Management Bill
40. The
Emergency Management Bill (the Bill) was introduced to Parliament on 7 June
2023. Advice from NEMA is that it is likely to take some time to progress
through the formal stages to become an Act. The Bill will not affect the
current programme for the review of Auckland CDEM Group Plan as it has not yet
been made into law.
41. There
will likely be a requirement for CDEM Groups to review their Group Plans within
a period of time after the bill is enacted (for example, 2 years). Further
information on this requirement will be provided to CEG as it becomes
available. It is recommended that the Auckland CDEM Group Plan review does not
wait to align with the new legislation given the recommendations within the
Bush report, and recent Office of the Auditor General report, to progress the
Auckland CDEM Group Plan review as soon as possible.
Ngā koringa ā-muri
Next steps
42. Consultation
will take place in August as described. The remainder of the Group Plan review
will progress in accordance with the timeline in Attachment B, mindful of the
risk and mitigations outlined above.
Ngā tāpirihanga
Attachments
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No.
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Title
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Page
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a⇩
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Draft Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan
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15
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b⇩
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Group Plan review timeline
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143
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Ngā kaihaina
Signatories
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Author
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Kristen Spooner - Principal Advisor Strategy and
Planning
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Authoriser
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Paul Amaral - General Manager Auckland Emergency
Management
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