Agenda of Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee

No.	Title	Page
a ⇨	Memo - "Improving Auckland Council's emergency preparedness: A follow-up report" - Office of the Auditor-General, September 2024 (Under Separate Cover)
b ⇨	Office of the Auditor-General report - "Improving Auckland Council's emergency preparedness: A follow-up report" (Under Separate Cover)

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	October 2024 update memo on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)	13

Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee

19 November 2024

Update from Fire and Emergency New Zealand

File No.: CP2024/15001

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide an update of Fire and Emergency New Zealand activities operational and strategic matters, risks, issues, and opportunities in Tāmaki Makaurau for the period of 1 August to 29 October 2024.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) continues to work closely with our strategic civil defence emergency management partners across Tāmaki Makaurau to improve the ability to serve our communities during emergency events. This includes working to influence the design of our urban environment (for example through plan changes and Auckland Transport), to future-proof for a safer city and in addition to exercising with our partners to ensure we are well prepared to respond to future emergency events.

Fire season activities

3. Restricted Fire Seasons in place for Hauraki Gulf Islands until further notice.

4. All other areas are in open fire season.

5. Fire weather outlook – it is expected that we will be moving towards a La Nina season over the 2025 summer period. Drier weather is expected on the west coast, and with the narrow profile of the upper north island, close monitoring of updated forecasts is recommended.

6. Our recent Land Management Forum raised concern over continued unauthorised activity in the sand dune areas / coastal protection strip at Woodhill Forest, Muriwai. This is a concern shared by the Joint Agencies for Management of Muriwai (JAMM). Fires started in the area have been unable to spread due to the moisture content, however as conditions become drier the risk of wildfires spreading increases. This does not appear to be related to authorised recreational activities in the forest area.

7. Several fire appliances and crews from Counties Manukau District have been involved in the large wildfire at the Whangamarino wetland for several days since 21 October 2024. This has been a significant incident which has stretched FENZ resourcing and aerial firefighting resources incurring significant expense to extinguish.

Emergency management activities

Response capability

8. A series of monthly day-long improvement sessions focused on the Regional Coordination Centre (RCC) have been held since July 2024. These improvement days have focused on enhancing our surge capability, improving processes and systems. This has included:

· increasing capacity so more staff are able to support the RCC

· reducing the number of different functions one person may cover

· ensuring staff are on track with appropriate training for their functions

· improving competence by monitoring staff involvement in incident response and simulated exercises for the RCC.

9. Improved processes include simplified RCC shift rostering templates, streamlined activation procedures, revised system start-up and management procedures. System improvements have included defined function groups for clear availability tracking, defined RCC notification system, greater system testing and access to data/information. The RCC is included in Incident Management Team (IMT) Simulated Exercises (SIMEX) to strengthen communication with IMTs and our National Coordination Centre (NCC).

10. Some other improvements made during this period include standardisation across all FENZ RCC’s and the recent update of some non-operational staff position descriptions to include support to the RCC during business hours.

11. Planning is underway for a wildfire related SIMEX to be held the week beginning 11 November 2024 to test two IMTs. Invitations have been extended to our partners.

Working with our partners

12. FENZ operational and Public Information Management (PIM) representatives participated in the workshop reviewing the Response Framework: Managing Air Quality Contaminant Impacts.

13. FENZ participated in Operation Chelsea water rescue exercise led by the New Zealand Police on the Waitematā Harbour.

14. FENZ continues to exercise with partners to scenarios related to the City Rail Link and in order to familiarise FENZ response crews.

15. FENZ attended an interagency exercise at Whenuapai Airforce Base in September 2024 to test response procedures to a simulated plane crash on the runway, alongside Whenuapai Rescue Fire Service. Our strong relationship with the Airforce was reinforced through this exercise. Communication between the incident ground team and the Emergency Operations Centre have proven to be difficult. As a result of that, an incident ground communications repeater network has been established. This can be used at any time by the Whenuapai Rescue Fire Service or when FENZ is responding to an incident on or near the air base. This has greatly enhanced the communication and information sharing capability.

International deployments

16. FENZ has deployed a group of ten firefighters and commanders to support the Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority (SFESA) during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Apia, Samoa for two weeks in mid-October. The team supported SFESA with fire safety, security, and secondary response for incidents at dedicated CHOGM venues and hotels as part of the New Zealand Government’s overall assistance to Samoa. Fire and Emergency New Zealand Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) logistics personnel also supported the New Zealand Medical Assistance Team.

Establishing a Local Advisory Committee for Tāmaki Makaurau

17. Fire and Emergency New Zealand is establishing a Local Advisory Committee (LAC) in Tāmaki Makaurau this year. LACs provide advice from a local perspective to the FENZ Board as mandated in the Fire and Emergency Act 2017. 11 LACs are already established across New Zealand, including one for Te Tai Tokerau (the fourth District in our region) which is now into its second term. Tāmaki Makaurau will be the first metro-area LAC to be established.

18. Applications were open from 25 September to 23 October 2024 for membership on the committee. We thank partner agencies for sharing this opportunity with key local community stakeholders who may be interested.

19. Over 75 applications were received, and we anticipate shortlisting and interviews to be completed prior to Christmas, with appointments announced in the new year.

Auckland Council Plan Change 79

20. Fire and Emergency NZ has joined the appeals process for Plan Change 79, which addresses changes to transport and pedestrian access in Tāmaki Makaurau’s intensifying built environment.

21. Auckland Council’s decision on Plan Change 79, that accepted recommendations from the hearing panel, would significantly improve access for emergency service responders to sites during an incident. This plan change would also help to establish fire safety as a planning matter and not just a Building Code consideration.

22. PC79 is being appealed in its entirety by a range of developers and related parties. Fire and Emergency NZ will continue to work with our partners and Auckland Council to defend the provisions that improve emergency services access.

23. Fire and Emergency NZ recognises that PC79 may set a valuable precedent across New Zealand. Auckland Council is at the forefront in experiencing urban intensification and its unintended consequences. Other local government authorities across the country will be watching closely how Auckland Council navigates Unitary Plan Changes to ensure safer, liveable neighbourhoods for our growing population.

Auckland CCO partnerships

24. We continue to work closely with a range of teams at Auckland Transport to improve the safety of our roading network, for both users and our communities reliant on emergency services responders. This includes ensuring that Auckland Transport is considering strategic emergency services access and impact on responders at the earliest stages of road safety interventions and proposed roading design changes. This includes some innovative solutions that may ease response times through congested streets. This is likely to be piloted in the new year.

25. Alongside our emergency services partners, we’re working closely with Auckland Transport on the rail network upgrades that are required to support the City Rail Link. We’re collaborating to understand the impact changes to the rail network will have for emergency responders and the surrounding roading networks.

26. We continue to work closely with our partners at Watercare to maintain a working network of fire hydrants, and to better understand the future of our water networks. We’re also working together to input into the national project, led by Standards NZ, to update the Code of Practice for Firefighting Water Supplies over the next 12 months.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation

That the Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee:

a) whiwhi / receive the update from Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Geoff Purcell – District Manager Counties Manukau, Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fiona Natusch – Auckland Strategic Advisor, Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Authoriser

Adam Maggs - General Manager Auckland Emergency Management

Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee

19 November 2024

Quarter one Auckland Emergency Management 2024/2025 Work Programme progress report

File No.: CP2024/14976

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide the quarter one Auckland Emergency Management 2024/2025 Work Programme progress report.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) has developed a quarterly report to update elected members, the Council Group, our emergency management partners, key stakeholders and the public on progress against its annual work programme that implements the five-year Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan 2024-2029 (the Group Plan).

3. The quarter one Auckland Emergency Management 2024/2025 Work Programme, progress report is provided in Attachment A which covers the period from July–September 2024.

4. AEM continues to implement the recommendations from three reviews: Auckland Flood Response Review (March 2023 Bush review), Auckland Severe Weather Events 2023 (Toa review, August 2023) and the Auckland Council: Preparedness for Responding to an Emergency (Office of the Auditor-General, June 2023).

5. AEM has completed 38 of the total 51 recommended actions that came from those three reviews and is on track to complete the remaining 13 by the end of the five-year term of the Group Plan.

6. Significant progress has been made across the nine workstreams of AEM’s work programme by completing 15 of the 19 quarter one key milestones.

7. Three of the quarter one key milestones have been delayed (scheduled to be complete by the end of this financial year) and one has not been met. These milestones are:

· digital channels are optimised for accessible and cultural needs – to be complete in quarter two

· Volcanic Response Plan completion – to be complete in quarter three

· milestones identified on actions in the Group Plan for years 2024 – 2029 – to be complete in quarter two

· five tiered exercises completed including large biannual exercise – four exercises instead of five have been completed with this milestone re-scoped for next quarter.

8. Despite some delays, we are on track to achieve the milestones of AEM’s 2024/2025 Work Programme by 30 June 2025.

9. AEM is well-positioned to build on its quarter one progress, with 29 key milestones planned to be completed in quarter two that will be reported on at the next committee meeting in March 2025.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee:

a) whiwhi / receive the Auckland Emergency Management 2024/2025 quarter one progress report.

Horopaki

Context

10. To improve our transparency and accountability, Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) has developed a quarterly report to update elected members, the Council Group, our emergency management partners, key stakeholders and the public on progress against its annual work programme that implements the five-year Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan 2024-2029 (Group Plan).

11. A framework to report the progress of actions under the Group Plan and AEM’s 2024/2025 Work Programme on a quarterly basis was received by this committee in September 2024 (CDEM/2024/12139).

12. The Auckland Emergency Management’s 2024/2025 Work Programme, quarter one progress report is provided in Attachment A, covering the period from 1 July 2024 to 30 September 2024.

Recommendations from external reviews

13. Following the 2023 North Island Severe Weather events, Auckland Council commissioned two independent reviews of its response; the Auckland Flood Response Review (March 2023 Bush Review), and Auckland Severe Weather Events 2023 (Toa Review, August 2023). Additionally, in June 2023, the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) undertook a performance audit titled Auckland Council: Preparedness for Responding to an Emergency (OAG Review). Together, these three reviews produced 51 recommendations.

14. Many of the recommendations from these reviews have either been implemented / completed or have been incorporated into AEM’s work programme.

15. Over June – August 2024, the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) conducted an audit on the progress AEM has made with implementing the 51 recommendations from the three reviews on the 2023 severe weather events.

16. In September 2024, the OAG released the ‘Improving Auckland Council’s Emergency Preparedness’ report. This follow-up audit report assessed council’s plans and progress in implementing the 51 recommendations from the three reviews.

17. This report identified that council’s two responding plans, the temporary Prioritised Plan April 2023–June 2024 and the Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group Plan 2024–2029, align well with the intent of the recommendations of the three reviews.

AEM 2024/2025 Work Programme

18. The Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan 2024-2029 (Group Plan) was adopted by Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee in March 2024 (CDEMC/2024/6).

19. The Group Plan contains 16 objectives and 33 actions across key focus areas to be implemented over the five-year term of the plan.

20. The Auckland Emergency Management 2024/2025 Work Programme (AEM work programme) consists of 100 actions to be implemented by 30 June 2025. The 100 actions incorporate and expands upon the 16 objectives and 33 actions of the Group Plan.

21. For reporting purposes, the 100 actions of the annual work programme have been grouped into nine annual workstreams each with quarterly milestones.

22. AEM have identified seven key change initiatives that are groups of actions from the work programme that will demonstrate a significant improvement in serving Auckland’s communities over the 2024/2025 financial year. The seven key change initiatives are part of AEM’s Delivery Plan under the Resilience and Infrastructure Directorate.

23. Table 1 below provides the names and descriptions of the seven key change initiatives and the nine workstreams in AEM’s 2024/2025 Work Programme. Two of the key change initiatives are stand alone, five of the key change initiatives are aligned to five of the workstreams, and four of the workstreams are stand-alone.

Table 1: Key change initiatives and workstreams in AEM’s 2024/2025 Work Programme

Key change initiative (KCI)	Description
Management of Auckland’s New Zealand Response Teams	Provide and support Auckland based NZ Response Teams through training, facilities, plant/equipment and recognition and recruitment.
Tsunami Work Programme	A multi-year programme to understand tsunami risk and ways to raise awareness and support communities for/during a tsunami.
KCI & workstream	Description
Marae and Whakawhanaungatanga Programme	Enhanced representation of mana whenua and mataawaka in Auckland’s emergency management.
Community Engagement and Support Programme	Building the resilience and capability of Aucklanders/communities to effectively respond in an emergency.
Enhanced Public Information and Awareness Programme	Ensuring Aucklanders are informed of the hazards and know where to go to receive accurate information that helps to underpin better preparedness.
Capability Growth and Development Programme	Growing the capacity and capability of council staff to be effective response personnel by providing training, tools and resources through a learning and professional development pathway.
Enhanced Welfare Capability Programme	Coordination of services that provide welfare in addressing the needs of people and animals effected during an emergency.
Workstream	Description
Response tools and arrangements	To develop and implement improved operational capabilities and strengthen situational knowledge.
Recovery preparation	To collaboratively enhance and refine preparations for recovery.
Strategy, business improvement and assurance	To achieve the Auckland CDEM Group's vision by continuously enhancing CDEM activities and building trust and confidence in the group.
Reduction	Hazard risks are well-understood and proactively managed by communities, businesses, and government organisations.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

24. Significant achievements have been made over the first quarter of the Auckland Emergency Management 2024/2025 Work Programme (and implementing the five-year Group Plan) by completing recommendations from external reviews on the 2023 severe weather events and milestones in the work programme.

We are on track to implement all recommendations from external reviews by June 2025

25. As identified in the Office of the Auditor General audit report, Improving Auckland Council’s Emergency Preparedness: A follow-up report released in September 2024, Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) has completed 38 of the 51 recommendations from the external reviews following the 2023 severe weather events, acknowledging that work is ongoing to address the remaining 13 recommendations.

26. Many of the remaining 13 recommendations are planned for completion in AEM’s 2024/2025 Work Programme and some will be ongoing through the implementation of the five-year Group Plan.

27. Table 2 below identifies the remaining recommendations from the three reviews and the timeframe of when each would be implemented and completed.

Table 2: Remaining review recommendations completion timeframes

Implementing the remaining review recommendations
	Review recommendation	2024/2025			2025/2026
		Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
Toa Review	15. Communicated CDC database
OAG Review	6. Keep the public well informed
BUSH REVIEW	4. Governance training
	18. Develop a plan for the use of volunteers
	22. Pre-identify CDCs based on requirements
	10. Identify personnel to support the Emergency Coordination Centre
	6. Determine local response arrangements
	7. ‘Just-in-Time’ trainings
	15. ESRI / ArcGIS procedures
	21. Implement the needs assessment solution
	28. Work with communities and local boards to identify appropriate community response arrangements
	9. Develop a well-being response plan
	19. Work with NEMA to identify a solution for the deployment of resources

Most of the quarter one milestones in AEM’s 2024/2025 Work Programme have been achieved

28. Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) made significant progress during quarter one, completing key milestones and achieving strategic advancements across its key change initiatives and nine workstreams.

29. Of the 19 key milestones for this quarter from the nine workstreams, 15 have been achieved.

30. Three of the quarter one key milestones have been delayed (scheduled to be complete by the end of this financial year) and one has not been met. These milestones are:

· digital channels are optimised for accessible and cultural needs – to be complete in quarter two

· Volcanic Response Plan completion – to be complete in quarter three

· milestones identified on actions in the Group Plan for years 2024 – 2029 – to be complete in quarter two

· five tiered exercises completed including large biannual exercise – four exercises instead of five have been completed with this milestone re-scoped for next quarter.

31. Graph 1 below shows the number of milestones completed, delayed or not met per workstream.

A graph with different colored bars

Description automatically generated with medium confidence

Graph 1: AEM 2024/2025 work programme milestones per workstream completed or delayed

32. Supporting each of the nine workstreams is a detailed work programme that consists of 111 operational milestones for quarter one of which 83 milestones were achieved and 28 are delayed. Reasons for the delay in achieving some of the operational milestones are summarised in Attachment A.

We are on track to achieving our end of year milestones by 30 June 2025

33. Despite the delays in both key milestones and the detailed work programme, we remain on track to achieve our annual goals and end of year milestones of AEM’s 2024/2025 Work Programme.

Steady progress is being made on achieving the five-year objectives of the Group Plan

34. Each of the 16 objectives in the five-year Group Plan has several milestones in AEM’s 2024/2025 Work Programme associated with achieving the objectives.

35. In the first quarter of the AEM Work Programme 2024/2025 and of implementing the Group Plan, we made steady progress on most of the five-year objectives in the Group Plan.

36. While we are advancing across all areas of emergency management, our primary focus this quarter has been on operational and community readiness. This means that when an emergency occurs, we are better prepared to respond quickly and effectively, our communities are empowered to recover more rapidly and with greater resilience. Examples of this work are provided in section 4.0 of Attachment A.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

37. The Group Plan and annual work programme contain actions to increase an understanding of current and future hazard risks and taking reasonable steps to prevent or manage these. This includes hazards that are expected to become more likely due to severe weather related to climate change.

38. Many of the milestones in AEM’s work programme and actions in the Group Plan support the implementation of Te Tãruke-ã-Tãwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan Action area C1: Work together to strengthen the resilience of our communities, people and places.

39. The Group Plan and annual work programme contain actions that involve collaboration with central government agencies to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

40. AEM is working collaboratively with departments who have a role in Auckland’s emergency management to build our overall capacity and capability including Planning and Resource Consents, Chief Sustainability Office, Group Recovery, Parks and Community Facilities and Community Wellbeing. We also work closely with subject matter experts across the Council Group in sharing scientific and technical information.

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

Local impacts and local board views

41. Many of the actions and milestones in AEM’s 2024/2025 Work Programme involve building the resilience and capability of local communities to effectively respond to an emergency. Two of the key change initiatives that work directly with communities are:

· Community Engagement and Support Programme

· Marae and Whakawhanaungatanga Programme

42. Other examples of direct local action are provided in section 4.0 of Attachment A.

43. Local boards have an important role to play in supporting disaster resilient communities through their knowledge of local communities and local government. As such, the AEM 2024/2025 Work Programme includes actions that support local boards with building resilient and adaptive communities. This is achieved through the development and implementation of Local Board Emergency Readiness and Response Plans, the identification of Community Emergency Hubs, and through several community emergency readiness events that were held over quarter one.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

44. The Group Plan, annual work programme, and the key change initiatives include actions that aim to build strong relationships with mana whenua and mataawaka, to ensure greater recognition, understanding, and integration of tikanga and Te ao Māori in emergency management.

45. Many of these actions are grouped in AEM’s 2024/2025 Work Programme workstream and the key change initiative, Marae and Whakawhanaungatanga Programme. This programme includes securing mana whenua and mãtãwaka representation in the Incident Management Team, emergency management training provided to marae, and delivery of the Kia Rite, Kia Mau programme to schools and kura throughout Tāmaki Makaurau.

46. These actions also directly align with Kia ora Tāmaki Makaurau mana outcomes of Kia ora te Whānau, in building resilience and capability support for communities to recover from an emergency event, and Kia ora te Honogna by increasing effective Māori participation in emergency management.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

47. Work programme actions are funded through Auckland Council’s AEM departmental budget, the central government Storm Fund, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) funding and through NEMA’s Tech Fund.

48. It is not anticipated that additional funding would be required to undertake any actions in AEM’s 2024/2025 Work Programme.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

49. While some quarter one milestones were delayed due to capacity constraints and external dependencies, AEM has outlined a clear path forward for mitigating these risks to ensure progress remains on track.

50. As AEM enters quarter two of the 2024/2025 work programme, several risks have been identified in Table 3 that could impact the delivery of key milestones.

Table 3: Risks and mitigations to delivering 2024/2025 work programme milestones

Risk	Risk level	Mitigation
Internal capacity constraints: Staff shortages due to vacancies and promotions may affect key workstreams such as the Capability Growth and Development Programme, Community Engagement and Support, and Response Tools and Arrangements.	High	Staff recruitment to fill key vacancies early in quarter two and use of contractors if required.
External dependencies: Some actions and milestones in AEM’s work programme are reliant on external parties to be achieved such as our emergency sector partners responsible for contributing to key actions or contractors that provide our workforce courses or training exercises.	Medium	AEM is broadening its focus on building sustainable capability systems and structures within council and having strong working relationships and shared goals with our emergency sector partners.
Design and scope changes: Projects like the Community Emergency Hub Guide and the Assurance and Continuous Improvement Framework, risk delays from scope changes or feedback during consultation.	Low	Clear project scope to manage expectations and minimise disruptions. Early stakeholder engagement to allow more time for consultation and approvals.
Technology integration: Delays in launching digital tools, such as AEM’s new website, could arise from technical issues.	Medium	Phased technology rollouts to identify and address technical issues early.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

51. AEM has 29 key milestones planned for quarter two, refer to Attachment A, Section five. These include further development of the Tsunami Work Programme, continued efforts to recruit and train staff, and the launch of a new public website.

52. Progress on the AEM 2024/2025 Work Programme quarter two milestones will be provided to this committee at the next meeting in March 2025 along with a quarter two progress report.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Auckland Emergency Management 2024/2025 Quarter One Progress Report	29

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Kimberly Rees - Principal Advisor Strategy and Implementation

Authorisers

Parul Sood - Deputy Director Resilience and Infrastructure

Adam Maggs - General Manager Auckland Emergency Management

Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee

19 November 2024

Update on the Capability Growth and Development Programme

File No.: CP2024/14946

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide an update on Auckland Emergency Management’s Capability Growth and Development Programme.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) has made significant progress towards the enhancement of emergency readiness through the Capability Growth and Development Programme (the programme) in 2024/2025.

3. The programme addresses the training needs of each group of emergency management personnel and enables continuous improvement through a learning pathway that ensures all efforts are aligned to build a competent and resilient emergency management workforce.

4. A major milestone in quarter one has been the redesign of the AEM Foundation Course ensuring that participants gain a practical understanding of how the Emergency Coordination Centre operates in Auckland.

5. Significant progress is being made in our emergency management capability and capacity. Over quarter one, 209 council staff have been upskilled in emergency response and 62 participants from external agencies have attended AEM courses.

6. In addition to formal training, over 150 Auckland Council Emergency Support (ACES) staff were engaged in function-specific activities, which not only provided technical skill development but also focused on readiness exercises and team building.

7. Over quarter two, the Capability Growth and Development Programme is focused on launching AEM’s new Foundation Course, refining training targets and recruitment needs, incorporating the learnings from the Tier 3 severe weather exercise and embedding the Emergency Coordination Centre Learning Pathway into daily activities.

8. Further progress on the Capability Growth and Development Programme will be reported on at the next committee meeting through the Auckland Emergency Management 2024/2025 quarter two progress report.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation

That the Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee:

a) whiwhi / receive the update on the Capability Growth and Development Programme.

Horopaki

Context

9. Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) has identified seven key change initiatives in the AEM 2024/2025 Work Programme that will deliver significant improvement in serving communities within Tāmaki Makaurau.

10. The Capability Growth and Development Programme is one of AEM’s key change initiatives to sustainably improve Auckland Emergency Management's readiness to respond to major emergencies by developing the capability of the emergency management workforce.

11. The programme will increase the capability and engagement of the emergency management workforce ensuring they are competent to undertake response functions, while improving efficiency and effectiveness in managing emergency events.

12. The Capability Growth and Development Programme addresses the training needs for each group of emergency management identified below in Figure 1 and enables continuous improvement. Each team has distinct but interdependent training and exercising needs.

A group of signs with text

Description automatically generated

Figure 1: Training needs identified for emergency management staff and external agencies and stakeholders

13. A systematic process has been put in place comprising of seven key steps to build the capability of each emergency management workforce group (identified in Figure 1). These steps are shown in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2: Steps in building the capability of each emergency management workforce group

14. The Capability Growth and Development Programme provides a structured approach to training and capability development ensuring all efforts are aligned to build a competent and resilient emergency management workforce.

15. The key objectives of the programme are to:

· enhance personnel capacity and capability

· foster team coordination and engagement

· develop and sustain comprehensive training pathways

· improve emergency response effectiveness.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

16. The significant achievements over the first quarter of this financial year under the Capability Growth and Development Programme include designing a learning pathway for the Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) Auckland Council Emergency Support (ACES) staff, developing a new Foundation Course that is Auckland specific, and providing training to upskill staff and our sector partners in emergency management.

ECC Learning Pathway designed

17. The new ECC Learning Pathway has been designed to equip our ECC Auckland Council Emergency Support (ACES) staff with the skills, knowledge, and support needed to excel during an emergency.

18. AEM has continued to progress the development of its Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS) functions, including the creation of ‘Worst Case Scenario’ function structures so there is knowledge on the number of staff and the training levels required to carry out each function in the ECC during an emergency event.

19. The ECC Learning Pathway is designed to ensure a holistic, long-term approach to developing capability and readiness. The structured approach sets a foundation for future growth and ensures that staff are well-prepared for their roles.

20.

The pathway provides a clear progression skill development framework and focuses on three key elements: courses, engagements, and exercises (see Figure 3 below).

Figure 3: Learning Pathway for the Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) for Auckland Council Emergency Support (ACES) staff

21. The ECC ACES Learning Pathway is guided by the 70-20-10 learning philosophy, which emphasises that people learn best through a mix of experiential learning (70 per cent), peer engagement / interactions (20 per cent) and formal training (10 per cent). This philosophy ensures that learning is more relevant by incorporating practical and engagement-focused elements alongside structured training. The three training approaches are described below.

· Formal training courses are the foundation of the learning pathway, offering a progression from basic to advanced levels. These courses ensure that staff acquire critical technical knowledge for the various Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS) functions.

· Experiential learning opportunities include scenario-based exercises. We are increasing the number of exercises each year to ensure that all ACES have at a minimum one opportunity annually to participate in structured exercise. This year the exercise will be held in late November 2024 and will be based on a Tier 3 severe weather exercise. These experiences allow staff to apply their knowledge in realistic simulations, reinforcing formal learning and building confidence for managing real-world emergencies.

· Peer engagement through regular structured activities that encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration. These interactions strengthen team cohesion and leadership capabilities, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose among Auckland Council staff.

22. A key addition to the pathway is the Annual Competency Requirements. All ACES must meet minimum standards by participating in designated exercises and engagements throughout the year to maintain their competency.

23. The ECC Learning Pathway is supported by a transition plan, as some components are being redesigned or newly developed to align course content with Auckland Emergency Management’s specific needs, rather than a generic national approach.

AEM Foundation Course redesign

24. A major milestone has been the redesign of the AEM Foundation Course, which integrates the relevant NEMA course content and Auckland-specific emergency management information, including the national Coordinated Incident Management System framework. The pilot of this redesigned course is scheduled for late November 2024.

25. In addition, a new e-learning module has been introduced as a prerequisite to the redesigned Foundation Course to cover essential knowledge allowing the in-person session to focus on practical applications.

26. The redesigned course will also introduce interactive learning through scenario-based exercises, using real-world emergency scenarios weaved throughout the course. Participants will test their knowledge gained from the pre-learning, and the Foundation Course, which will allow them to experience what working in a particular Coordinated Incident Management System function would be like. Included in this course, is an orientation exercise to get participants familiar with the physical Emergency Coordination Centre environment and the desks that they may be working at during a response.

27. This course redesign aims to ensure that all participants leave the course with a clear understanding of what is expected during an activation of an emergency including knowledge of local standard operating procedures and an understanding of the key functions within the Auckland Coordinated Incident Management System structure in the Emergency Coordination Centre.

Significant progress is being made in our capability and capacity

28. For quarter one of the 2024/2025 financial year, 209 council staff have been upskilled in emergency response. This exceeds our baseline for the 2024/2025 financial year of 60 council staff.

29. A breakdown of staff attendees per course is provided in Table 1 below.

Table 1: Number of staff that have completed each CDEM course for quarter one 2024/2025

Course	Number of attendees
Emergency Coordination Centre Welfare Function Course	17
Emergency Coordination Centre Logistics Function Course	17
Emergency Coordination Centre Operations Function Course	21
Emergency Coordination Centre Public Information Management Function Course	33
Auckland Emergency Management Foundation Course	29
Integrated Training Framework Intermediate Course	15
Psychological First Aid	31
Working in a Civil Defence Centre	33
Coordinated Incident Management System 3/4	13
TOTAL	209

30. In addition to formal training, over 150 ACES were engaged in engagement activities that are specific to their Emergency Coordination Centre functions which not only provided technical skill development but also focused on readiness exercises and team building. These engagements ensure that staff remain actively involved in preparedness efforts.

31. A key focus has been on ensuring individuals attend the appropriate courses, such as the fully subscribed Control and Function Leadership courses, which are tailored to support those in senior roles, preparing them for increased responsibilities within the ECC.

32. The Auckland Council Emergency Support pool has grown from by 41 ACES, from 431 to 472. This occurred despite 24 staff departures from the ACES programme. The ECC ACES numbers increased from 331 to 356, reflecting successful recruitment and engagement efforts.

33. This growth follows the completion of a comprehensive overhaul of our monitoring systems, which has allowed for more accurate tracking and clarity around ACES training and engagement. With the finalised ‘Worst Case Scenario’ function structures, we now have a detailed understanding of how many staff are required for a robust emergency response.

Shared training with our emergency sector partners

34. In addition to council staff, 62 representatives from external agencies attended our civil defence emergency management training courses from the Ministry of Social Development, the New Zealand Defence Force, Police, Auckland Airport, Auckland Transport, Ports of Auckland, St John, Te Whatu Ora / Ministry of Health, and Department of Conservation.

35. This ensures staff are aligned with the sector and works towards achieving our goal of improved emergency response effectiveness across the sector under the Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan 2024-2029 (the Group Plan).

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

36. The Capability Growth and Development Programme increases staff knowledge and understanding of current and future hazard risks and taking reasonable steps to prevent or manage these. This includes hazards that are expected to increase due to climate related severe weather.

37. Milestones and actions as part of the Capability Growth and Development Programme support the implementation of Te Tãruke-ã-Tãwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan Action area C1: Work together to strengthen the resilience of our communities, people and places.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

38. The Capability Growth and Development Programme is reliant on growing the number of Auckland Council Emergency Support (ACES) staff that come from various areas across the Council Group and building their competency in performing emergency management duties.

39. A strong recruitment drive is planned to encourage more Council Group staff to become trained and part of the ACES network over the 2024/2025 financial year.

40. Growing the number of ACES and building their capability will require support from the Executive Leadership Team and other council managers in conveying the recruitment message as well as enabling staff to undertake training and attend the various courses that are required during working hours.

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

Local impacts and local board views

41. This programme and Learning Pathway will consider how to make it convenient for council staff who are based locally (such as in libraries, local board services or at recreation / community centres) to be trained in emergency management functions that would serve their local community such as providing real-time information on the local area or working in a local Civil Defence Centre.

42. Targeted training and capability building sessions are being planned for emergency management personnel external to council and/or stakeholders who operate at a local level, such as partner agencies and community groups who are interested in running a local Community Emergency Hub.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

43. The Capability Growth and Development Programme team are working closely with AEM department’s Principal Iwi Māori Resilience Advisor to ensure representation of mana whenua and mãtãwaka in the Incident Management Team and support in building the emergency management capability of marae and local area iwi and matawaaka.

44. These actions directly align with the Kia ora Tāmaki Makaurau mana outcome: Kia ora te whānau, in building the resilience and capability support for communities to recover from an emergency event, and Kia ora te honogna by increasing effective Māori participation in emergency management.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

45. The Capability Growth and Development Programme is funded through Auckland Council’s AEM departmental budget, the central government Storm Fund, and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) funding.

46. It is not anticipated that additional funding will be required to undertake the 2024/2025 Capability Growth and Development Programme.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

47. Table 2 below provides the risks and mitigations that have been identified which could negatively impact the progress of work undertaken in the 2024/2025 Capability Growth and Development Programme.

Table 2: Capability Growth and Development Programme 2024/2025 Risks and Mitigations

Risk	Risk level	Mitigation
Internal capacity constraints: Staff shortages due to vacancies and promotions may affect the ability to provide the training and courses required for emergency management personnel.	High	Staff recruitment to fill key vacancies early in quarter two and use of contractors if needed.
External dependencies: Many of the courses and/or training exercises are provided by external contractors or agencies and is dependent on their capacity.	Medium	AEM is broadening its focus on building sustainable systems and structures rather than relying solely on short-term gains through external contractors and agencies for the provision of training, courses and exercises.
Design and scope changes: Delays can be caused from feedback during consultation through the development of training opportunities.	Low	Clear project scope to manage expectations and minimise disruptions through clear communication with people leaders. Early stakeholder engagement to allow more time for consultation and approvals.
Technology integration: Delays or complications in being able to link ACES data to council’s TUPU learning system and other technological advances (that help track the number of staff embarking on emergency management training opportunities) would impact AEM’s ability to monitor and plan effective training opportunities.	Medium	Staff working closely with ICT, so they are informed of any potential delays or complications with the technology used to monitor staff trainings.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

48. Over quarter two 2024/2025, staff on the Capability Growth and Development Programme is focusing on:

· launching the redesigned AEM Foundation Course (with an emphasis on practical application and Auckland-specific processes)

· implementing the new ‘Worst Case Scenario’ function structures, refining training targets and recruitment needs for the next operational period

· embedding the ECC Learning Pathway into daily activities, ensuring all staff feel prepared and supported

· monitoring the outcomes of the Tier 3 exercise closely to identify further areas for improvement in readiness and response capability.

49. The outcome of this focus will be reported on at the next committee meeting through the Auckland Emergency Management 2024/2025 quarter two progress report

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Tim Gibb – Senior Emergency Support Staff Advisor Auckland Emergency Management

Krystal McLarin - Senior Exercises and Scenario Training Advisor

Authorisers

Parul Sood - Deputy Director Resilience and Infrastructure

Adam Maggs - General Manager Auckland Emergency Management

Chairperson	Cr Sharon Stewart, QSM
Deputy Chairperson	Cr Alf Filipaina
Members	Cr Andrew Baker
	Cr Julie Fairey
	Houkura – Independent Māori Statutory Board Member Pongarauhine Renata
	Cr Greg Sayers
	Cr Ken Turner
	Cr Wayne Walker
	Houkura – Independent Māori Statutory Board Member Glenn Wilcox
Ex-officio	Mayor Wayne Brown
	Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, JP

Date	Subject
25/09/2024	Memo – “Improving Auckland Council’s emergency preparedness: A follow-up report” – Office of the Auditor-General, September 2024
26/09/2024	Office of the Auditor-General report - “Improving Auckland Council’s emergency preparedness: A follow-up report”

Author	Mike Giddey - Kaitohutohu Mana Whakahaere / Governance Advisor
Authoriser	Adam Maggs - General Manager Auckland Emergency Management

Author	Sam Hill - General Manager Environmental Services
Authoriser	Adam Maggs - General Manager Auckland Emergency Management