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National Emergency Management Agency (New Zealand)
New Zealand government department
New Zealand government department
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| agency_name | National EmergencyManagement Agency |
| native_name | mi |
| logo | National Emergency Management Agency logo.svg |
| logo_width | 250px |
| formed | 1 December 2019 |
| preceding1 | Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management |
| jurisdiction | New Zealand |
| headquarters | TSB House, Wellington |
| minister1_name | Mark Mitchell |
| minister1_pfo | Minister for Emergency Management |
| chief1_position | Chief Executive |
| chief1_name | David Gawn |
| parent_agency | Department of Internal Affairs |
| child1_agency | National Crisis Management Centre |
| website |
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA; Māori: Te Rākau Whakamarumaru) is the public service department of New Zealand responsible for providing leadership and support around national, local and regional emergencies. It is an autonomous departmental agency hosted by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. It replaced the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management in December 2019.
The incumbent minister is listed in the Ministerial List. the Minister for Emergency Management was Mark Mitchell.
History
No formal civil defence or emergency management structure existed in New Zealand until the 1930s, when the increasing threat of war prompted the formation of the Emergency Precautions Scheme, which was controlled by the Department of Internal Affairs. In addition to war, earthquake risk was another concern of the Scheme, prompted in part by the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. During World War II, the name of the EPS was changed to Civil Defence. While EPS/Civil Defence did not need to respond to any invasion attempts, it was twice called upon to assist with earthquake recovery efforts in Wellington and the Wairarapa region in 1942.
First Minister of Civil Defence
Following the war, responsibility for civil defence was assumed by the Department of Internal Affairs. A Review of Defence white paper, issued by the Second Labour Government amid the fear of nuclear war, proposed the establishment of a separate Ministry of Civil Defence. The first Director of Civil Defence was J.V. Meech (also the Secretary of Internal Affairs), though in practice much of the work was delegated to Andrew Sharp; the first Minister of Civil Defence in the post-war period was Bill Anderton (also the Minister of Internal Affairs). The Civil Defence Act 1962 set out in legislation the responsibilities and duties of the Ministry. In 1964, the first full-time Director of Civil Defence was appointed: Brigadier R.C. Queree.
A new Ministry for Emergency Management was established under the National/New Zealand First Coalition Government by Civil Defence Minister Jack Elder on 1 July 1999, following the Review of Emergency Services. This replaced the existing Ministry of Civil Defence. Later, the department name changed again to become the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management.
Transfer to Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management remained a business unit of the Department of Internal Affairs until 1 April 2014, when it was transferred to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). This was intended to reflect DMPC's role as the government's lead agency in national security planning.
Beginning 1 December 2019, the Ministry's name was changed to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Its structure was also changed, with it becoming a departmental agency and the appointment of NEMA's first interim chief executive (rather than reporting through to the chief executive of DPMC). A departmental agency is an operationally autonomous agency with its own chief executive, hosted by a department of the New Zealand public service.
Transfer Back to Department of Internal Affairs
On 25 September 2025, NEMA was transferred back to the Department of Internal Affairs.
Inquiry following North Island severe weather events
In 2024, the Government released the findings of an inquiry into the performance of New Zealand's emergency management system. The inquiry focussed on the response to three severe weather events in the North Island in early 2023: Cyclone Hale (8 to 12 January), Auckland Anniversary floods (26 January to 3 February), and Cyclone Gabrielle (12 to 16 February). The three severe weather events caused 15 fatalities, and the estimated cost of damage was in the range $9–14.5 billion. The inquiry report concluded that:
The National Emergency Management Agency conducted its own internal review and concluded that it lacked sufficient well-trained personnel and leadership to deal with the severe weather events. It also found that the facilities used by the National Crisis Management Centre and the National Co-ordination Centre were not fit for purpose and that technology used by these centres was not reliable.
Activities
The Agency administers the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 and:
- advises government on matters relating to civil defence emergency management
- identifies hazards and risks
- develops, maintains and evaluates the strategy for civil defence emergency management
- ensures coordination at national, regional and local levels
- promotes civil defence emergency management and deliver public awareness about how to prepare for, and what to do in, an emergency
- supports planning, operations and capability development for the civil defence emergency management sector, and develops standards and guidelines
- monitors and evaluates the performance of Civil Defence Emergency Management groups in 16 regions
- maintains and operates the National Crisis Management Centre, including providing personnel to staff the Centre
- issues public information and warnings
- manages the response of central government to major emergencies (such as earthquake, tsunami, landslide, volcanic eruptions or unrest, floods, severe winds, snow, coastal hazards, and failure of critical infrastructure)
Since 2017, Civil Defence has used Emergency Mobile Alert technologies to deliver essential emergency information to mobile phones in New Zealand. The alert system is tested annually; during the 2017 test, Vodafone accidentally sent the test alert message at 1am.
List of ministers for emergency management
;Key
| No. | Name | Portrait | Term of office | Prime Minister | New Zealand National Party}}" | 1 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | 2 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | 3 | New Zealand National Party}}" | 4 | New Zealand National Party}}" | 5 | New Zealand National Party}}" | 6 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | 7 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | 8 | New Zealand National Party}}" | (6) | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | 9 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | 10 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | 11 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | New Zealand National Party}}" | 12 | New Zealand National Party}}" | 13 | New Zealand National Party}}" | 14 | New Zealand National Party}}" | 15 | New Zealand First}}" | 16 | New Zealand First}}" | Mauri Pacific}}" | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | 17 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | 18 | New Zealand National Party}}" | 19 | New Zealand National Party}}" | 20 | New Zealand National Party}}" | 21 | New Zealand National Party}}" | 22 | New Zealand National Party}}" | New Zealand National Party}}" | 23 | New Zealand National Party}}" | 24 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | 25 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | 26 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | 27 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | 28 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | New Zealand National Party}}" | 29 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Bodkin | [[File:William_Bodkin,_1935.jpg | 75px]] | 30 June 1942 | 2 October 1942 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | Fraser | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (in the War Administration) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| David Wilson | [[File:David Wilson MLC.jpg | 75px]] | 30 October 1942 | 12 April 1944 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | Fraser | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1944–1959: See Minister of Internal Affairs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bill Anderton | [[File:Bill Anderton 1958.jpg | 75px]] | 24 June 1959 | 12 December 1960 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | Nash | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leon Götz | [[File:Leon Götz.jpg | 75px]] | 12 December 1960 | 20 December 1963 | New Zealand National Party}}" | Holyoake | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| David Seath | [[File:David Seath.jpg | 75px]] | 20 December 1963 | 9 February 1972 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allan Highet | [[File:EP-NZ_Obits-H-Highet_Allan-tn.jpg | 75px]] | 9 February 1972 | 8 December 1972 | New Zealand National Party}}" | Marshall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tom McGuigan | [[File:Tom McGuigan.jpg | 75px]] | 8 December 1972 | 10 September 1974 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | Kirk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Henry May | [[File:Henry May.jpg | 75px]] | 10 September 1974 | 12 December 1975 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | Rowling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allan Highet | [[File:EP-NZ_Obits-H-Highet_Allan-tn.jpg | 75px]] | 12 December 1975 | 26 July 1984 | New Zealand National Party}}" | Muldoon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peter Tapsell | [[File:Peter Tapsell (cropped).jpg | 75px]] | 26 July 1984 | 24 July 1987 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | Lange | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michael Bassett | [[File:Michael Bassett, 1969.jpg | 75px]] | 24 July 1987 | 9 February 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Zealand Labour Party}}" | Palmer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Margaret Austin | [[File:Margaret Austin 2012.jpg | 75px]] | 9 February 1990 | 2 November 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Zealand Labour Party}}" | Moore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graeme Lee | [[File:Graeme Lee crop.jpg | 75px]] | 2 November 1990 | 29 November 1993 | New Zealand National Party}}" | Bolger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Warren Cooper | [[File:Warren Cooper 1983.jpg | 75px]] | 29 November 1993 | 1 March 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Banks | [[File:John Banks.jpg | 75px]] | 1 March 1996 | 1 November 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Murray McCully | [[File:Murray_McCully_November_2016.jpg | 75px]] | 1 November 1996 | 16 December 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jack Elder | [[File:no image.png | 75px]] | 16 December 1996 | 10 December 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Zealand National Party}}" | Shipley | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| George Hawkins | [[File:George Hawkins.jpg | 75px]] | 16 December 1999 | 19 October 2005 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | Clark | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rick Barker | [[File:Rick Barker.jpg | 75px]] | 19 October 2005 | 19 November 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Carter | [[File:John.Carter.Kerikeri.2016.JPG | 75px]] | 19 November 2008 | 8 June 2011 | New Zealand National Party}}" | Key | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Craig Foss | 8 June 2011 | 14 December 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chris Tremain | [[File:Chris Tremain.jpg | 75px]] | 14 December 2011 | 30 January 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nikki Kaye | [[File:Nikki Kaye NZgovt cropped.jpg | 75px]] | 30 January 2013 | 20 December 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Zealand National Party}}" | English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gerry Brownlee | [[File:Gerry Brownlee 2017.jpg | 75px]] | 20 December 2016 | 2 May 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nathan Guy | [[File:Minister Nathan Guy - photo.jpg | 75px]] | 2 May 2017 | 26 October 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kris Faafoi | [[File:Hon Kris Faafoi.jpg | 75px]] | 26 October 2017 | 27 June 2019 | New Zealand Labour Party}}" | Ardern | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peeni Henare | [[File:Peeni Henare.jpg | 75px]] | 27 June 2019 | 6 November 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kiri Allan | [[File:Kiri Allan.jpg | 75px]] | 6 November 2020 | 14 June 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kieran McAnulty | [[File:Kieran McAnulty.jpg | 75px]] | 14 June 2022 | 27 November 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Zealand Labour Party}}" | Hipkins | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mark Mitchell | [[File:Mark Mitchell (cropped).png | 75px]] | 27 November 2023 | present | New Zealand National Party}}" | Luxon |
References
References
- "Ministerial List". [[Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (New Zealand).
- Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management. (1990). "Civil Defence in New Zealand: A Short History".
- Shirley Mattingly. (2007). "Policy, Legal and Institutional Arrangements".
- Jack Elder. (5 August 1999). "New moves to protect communities".
- (2003). "Vote Emergency Management".
- (7 October 1999). "Valedictory statement of Hon Jack Elder".
- Nikki Kaye. (31 March 2014). "Civil defence moves to Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet". Beehive.govt.nz.
- (19 November 2013). "MCDEM shift will strengthen emergency management and resilience".
- "About the National Emergency Management Agency".
- Crimp, Lauren. (23 April 2024). "'Significant shortcomings' in NZ's emergency management system - inquiry". [[RNZ]].
- Plummer, Benjamin. (16 May 2024). "National Emergency Management Agency review highlights lack of well-trained staff to deal with severe weather events". [[The New Zealand Herald]].
- "About the Ministry". Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management.
- "Emergency Mobile Alert".
- (3 October 2017). "Good morning! It's your 1.32am Civil Defence alert test".
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