Wednesday 8 June, 2016

Region-wide Civil Defence plan adopted

A region-wide Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan has been adopted by the Manawatu-Wanganui Joint Standing Committee today.

The Group Plan is a strategic document that outlines the vision and goals for emergency management across the Region and how they will be achieved.

Chair of the Committee, Horizons Regional Council chairman Bruce Gordon, says the Group Plan replaces its 2009 predecessor and reflects learnings from emergency events such as the June 2015 floods.

“The vision of the Group Plan is to have a resilient regional community. In order to do this it is our goal to reduce risks as much as possible, encourage community preparedness, make sure all relevant agencies are aligned to provide an effective response to an emergency and enable recovery from events,” says Mr Gordon.

“This Group Plan encourages co-operative planning and demonstrates that commitment of each district within the Region to work together. The importance of this collaborative approach is clear during events like June last year where more than one district suffered from flooding.”

Mr Gordon says the Group Plan has been signed off by Minister for Civil Defence Nikki Kaye and a Ministry representative reported at the meeting that it set a high standard.

“We are pleased to hear that our Plan is considered exemplary in terms of its attention to detail and in some ways sets a benchmark for other regions.”

Ruapehu District mayor Don Cameron is a member of the Committee and says the Group Plan allows the Councils to work in collaboration.

“Together we can work more efficiently and effectively while also helping each other out in times of need,” he says.

The Group Plan was put out for public consultation from 4 March to 1 April. Key partners include territorial authorities, emergency services, health agencies and key utilities such as power and communications. A copy of the Group Plan is available at www.horizons.govt.nz

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