Hon Craig Foss
Minister of Civil Defence
9 August 2011Media Statement
Emergency preparedness improving
The tragedies in Christchurch and around the world have given New Zealanders a wakeup call to get better prepared for
emergency events, says Civil Defence Minister Craig Foss.
The annual survey of national levels of preparedness shows a significant increase in the number of people who have taken
steps to get ready for disasters.
Sixty per cent of those surveyed say they have taken steps to prepare themselves or their household in the last 12
months, up from 44 per cent last year, with the main prompt being the September 2010 and February 2011 earthquakes.
“While this is good news, there is still room for improvement,” said Mr Foss.
New Zealand’s level of preparedness has been measured annually since 2006 when the Get Ready Get Thru public education
campaign was launched. The 2011 Colmar Brunton research excluded Christchurch residents as it was felt it would be
inappropriate to survey the community about preparedness.
The proportion of people in New Zealand who said they are fully prepared for an emergency jumped from 11 per cent last
year to 18 per cent this year. This means having an emergency survival plan that includes what to do when away from
home, having emergency survival items and water for at least three days, and regularly updating these items.
Nearly one third said they were prepared for an emergency when at home, compared to a fifth in 2010. More than four out
of five people surveyed have emergency survival items, and nearly two thirds have a survival plan (up from half in
2010).
“The biggest challenge in the past has been to overcome complacency about the need to be prepared. Since the quakes we
have seen a significant shift, with people seeking advice and information on what they need to do to be prepared.
“Our challenge now is to build on this improved awareness and the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management will continue to work with local authorities and communities to ensure New Zealanders are prepared
for future disasters,” said Mr Foss
The full report can be found here: www.civildefence.govt.nz/memwebsite.nsf/Files/Public_Education_Resources_NPEP06/$file/GRGT2011CBResearch.pdf
ENDS