Hon Nikki Kaye

Minister of Civil Defence

26 May 2016

Extra $6.2m to increase Civil Defence capability

Budget 2016 will help ensure New Zealanders are better prepared for natural disasters by providing an extra $6.1 million of operating funding over the next four years and $63,000 of new capital funding for the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management (MCDEM), Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye says.

“This is a significant investment for a small agency, which currently has 42 staff and overall baseline funding of around $11 million. The investment is expected to enable MCDEM to increase its staff to around 52,” Ms Kaye says.

“MCDEM has delivered a lot with a small team, managing events from floods and earthquakes to tsunami warnings and severe storms.”

Recent projects delivered by MCDEM include the Corrective Action Plan to address the 108 recommendations from the response to the Canterbury earthquakes, a new National Civil Defence Emergency Management Plan and Guide, and developing legislation now before Parliament aimed at helping communities better recover from small to medium scale emergencies.

“The extra funding announced today will bolster the Ministry’s ability to provide more nationwide support and leadership, to ensure New Zealand is better placed to manage the risks posed by natural hazards and other disasters.

“New Zealand’s diverse geography and climate presents a number of inherent risks and challenges that we need to manage in a smart and coordinated way.

“The best way to protect New Zealanders against natural hazards and emergencies is to know our risks and be well prepared for them. This investment will enhance MCDEM’s capacity and flexibility to respond to a diverse range of events.

“By investing in the Ministry’s capability to support councils, communities and businesses to identify and plan for hazards, we will help New Zealand become much more resilient as a nation.”

ENDS

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