The Act clearly states the roles and responsibilities of key agencies, and sets out how local groups and agencies work with regional and national partners. It also sets out how emergencies are declared.
- An Introduction brochure (pdf 590kB) explains features of the Act in general terms.
- View the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act on www.legislation.govt.nz.
The Purpose of the Act
The Civil Defence Emergency Management Act (CDEM Act) 2002 came into effect on 1 December 2002. The purpose of the Act is to:
- improve and promote the sustainable management of hazards in a way that contributes to the social, economic, cultural and environmental well-being and safety of the public and the protection of property
- encourage and enable communities to achieve acceptable levels of risk by identifying risks and applying risk reduction management practices
- provide for planning and preparation for emergencies and for response and recovery in the event of an emergency
- require local authorities to coordinate Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) through regional groups across the “4Rs” (reduction, readiness, response and recovery) and encourage cooperation and joint action between those groups
- integrate local and national CDEM planning and activity through the alignment of local planning with a national plan and strategy
- encourage the coordination of emergency management across the range of agencies and organisations with responsibilities for preventing or managing emergencies.