The Manawatū-Whanganui Emergency Management Group is a collaborative effort by various agencies, all working together to reduce the impacts of hazards, promote readiness to respond in emergencies; and help the community to recover.
Horizons Regional Council facilitated the establishment of the Manawatū-Whanganui Emergency Management Group in accordance with the Civil Defence and Emergency Management Act 2002.
The Manawatū-Whanganui Civil Defence Emergency Management Group
Vision
A resilient region that understands, anticipates and proactively manages risks - empowering our communities to build resilience, respond effectively to emergencies, and recover stronger together.
Strategic objectives
- Managing risks. Manawatū-Whanganui is a risk-aware region that takes all practical steps to identify, prioritise and manage risks that could impact the wellbeing and prosperity of individuals (including visitors and animal owners), businesses, organisations, and communities.
- Effective response to and recovery from emergencies. Manawatū-Whanganui has a seamless end-to-end regionally integrated emergency management system that supports effective response to and recovery from emergencies, reducing the impacts of adverse events, caring for affected individuals and animals, and protecting the long-term well-being of those who live in or visit the region.
- Enabling, empowering and supporting community resilience. Manawatū-Whanganui has a culture of resilience where individuals and families, whānau, hapū, businesses, organisations and communities (including animal owners) are empowered to take appropriate actions to reduce their risks, build resilience to shocks and stresses, and prepare for emergencies playing and active role in civil defence.
- NZ Police
- Fire and Emergency New Zealand
- Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand
- Hato Hone St John Ambulance
- Ministry of Primary Industries
- Ministry of Social Development
- Iwi and hapū across the Manawatū-Whanganui Region
Find out how emergency management is coordinated in the Manawatū-Whanganui region.
Manawatū-Whanganui Emergency Management Office
The Manawatū-Whanganui Emergency Management Office works to coordinate and facilitate the day-to-day planning and project work on behalf of the Manawatū-Whanganui Emergency Management Group. The office is located in Te Ao Nui, 17 Victoria Ave, Palmerston North, and administered by Horizons Regional Council.
During an emergency response, Manawatū-Whanganui Emergency Management Office staff will often activate the Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC), to assist with and manage the response at regional level. Horizons Regional Council staff are called in to provide support to the six full-time staff based in the office.
Advisory Groups
A key function of the Manawatū-Whanganui Emergency Management Office is to facilitate strong relationships and networks between organisations that may be involved in an emergency response.
Below are the advisory groups facilitated by the office to provide them with specialist advice. This advice is used to guide emergency planning and keep the office connected to key stakeholders.
The purpose of the Lifelines Advisory Group (LAG) is to assist the Manawatū-Whanganui Region in reducing its infrastructure vulnerability, improving resilience and encouraging utilities to participate in Manawatū-Whanganui Emergency Management Group activities. Examples of lifelines utilities include electricity, roading networks, internet and telephone communication networks.
The lifelines group includes representatives from water, power, and transport.
The Rural Coordination Group (RCG) provide advice of issues relating to the primary sector. The RCG leads a range of agencies in the primary industries, working across the Manawatū-Whanganui Emergency Management Group, to prepare for and respond to adverse events within the Manawatū-Whanganui Region. The scope of issue includes human welfare, production animal welfare, and primary industry business resilience and recovery.
The Central Plateau Volcanic Advisory Group (CPVAG) provides advice on how best to plan for, respond to, and recover from volcanic events on the Central Plateau.
The group coordinates research relevant to hazards and risk so that information gathering is more effective and efficient.
Membership includes the Manawatū-Whanganui and Waikato emergency management groups, local iwi and hapū, Earth Sciences NZ, Department of Conservation, Ruapehu and Taupō district councils, NZ Police, Fire and Emergency NZ, NZ Defence Force, National Emergency Management Agency, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Kiwirail, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand, and other agencies and researchers.
The CPVAG meets twice a year to share research, insights and lessons.
The Welfare Coordination Group (WCG) provides advice on how to provide welfare services (such as accommodation, food, and medicine) during emergencies.
It ensures all appropriate agencies have continuity plans in place for the provision of welfare services in an emergency.
In an emergency response, the welfare team establishes priorities and systems to assist affected communities and individuals.
Horizons Regional Council administers the Manawatū-Whanganui Emergency Management Group. This includes providing staff to ensure the functioning of the group's office, and staff during emergency events to run the region's Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC).
Horizons staff also provide expertise and advice during flood events. Horizons is responsible for the construction and maintenance of one of the country's largest environmental data monitoring networks, and many flood protection assets across the region.
Horizons is also the lead agency for local- and regional-scale marine oil spills.
You can learn more about Horizons' civil defence functions via their website.