Minutes of HB Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Joint Committee

1. Welcome/Karakia /Apologies

The Chair acknowledged the recent resignation of the Group Controller Ian Macdonald and thanked him for his long service to Civil Defence in Hawke’s Bay.

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and led an opening karakia.

2. Conflict of interest declarations

There were no conflicts of interest declared.

3. Confirmation of the Minutes of the HB Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Joint Committee meeting held on 25 March 2024

CDE30/24

Resolution

Minutes of the HB Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Joint Committee meeting held on Monday, 25 March 2024, a copy having been circulated prior to the meeting, were taken as read and confirmed as a true and correct record.

Hazlehurst/Walker

CARRIED

Appointment of a Specialist Advisor to the Joint Committee

Hinewai Ormsby introduced the item with discussion including:

· A sub-committee of Hinewai Ormsby, Alex Walker and Bayden Barber was formed to carry out the recruitment.

· John Hamilton introduced himself and briefly recounted his experience including National Controller of the Civil Defence Emergency Response to the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

CDE31/24

Resolutions

That the Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Joint Committee:

1. Receives and considers the Appointment of Advisor to the Joint Committee staff report.

2. Agrees that the decisions to be made are not significant and that the Joint Committee can exercise its discretion and make decisions on this issue without conferring directly with the community.

3. Appoints Mr John Hamilton as Specialist Advisor – Emergency Management to the HB CDEM Group Joint Committee.

Hazlehurst/Wise

CARRIED

Te Matau-a-Maui Hawke’s Bay Regional Recovery Plan 2.0

Ross McLeod introduced the item and discussions included:

· This second iteration of the Recovery Plan has been presented to all the HB councils.

· Although the current Government has reduced the initial budgets for resilient infrastructure (particularly for roading) costs across the East Coast, the HB RRA is confident that future budgets as and when particular resilience projects are coming on stream will meet the required costs.

· The Regional Transport Committee is following this budget aspect particularly closely with its first priority being the rebuild of the Waikare Gorge Bridge on SH2.

· The Plan will be launched publicly next month and public feedback will be considered as the Plan evolves over time.

· It would be useful for the Joint Committee to have a stronger relationship with the RRA going forward.

CDE32/24

Resolution

That the HB Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Joint Committee receives and notes the Te Matau-a-Maui Hawke’s Bay Regional Recovery Plan 2.0 report.

Hazlehurst/Walker

CARRIED

HB CDEM Group Controller/ Manager update

Ian Macdonald introduced the item and discussions covered:

· The major emergency events in Haumoana and Wairoa in June resulted in HDC and WDC declaring local states of emergency.

· SH2 was closed during this time making it difficult to provide support to Wairoa, however, councils across HB worked together with WDC, providing staff to man their Emergency Operation Centre and to assist with WDC business as usual matters.

· A review of the June events will be completed as soon as possible and presented through CDEM Coordinating Executive Group (CEG).

· Group Controllers across the country provided input into a Cabinet Paper on the future of civil defence, and that input was included in the agenda documents. Input includes that improvements are necessary at a national level as well as more support for regional/ Council level events – in particular support agencies and NEMA should be sharing more of the workload.

· Two recent emergency event exercises, one based on an earthquake scenario in the South Island and the other a cruise ship evacuation at Napier Port, were organised by partner agencies and did not involve the local community.

· CDEM Group staff capability is being increased through involvement in exercises and participation in specialised training delivered by Massey University and NEMA as well as in-house operational training on systems and processes.

· It would be useful if CDEM Group could carry out more exercises that involve the Joint Committee members.

CDE33/24

Resolution

That the HB CDEM Group Joint Committee receives and notes the HB CDEM Group Controller/ Manager update staff report.

Ormsby/Wise

CARRIED

HB CDEM Group Work Programme update

Ian Macdonald introduced the item and discussions included:

· The work programme is being updated to include the learnings from Cyclone Gabrielle experiences and review recommendations, and CEG is recruiting a Transformation Director to take on the work required to help establish community hubs, undertake exercises and implement changes recommended by the reviews.

· There is frustration around the country at the slow pace of change from the national/NEMA level to address issues identified in the various Cyclone Gabrielle reviews – many of which date back to the reviews into the Canterbury earthquake responses.

· The recently established Haumoana community emergency hub swung into action during the June flood event and the community there provided great assistance.

· Communities affected by events are providing feedback to their local hubs and that feedback needs to be heard at the Joint Committee as well.

· NZ Lottery Commission has recently approved a $4.4M grant to HDC to build emergency resilience including community hubs.

· Lots of discussion about actions being taken post Cyclone Gabrielle continues but it is not clear which particular matters are being given priority – the Committee was pointed to the paper which explains the priorities in operational capability and community resilience (HUBs). Once the Director of Transformation is in place priorities can be better developed.

CDE34/24

Resolution

That the HB CDEM Group Joint Committee receives and notes the HB CDEM Group Work Programme update staff report.

Walker/Hazlehurst

CARRIED

National Emergency Management Agency update

Ian Macdonald introduced the item, noting that NEMA representatives are experiencing technical difficulties attending online. Discussions included:

· Marae play a key role during emergencies and can serve as community hubs, particularly in rural areas. The key factor in having marae involvement is building strong relationships with mana whenua. Marae need to have full emergency training not just the equipment that might be required in an emergency.

· The training delivered by CDEM Group/Council specialist staff to support agencies and general council staff has been provided to some Marae and should be standard practice. Need to work with councils to ensure marae receipt appropriate training. The appointment of the EMA role focusing on Māori resilience is a priority.

· The new Government has withdrawn the Emergency Management Bill and is working on a replacement which Cabinet is scheduled to consider in September/October 2024. It is not known what, if any Treaty of Waitangi provisions will be included in the Bill.

CDE35/24

Resolution

That the HB CDEM Coordinating Executive Group receives and notes the National Emergency Management Agency update.

Wise/Walker

CARRIED

Confirmation of Public Excluded Minutes

CDE36/24

Resolution

That Hawke’s Bay Regional Council excludes the public from this section of the meeting being Confirmation of Public Excluded Minutes Agenda Item 9 with the general subject of the item to be considered while the public is excluded. The reasons for passing the resolution and the specific grounds under Section 48 (1) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution are:

General subject of the item to be considered

Reason for passing this resolution

Grounds under section 48(1) for the passing of the resolution

Amendments to the Hawke's Bay CDEM Group Plan: Controller and Recovery Manager appointments

s7(2)(f)(ii) Excluding the public is necessary to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs by protecting councillors and/or council employees and contractors/ consultants from improper pressure or harassment

s7(2)(a) Excluding the public is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons

The Council is specified, in the First Schedule to this Act, as a body to which the Act applies.

Confirmation of the Public excluded Minutes of a meeting held on 28 August 2023

The Council is specified, in the First Schedule to this Act, as a body to which the Act applies.

Wise/Walker
CARRIED

10.

Amendments to the Hawke's Bay CDEM Group Plan: Controller and Recovery Manager appointments

CDE37/24

Resolution

That the Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Group Joint Committee excludes the public from this section of the meeting, being Agenda Item 10 Amendments to the Hawke's Bay CDEM Group Plan: Controller and Recovery Manager appointments with the general subject of the item to be considered while the public is excluded. The reasons for passing the resolution and the specific grounds under Section 48 (1) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution are:

General subject of the item to be considered	Reason for passing this resolution	Grounds under section 48(1) for the passing of the resolution
Amendments to the Hawke's Bay CDEM Group Plan: Controller and Recovery Manager appointments	In considering the candidates for Controller the names, experience and qualifications will be made available which, if made public would breach the privacy of the individuals concerned.	s7(2)(a) That the public conduct of this agenda item would be likely to result in the disclosure of information where the withholding of the information is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons.

Wise/Walker
CARRIED

The meeting went into public excluded session at 2.27pm and out of public excluded session at 2.40pm

The Chair, Hinewai Ormsby led a closing karakia.

Closure:

There being no further business the Chair declared the meeting closed at 2.40pm on Monday, 29 July 2024

Signed as a true and correct record.

Date: ................................................ Chair: ...............................................