Agenda of HB Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Joint Committee

Meeting of the HB Civil Defence Emergency Management Group
Joint Committee

Date: 25 November 2024

Time: 2.00pm

Venue:

Council Chamber

Hawke's Bay Regional Council

159 Dalton Street

NAPIER

Agenda

Item Title Page

1. Welcome/Karakia/Housekeeping/Apologies

2. Conflict of Interest Declaration

3. Confirmation of Minutes of the HB Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Joint Committee held on 29 July 2024

4. Deputation: Kate Taylor, Chair of HB FENZ Local Advisory Committees

Decision Items

5. Local Controllers' delegated powers 3

Information or Performance Monitoring

6. HB CDEM Group Manager / Group Controller update 7

7. HB Regional Recovery Agency update 45

8. HB CDEM Group Transformation update 53

Public Excluded Decision Items

9. Confirmation of Public Excluded Minutes 57

10. Local Controller Appointments 59

HB CDEM Group Joint Committee

25 November 2024

Subject: Local Controllers' delegated powers

Reason for report

1. This item informs the HB CDEM Group Joint Committee of the delegation of Emergency Powers to Local Controllers, addressing gaps identified in the current Group Plan, and recommending the delegation of Emergency Powers in sections 86 and 87 of the CDEM Act to ensure operational effectiveness during emergencies.

2. As a result, minor amendments will be made to the Hawke’s Bay CDEM Group Plan to reflect these changes.

Discussion

3. Local Controllers are appointed and delegated Emergency Powers under Section 27(1) of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act.

4. These Emergency Powers may include those outlined in Sections 86 to 92 of the Act.

5. The Hawke’s Bay CDEM Group Plan 2014–2019 specifies Local Controller appointments and the powers delegated to them.

6. The Group Plan lists the Emergency Powers in Sections 88 to 92 are delegated to Local Controllers.

7. Local Controllers have not been delegated the following powers:

86 Evacuation of premises and places

If a state of emergency is in force and, in the opinion of a Controller or any constable, the action authorised by this section is necessary for the preservation of human life, that person or a person authorised by him or her may direct, within the area or district in which the emergency is in force,—

(a) the evacuation of any premises or place, including any public place; or

(b) the exclusion of persons or vehicles from any premises or place, including any public place.

87 Entry on premises

If a state of emergency is in force in any area, a Controller or a constable, or any person acting under the authority of a Controller or constable, may enter on, and if necessary break into, any premises or place within the area or district in respect of which the state of emergency is in force if he or she believes on reasonable grounds that the action is necessary for—

(a) saving life, preventing injury, or rescuing and removing injured or endangered persons; or

(b) permitting or facilitating the carrying out of any urgent measure for the relief of suffering or distress.

8. These powers can be exercised by any sworn member of the New Zealand Police within areas covered by a state of emergency.

9. The lack of delegated Emergency Powers under Sections 86 and 87 for Local Controllers may be due to an oversight or an error in the CDEM Group Plan.

10. To ensure clarity and effectiveness, It is recommended that all current and future Local Controllers be delegated Emergency Powers in Section 86 (Evacuation of premises and places) and 87 (Entry on premises) of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act.

Background

11. The Joint Committee may appoint 1 or more persons to be a Local Controller, and direct that person or persons to carry out any of the functions and duties of, or delegated to, the Group Controller, and to exercise the powers of Controllers in the area for which the Group Controller is appointed, including, but not limited to, the powers in sections 86 to 94.

12. Noting that a Local Controller must follow any directions given by the Group Controller during an emergency.

13. The Local Controllers for Hawke’s Bay are:

13.1. Juanita Savage (Wairoa)

13.2. Te Arohanui Cook (Wairoa)

13.3. Michael Hardie (Wairoa)

13.4. Craig Cameron (Hastings)

13.5. Clint Adamson (Hastings)

13.6. Dean Ferguson (Hastings)

13.7. Raul Oosterkamp (Hastings)

13.8. Rachael Bailey (Napier)

13.9. Pip Connolly (Napier)

13.10. Steve Gregory (Napier)

13.11. Russell Bond (Napier)

13.12. Ben Swinburne (Central Hawke’s Bay)

13.13. Dylan Muggeridge (Central Hawke’s Bay)

13.14. Reuben George (Central Hawke’s Bay).

14. Local Controllers are appointed for the entire Hawke’s Bay CDEM Group area, rather than being limited to their specific territorial authority area.

15. In the event of a wider regional emergency, Local Controllers may exercise their delegated powers across any part of the Hawke’s Bay CDEM Group area.

Decision-making considerations

16. Councils and committees are required to make every decision in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002 (the Act). Staff have assessed the requirements in relation to this item and have concluded:

16.1. The decision does not significantly alter the service provision or affect a strategic asset, nor is it inconsistent with an existing policy or plan.

16.2. The use of the special consultative procedure is not prescribed by legislation.

16.3. The decision is not significant under the criteria contained in Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s adopted Significance and Engagement Policy.

16.4. The proposed amendments to the Group Plan meet the requirements of section 57 of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 and can be considered as a minor change to the Group Plan that does not need public consultation.

16.5. There are no members of the community affected by this decision.

16.6. Given the nature and significance of the decision to be made, the Joint Committee can exercise its discretion and make this decision without consulting directly with the community.

Recommendation

That the HB CDEM Group Joint Committee:

1. Receives and considers the Local Controllers' delegated powers staff report.

2. Agrees to all current and future Local Controllers being delegated Emergency Powers in section 86 (Evacuation of premises and places) and 87 (Entry on premises) of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act.

Authored & Approved by:

Shane Briggs

HB CDEM Acting Group Manager / Controller

Attachment/s

There are no attachments for this report.

HB CDEM Group Joint Committee

25 November 2024

Subject: HB CDEM Group Manager / Group Controller update

Reason for report

1. This item informs and updates the HB CDEM Group Joint Committee on Group office activities.

2. Also attached to this report are updates from Wairoa, Hastings, Napier City, and Central Hawke’s Bay District councils, as they relate to supporting and achieving the outcomes of the CDEM Group Plan.

Discussion

3. The work programme was approved in November 2022, covering the period from July 2022 to June 2024. This can be accessed at Group Work Programme 2022/24 (hbemergency.govt.nz).

4. While the existing work programme activities remain valid, a new CDEM Group work programme is required.

5. The development of the new work programme will be guided by the Hawke’s Bay CDEM Transformation Plan.

Staffing

6. Burnout and mental health challenges are emerging as key risks, as staff navigate high workloads and uncertainties associated with the ongoing transformation.

7. Staff remain committed to applying lessons from Cyclone Gabrielle, strengthening community resilience, and ensuring the region is well-prepared to respond effectively to future emergencies.

8. The Group office currently has two FTE vacancies the Team Leader Operational Readiness has been acting as the Group Manager Emergency Management since 2 September, and the Project Leader for East Coast LAB has recently resigned.

Community engagement and resilience

9. Significant progress has been achieved through collaboration among councils, marae, CDEM, and local communities.

10. Multiple Community Response Plans (CRPs) and Community Emergency Hub (CEH) workshops have been completed or are in progress:

Wairoa

10.1. Finalising CRPs for three Cyclone Gabrielle-affected communities, with two more communities engaged.

10.2. CEH workshops are underway in two communities.

10.3. Planning for the delivery of container resources to communities with completed CRPs.

10.4. Collaborating with Rongomaiwahine to deliver CEH workshops in Mahia.

Napier

10.5. Six communities are receiving support through CEH engagement efforts.

Hastings

10.6. Active engagement with 43 hubs.

10.7. Three CRPs completed.

10.8. Four more CRPs and 15 CEH workshops to be finished by year-end.

10.9. Initial resilience planning underway with three marae, with potential expansion to 11 additional marae.

Central Hawke’s Bay

10.10. Ten CRPs and hub workshops have been completed, covering seven coastal communities.

11. Support is being provided to Territorial Authorities to establish effective information flows between community hubs, Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs), and the Group Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC). This includes implementing the CDEM digital radio network, in collaboration with councils and communities.

12. The Group office is also developing stronger partnerships with external organisations, including Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (AREC), four-wheel drive clubs, and the Rapid Relief Team.

Hazard research, public Information and education

13. A comprehensive literature review is currently underway to guide the development of a 10-year hazards research plan and to identify regional research needs.

14. Work has begun on updating and expanding the Natural Hazards Information webpage. The Risk Library has been integrated into this platform.

15. The launch of the new tsunami inundation and evacuation zones in October 2024 generated significant public interest, receiving 13,000 views on Facebook within the first 24 hours.

16. The following projects have been postponed to FY25/26:

16.1. Feasibility study on vertical evacuation structures

16.2. Analysis of climate change impacts on medium- and long-term risks.

17. Further work is needed to clarify responsibilities of hosting and disseminating regional risk information, particularly concerning climate change.

18. The increased demand for marketing and communications, specifically to meet requests for Community Emergency Hub collateral, has stretched staff resources to full capacity.

19. There is risk of delays to public information activities due to limited staff capacity and the need to address urgent, unplanned tasks, such as unexpected media queries.

Operational readiness and response

20. There have been no responses since the last Joint Committee meeting.

21. The Regional Warning System, which provides critical emergency information to partner agencies, is being migrated to an Australian server following the decommissioning of the New Zealand server. While the transition has increased operational costs, it is not expected to impact the system's capacity or reliability.

22. To enhance clarity around notifications, we have drafted the HBCDEM Notification Protocol, which is currently out for feedback. This protocol outlines when and how agencies should notify CDEM.

23. NEMA is developing a business case for future operational systems. Rather than a single unified system, the focus is expected to shift towards a suite of purpose-built tools designed to meet specific needs.

24. With a nationally led solution not anticipated until FY27/28 at the earliest, we have begun work on a business case for a regional solution. This initiative aims to deliver a Common Operating Picture (COP) alongside enhanced capabilities for information sharing and tasking.

25. To ensure we have a fit-for-purpose GIS tool, we are reconvening the regional GIS Group, which includes all Local Authorities and last operated before Cyclone Gabrielle.

26. Significant progress has been made on the welfare registration and needs assessment (RANA) platform in collaboration with Taranaki and the developer.

27. RANA is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. In the interim, we will continue using the solution developed by Bay of Plenty and Tairāwhiti.

28. The CDEM Group office and Territorial Authorities are working together to develop Local and Group welfare plans, as well as Civil Defence Centre guides.

29. Staffing for the Group Emergency Coordination Centre (GECC) has improved through collaboration with HBRC.

30. To date, 140 HBRC staff members have been assigned to GECC roles, with 71% having completed the Emergency Management Essentials course.

31. Since March, 43 Emergency Management Essentials courses have been delivered, with 539 attendees, including:

31.1. Wairoa: 33 attendees

31.2. Napier: 155 attendees

31.3. Hastings: 98 attendees

31.4. Central Hawke’s Bay: 52 attendees

31.5. Group ECC/Regional Council: 107 attendees.

32. In addition, representatives from 34 other partner organisations participated in the training.

Group Controllers

33. The Joint Committee must appoint a suitably qualified and experienced person to serve as the Group Controller, along with at least one alternate.

34. The two Group Controllers are:

34.1. Shane Briggs (Primary)

34.2. Ian Macdonald (Alternate).

35. Recent reviews have emphasised the significant complexities and demands placed on Controllers, which has impacted recruitment efforts.

36. We are collaborating with the regional public sector to identify potential candidates for Group Controller roles.

37. While the primary Group Controller was out of the region on 18 September and 3–6 October, Craig Cameron from HDC was delegated the powers of the Group Controller. Because Craig is already appointed as a Local Controller for all of Hawke’s Bay, he has the authority to exercise his delegated powers in the event of a wider regional emergency. We acknowledge Craig's willingness to support the region during this time until new Group Controllers are appointed.

Decision-making considerations

38. Staff have assessed the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002 in relation to this item and have concluded that, as this report is for information only, the decision-making provisions do not apply.

Recommendation

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

Authored by:

Shane Briggs

HB CDEM Acting Group Manager / Controller

Approved by:

Shane Briggs

HB CDEM Acting Group Manager / Controller

Attachment/s

1 ⇩	CHB District Council update - October 2024
2 ⇩	HDC Community Resilience update
3 ⇩	HDC Transport Recovery update
4 ⇩	Voluntary buy-out process update
5 ⇩	Napier City Council CDEM update - November 2024
6 ⇩	Wairoa Recovery Newsletter 15 - October 2024

HB CDEM Group Joint Committee

25 November 2024

Subject: HB Regional Recovery Agency update

Reason for report

1. This report provides an update on recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle.

Context

2. In February 2023, Cyclone Gabrielle inflicted significant loss and damage to the Hawke’s Bay region along with other parts of the country: tragic loss of lives and livelihoods, displacement of whānau, and damage to the economy, infrastructure, businesses, homes and the environment. Hawke’s Bay faced a major recovery effort following the event.

3. In line with national guidelines, the approach taken to Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery is “Locally led, Regionally coordinated, Nationally supported”. Within that context, organisations across the region are engaged in recovery activities in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle 14 February 2023.

4. The region, through the Matariki Governance Group (MGG), established the Hawke’s Bay Regional Recovery Agency (RRA) to coordinate recovery efforts across the region and with Government. While the RRA reports to an Oversight Board and MGG to ensure wide regional engagement, recovery activity also falls within the purview of the HB CDEM Group Joint Committee as part of the broader CDEM framework.

5. It is noted that members of the Joint Committee also sit on the MGG.

Update

6. The RRA continues to work with the Matariki partner organisations, and Government and its agencies to:

6.1. support partner agency recovery actions

6.2. coordinate recovery work across organisations and between the region and government

6.3. plan next stage recovery activity and assist with thought leadership on recovery and resilience, and

6.4. advocate to Government and its agencies for financial and other assistance with recovery efforts.

7. This work includes both immediate and short-term recovery priorities as well as longer-term recovery and resilience priorities and opportunities, including those captured in the regional ‘Briefing to Incoming Ministers’ (BIM) and Te Matau-a-Māui Hawke’s Bay Recovery Plan 2.0.

8. Good progress has been made on the delivery of a number of programme actions by agencies involved in the recovery and/or the RRA. Funding has been secured for both components of the Waipawa drinking water (with stopbank reinstatement completed), and for additional resourcing to speed up delivery of Crown-funded recovery projects. Orders-in-Council have been secured for both flood protection works and on-farm/forest rural recovery works, securing vital regulatory process relief. Work continues on other short-term priorities as reported below, including significant work under the Kaupapa Māori pathway for FoSAL land categorisation areas. Notable progress has seen Petane Marae agreeing terms with the Crown for funding for the relocation and rebuild of the marae. The silt and debris clearance programme is also making good progress and nearing conclusion.

9. Significant focus has also been applied to achieving progress across a range of medium to longer-term priorities. Areas of focus have included local road recovery works funding, development of a water security vision paper, development of proposals for regional housing resilience initiatives, engagement on the Regional Infrastructure Fund process and support for the related Ministerial roadshow, and programme support for the North Island Weather Events (NIWE) Crown Funding Agreement implementation.

10. Good progress has been made in respect of funding for local road recovery works. Advocacy work by the Mayors, Regional Council Chair and Regional Transport Committee Chair, supported by the RRA, has led to confirmation that the $91 million allocated to Hawke’s Bay following Budget 24 was all available in this financial year. Work programmes and funding allocations have subsequently been confirmed, and the NZTA Board has approved additional bespoke funding arrangements (FAR +30%) for the 2024/25 financial year. This represents a good outcome for the advocacy work undertaken.

11. Work is underway in developing a multi-year funding programme as invited by the Minister of Transport.

12. In terms of state highway funding, funding for design, consenting, property acquisition and initial construction works on the preferred full Waikare Gorge realignment project is now included in the National Land Transport Programme. This is positive news for Wairoa, northern Hawke’s Bay and beyond. This follows strong support from the region’s civic leaders for leaving the temporary bailey bridge in place longer to enable the full Waikare realignment project to occur in the foreseeable future.

13. The work programme associated with the NIWE (2023) Hawke’s Bay Crown Funding Agreement is being implemented. The programmes funded under the agreement are the FoSAL category 3 voluntary property buyout programme (Hastings District Council and Napier City Council), the category 2 flood protection programme of works (Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and Hastings District Council), and a specified transport programme of works (Hastings District Council, Wairoa District Council and Central Hawke’s Bay District Council).

14. The voluntary buyout programme is very well advanced. Only four offers remain to be made which are owner and insurance dependent. Required demolition will be complete by year end and the Voluntary Buyout Office will close. This Hastings and Napier led programme has been a highly competent and successful recovery programme.

15. NIWE transport programmes are also progressing relatively well. Hastings District Council (who at $228 million has the bulk of the transport funding under the Crown funding agreement) has made significant progress. Following on from the opening of the crystal culvert in Tūtira in July, construction work is in progress on a range of other projects. These include:

15.1. Matapiro bridge – tender awarded, construction activity commenced, completion scheduled mid-2025

15.2. Taihape road slip repairs – 11 slip sites, physical works commenced 19 August, 18-month timeframe for completion

15.3. Dartmoor slip – construction commenced February 2024, construction in progress, completion expected by Christmas 2024

15.4. Puketapu bridge – abutment piling complete, construction in progress, completion scheduled mid-2025

15.5. Kereru Gorge culvert –construction in progress

15.6. Rissington bridge – option assessment and iwi engagement underway, construction start scheduled for mid-2025, construction period circa 12 months.

16. Central Hawke’s Bay has four Crown funded repair projects: Fletchers Crossing Bridge, Elsthorpe Road slip and two slips on Wimbledon Road. Construction for these is scheduled for the 2024-25 construction season.

17. Wairoa District Council has one project: replacement of Te Reinga Bridge. Preliminary design work has been completed based on a network arch design. Procurement work has commenced, seeking to utilise early contractor engagement. Resource and building consent applications have been prepared and land access discussions are underway.

18. HBRC is advancing the flood protection work programme to enable households in category 2 areas to move to category 1. Four project delivery plans have been signed off by ministers, with a number of others imminent. Design work, programme planning, land access and programme delivery continues across the range of projects. A ‘sod turning’ for the Waiohiki project was held on 11 November 2024. The Wairoa flood protection project is under the oversight and direction of the appointed Crown manager. Two design options are currently the subject of community consultation and landowner/stakeholder engagement.

19. Budget 24 contained $20m for 2023 NIWE councils to access to help speed up delivery of existing, funded, recovery projects. HBRC, HDC, CHBDC and Wairoa DC were all successful with funding requests. This funding will help deliver recovery projects faster.

20. As part of the recovery programme and in line with Recovery Plan 2.0 approved by Matariki Governance Group, resilience work is being undertaken in a number of areas. These include water security and housing resilience. Progressive procurement and workforce development work is also being done to support broader social outcomes from recovery work programmes.

21. The RRA produces recovery dashboard highlighting progress in key areas of recovery activity. The latest dashboard (October) is attached. It is hoped that an updated dashboard will be available prior to the meeting.

Decision-making considerations

22. Staff have assessed the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002 in relation to this item and have concluded that, as this report is for information only, the decision-making provisions do not apply.

Recommendation

That the HB Civil Defence Emergency Group Joint Committee receives and notes the HB Regional Recovery Agency update report.

Authored by:

Ross McLeod

Chief Executive, HB Regional Recovery Agency

Approved by:

Shane Briggs

HB CDEM Acting Group Manager / Controller

Attachment/s

1 ⇩

Hawke's Bay Regional Recovery Dashboard

HB CDEM Group Joint Committee

25 November 2024

Subject: HB CDEM Group Transformation update

Reason for report

1. This item gives the Joint Committee an update on the HB CDEM Group Transformation programme.

Background

2. The HB CDEM Joint Committee commissioned a review of the response of HB CDEM Group response to Cyclone Gabrielle.

3. The review identified critical shortcomings in the ability of HB CDEM to respond to large scale events.

4. The review made a series of significant recommendations. The recommendations range from empowering communities, to integrating mana whenua into HB CDEM at all levels, to the structure and function from the Group office, the local role of individual councils and disaster scenario planning.

5. As a result, a HBCDEM Transformation Director was employed in August 2024 on a fixed term contract with the following mandate:

5.1. Produce a clear prioritised action plan to transform the HB CDEM system so that HB CDEM is fit for purpose to deliver on the 4 Rs.

5.2. Lead implementation of the action plan including but not limited to:

5.2.1. establish clarity of functions and accountabilities for key players in the HB CDEM Group

5.2.2. identify the structure of HB CDEM Group to deliver on key functions and accountabilities across the spectrum from communities at place, through individual councils, to the Group Office

5.2.3. work with tangata whenua leaders to integrate mana whenua and mātauranga at all levels in HB CDEM

5.2.4. identify the critical components of a new HB CDEM Group plans and local plans

5.2.5. identify key risks and mitigations for response to a major event should it occur during the transformation of HB CDEM

5.2.6. provide recommendations on longer term approaches to the 4 Rs

5.2.7. take a leading role in project teams and steering groups

5.2.8. provide leadership and advice during the implementation phase of different change processes

5.2.9. identify and evaluate initiatives to ensure projects meet the required goals

5.2.10. Influence both culture and behaviour changes in the HB CDEM system.

Discussion

6. The HB CDEM Transformation approach is detailed below.

7. A HB CDEM Transformation Strategy has been produced, currently in DRAFT, and aims to provide Governance and Elected members with a vision, set of guiding transformation principles and approach to updates to enable programme performance measurement.

8. A HB CDEM Transformation Plan has been produced, currently in DRAFT, and aims to provide Council Executives with operational detail and coordination to enable transformation management to occur.

9. It is envisaged that a HB CDEM Supplementary Transformation Plan will be produced in 2025 that will provide the outline detail required to develop appropriate capital investment business cases for HBCDEM assets and infrastructure.

10. Progress is being made on the seven HB CDEM Transformation implementation plans with further detail provided in early 2025.

11. Of note is the intent to conduct, in 2025, a range of training activities and exercises culminating in a major Hawkes Bay wide emergency management exercise.

12. Each Council should be prepared to make staff available for individual training courses in the first half of 2025.

13. Each Council should be prepared for a series of emergency management exercises to occur in 2025.

14. The Joint Committee should note that engagement with mana whenua is a major component of the HB CDEM Transformation. The current HB CDEM Transformation Plan exist in DRAFT deliberately to enable sincere and meaningful mana whenua engagement to occur in 2025 and beyond.

15. The Joint Committee should note that as identified there is risk to local and regional emergency management BAU and response over the transformation period.

16. The HB CDEM Transformation initiative will progress through the next steps before the end of 2024:

16.1. Workshop the DRAFT HB CDEM Transformation Strategy with the Joint Committee.

16.2. Engage on the DRAFT HB CDEM Transformation Strategy with TKO, the HB CDEM Group, local councils and Coordinating Executives Group members.

16.3. Re-draft the HB CDEM Transformation Strategy and gain Joint Committee approval, ideally in an extraordinary meeting prior to years end (2024).

17. The first of the HB CDEM Transformation updates will be available in February 2025.

18. The HB CDEM Transformation initiative is considered on track and progressing well with no major unexpected issues encountered.

Decision-making considerations

19. Staff have assessed the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002 in relation to this item and have concluded that, as this report is for information only, the decision making provisions do not apply.

Recommendation

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

Authored & Approved by:

Matt Boggs

Director HB CDEM Transformation

Attachment/s

There are no attachments for this report.

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) Excluding the public is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons