Agenda of Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Meeting

Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Meeting item: 6.2

10 November 2021

TITLE:	CEG Chair's Report
ID:
From:	Tony Phipps, CDEM Coordinating Executive Group Chairman

Executive summary/Whakarāpopototanga

This report provides a summary of activities undertaken by or directly related to the Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group over the period since the last CEG meeting on Wednesday 8 September 2021.

Tony Phipps is retiring as Chair of the CDEM Coordinating Executive Committee. A replacement will be appointed at the Committee’s meeting on 10 November 2021.

Recommendation

That the report ‘CEG Chair's Report ’ by Tony Phipps, CDEM Coordinating Executive Group Chairman and dated 3 November 2021, be received.

Background/Tuhinga

Warnings and activations

The following weather watches and warnings were issued by MetService and monitored during September and October:

· 3 Severe Weather Warnings for 21/22 September, with an Orange Warning issued on 22 September

o Most of the rain fell in the eastern areas as predicted but the highest rainfall for the event was recorded in the west at the Waimamaku rainfall site (112mm)

o Flooding occurred around the Oruru and Kaeo Rivers and in the Waitangi and Upper Mangakahia catchments

o SH1 at Rangiahua was closed for a time when the high river levels and high tide caused flooding across the road.

· 3 Severe Weather Watches and 1 Severe Weather Warning were issued for 7/8 October

o A picture containing tree, outdoor, house, residential

Description automatically generated A picture containing ground, outdoor

Description automatically generated This rainfall resulted in a landslip at Te Ngaere with land clearing activities above properties thought to be a contributing factor, impacting a house on Wainui Road. Fire and Emergency New Zealand and Far North District Council building inspectors responded to the incident to assist the building owners and occupants.

Photos - Impacted property at 1762B Wainui Road Kaeo

· 4 Severe Weather Watches for 20/21 October

· 3 Severe Weather Watches and 3 Severe Weather Warnings over 22/23 October weekend

o The weather preceding and during Labour weekend can be considered a long-drawn-out event from Thursday to Sunday, as there were no significant breaks in the rain for most of this period.

o Fortunately, rainfall intensities were not very high during this event with maximum intensities below 10mm per hour at most stations. Touwai north-east of Kaeo recorded the highest intensities of around 20mm per hour briefly on the evening of 23 October.

o Most of the rain was concentrated about the eastern hills as predicted with Touwai receiving the highest rainfall for the duration of the event with 271mm, followed by Wiroa Rd (northeast of Okaihau) with 216mm, Ngunguru with 203mm and Puhipuhi on 192 mm.

o Main river catchments affected during this event were the Oruru River with flooding on the flats, Kaeo River with flooding at Dip Rd and across SH10, flooding in the Waitangi catchment and on the Whakapara swamp area.

o FENZ dispatched some volunteers to Kaeo to observe any flooding in the area.

· 2 Severe Weather Watches for 30 October - monitored but no action required.

COVID-19 Delta alert levels for Northland

· At 11.59pm on Friday 8 October, Northland went to Alert Level 3 for 11 days

· At 11.59pm on Tuesday 19 October, Northland went down to and remains (at the time of writing) at Alert level 2.

Collaboration with the Northland District Health Board (NDHB) and development of COVID planning continues as new information is released by central government.

Whangarei District CDEM Activities – Evania Arani, Emergency Management (EM) Specialist

Local CDEM activities for the last three months have largely been confined to administrative tasks due to the varying levels of lockdowns over this quarter. A number of planned community response group meetings and events during this period were also postponed until a later date.

EM Specialist Evania Arani attended the Onerahi Community Response Group meeting the week of Tsunami Siren testing, which was good timing for them as they were able to ensure there was enough helpers available for the testing. The group has had some minor changes to the membership over the past year so contact details have been updated in their Community Response Plan to reflect this.

Oakura South Community Response Group met the day after tsunami siren testing. The meeting was very well attended with 14 people in attendance and the group is very engaged in all aspects of Emergency Management. The group discussed evacuation points that have been identified since the 5 March Tsunami event and discussed ideas on how they can get information out to holiday makers during the summer season. The group are looking into Tsunami evacuation signage (self-funded) as well as looking to develop a pamphlet to inform locals and visitors to the area of the community’s response plan and their identified evacuation points.

The Parua Bay Residents and Ratepayers Association (PBRRA) were contacted in the month of August regarding the possibility of reigniting the Parua Bay Community Response Group in the area. Due to COVID-19 alert level restrictions the group were unable to meet until October. A member from the PBRRA met with Evania Arani, EM Specialist to advise that she was interested in taking on the role of the Community Response Group Coordinator for the area and that she will be supported in the role by the PBRRA. There has been no group in the area for a number of years so it is good to see the PBRRA stepping in after recognising the importance of Emergency Management in their coastal community.

Portland/Otaika Community Response Group have completed the updating of their Community Response Plan. Once it has been produced in the CDEM response plan template it will be made available for viewing on the CDEM section of the Northland Regional Council website.

Community members of the Matapouri Coast and Ocean Beach have contacted CDEM to discuss how they go about producing response plans for their communities. Staff were able to connect these two people in with their respective community response groups that are active in their areas and discussions and planning is already underway.

A picture containing text, sky, outdoor, road

Description automatically generated A number of other planned Community Response Group meetings that were scheduled for the month of October were unfortunately postponed to a later date due to COVID-19 alert level changes and restrictions.

In support of the Ministry of Health COVID-19 Vaccine and Immunisation Programme, a number of CDEM staff attended various vaccination clinics in the Whangarei District on “Super Saturday Vaxathon” on Saturday 16 October. It was a chance for staff to get out and engage with our Māori health providers, iwi groups, the District Health Board and community members. A few photos were taken and used to promote the day on our Civil Defence Northland Facebook page, and were also shared by the Northland District Health Board.

Far North CDEM Activities – Sarah Boniface, EM Specialist Far North; Bill Hutchinson, EM Specialist Far North

Local CDEM activities for the last three months have largely been confined to the COVID-19 resurgence response and administrative tasks because of varying levels of lockdowns over this quarter. Planned community meetings during this period have had to be postponed and will be rescheduled most likely in the New Year as restrictions allow.

Community engagement activities included meetings to review the South Hokianga Community Response Plan. As determined by the former Community Response Group, the current plan incorporated an area from Waipoua Forest headquarters in the south to Whirinaki in the east. As a result of a decline in group membership through key people moving away from these communities, along with the impact of drought, COVID-19 and fire events in the Hokianga, there has been a request from both the Waimamaku and Whirinaki communities to reduce the area of this plan and develop their own plans and establish their own community groups. Two community meetings have since been held at Waimamaku and a steering group has been formed to review this plan. Communication received from the Opononi Ratepayers Association indicates a desire to do the same in the Opononi/Omapere communities.

An audit and update of IT equipment for the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) has been undertaken by the Far North District Council IT Team. All laptop computers have been checked, programs updated and WIFI enabled. A monthly schedule has now been set up to check and update EOC IT equipment.

Continued and ongoing Iwi engagement has been undertaken to encourage and assist with personal, community and Marae preparedness. Planned meetings have had to be postponed due to varying levels of COVID-19 restrictions and will be rescheduled in conjunction with partner groups.

Coordinated Incident Management and Emergency Operation Centre training was held in Kerikeri and Kaikohe with local emergency management specialists assisting with the organisation of the training. A summary of training is included in this report under Capability Development.

Emergency Management Specialists coordinated the bi-annual test of the tsunami alarm network on 26 September. The regional outcome of the testing is included in this report under Tsunami Readiness.

A picture containing sky, outdoor

Description automatically generated In collective effort to support the Ministry of Health COVID-19 Vaccine and Immunisation Programme, Emergency Management Specialists, Department Conservation Kaitaia staff and Fire Emergency New Zealand staff combined resources (including a FENZ-owned mobile Canteen Unit pictured) to assist with an all-day BBQ to cater for the public at the “Super Saturday Vaxathon” locations in Kaitaia and Ahipara on Saturday 16 October.

Kaipara CDEM Activities – Demi Exley, EM Specialist

Kaipara District Council (KDC) have adopted amendments to the KDC Drought Management Plan (DMP). The new plan aligns the Four Water Use Restrictions alert levels with that of Whangarei and Far North District Councils. This is a great step, with more work encouraged during Reduction and Readiness to minimise the effects of drought.

Training in Kaipara has a multi-agency CIMS4 course scheduled for the first quarter of 2022, along with an internal KDC EOC table-top scenario exercise. Some local Iwi and community representatives have indicated their desire to attend CIMS4; CDEM has discussed and intends to offer a compressed version of the CIMS4 course that can be run in half a day, tailored to community-level response.

KDC EOC staff have attended a series of two-hour function training sessions during October aimed at providing a base preparedness that bridges the gap between the formal two-day CIMS4 course and attending a full day of function training. To date, the feedback has been great, with an opportunity to use the sessions across each of the district councils.

Community Response Groups (CRG) continue to progress. Ruawai have conducted an initial review of the plan, created information packs for locals, and are scheduled to hold a second group meeting for consultation about integrating the school, business, and marae plans. Tinopai community hikoi has been postponed, and the local marae are reviewing their specific marae preparedness plans in the interim. FENZ and CDEM have been actively involved throughout.

The KDC District Plan Review has involved workshops about natural hazards and how that might affect each department and inform their relevant sections of the plan.

The new Ruawai tsunami siren channel tested successfully during the September test of the network. Northpower was onsite at the time of the test for quality assurance and was able to rectify minor adjustments at the time to produce a great result.

Three Paparoa residents self-evacuated from a household during the heavy localised rainfall event on 7 October, after an assessed threat of a farm dam having burst. Emergency Services, KDC afterhours call-centre and the CDEM Duty Officer were contacted. CDEM via Paparoa’s CRG Coordinator supported the family (and pets) ensuring they had a place to stay if required for the night. Emergency Services were able to divert overflowing water away from the property. No water damage was reported, and the family was able to return home that same night.

Tsunami Readiness

Tsunami Siren Testing – Bill Hutchinson, EM Specialist Far North; Evania Arani, EM Specialist Whangarei; Demi Exley, EM Specialist Kaipara

The Northland tsunami siren network was tested at the start of Daylight Savings, Sunday 26 September at 10.00am for 10 minutes and 10.30am for 30 seconds to ensure they were operating as per their design specification. The usual public information and awareness programme was implemented leading up to and during the testing.

Each alarm is monitored by volunteers within coastal communities and the results are received by Civil Defence staff. Any repairs and maintenance required to the alarms was recorded and carried out at the earliest opportunity by Top Energy and Northpower.

Indoor alarms in homes within the region receive the same ripple control signal and are therefore activated and tested at the same time as the outdoor network. Monitoring the operation of the indoor alarms is the responsibility of the owner.

While acknowledging the potential stress on people arising from the resurgence and current outbreak of COVID-19, it was important to continue to test the siren network so that any faults can be identified and repaired.

In the lead up to the test a media campaign was undertaken to advise the community of the test and to promote tsunami awareness in Northland.

Faults reported:

Far North	Fault
Ahipara	Speaker broken away from main alarm case
Opua	Alarm did not activate
Te Ngaere	Speakers damaged (alarm vandalised)
Totara North	Strobe light did not work
Tauranga Bay	Strobe light did not work
Karikari Peninsula	Strobe lights on two alarms did not work
Kaipara	Fault
Mangawhai Village	One siren disconnected from power and one siren strobe light did not work
Mangawhai Heads	One siren removed and one siren very quiet
Whangarei	Fault
Oakura	Strobe light did not work
Whananaki	Strobe light did not work
Tutukaka	Strobe light did not work
Parua Bay	Strobe light did not work
Onerahi	Strobe lights on two alarms did not work and one alarm did not activate
Ruakaka	Strobe lights on five alarms did not work and two alarms did not activate
Whangaruru North	Siren did not activate

Capability Development - Shona Morgan, Emergency Management Response Specialist

CIMS

This year there has been an increased demand from partner agencies for Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS)4 training and the associated function training that accompanies it.

Chart, bar chart

Description automatically generated Below is a graph showing the number of attendees for CIMS4, EOC training and function training this year, for each organisation.

CDEM Team Professional Development

There have been a variety of training opportunities taken up by the Northland CDEM team this year, despite it being another very busy year for responses. Below is a summary of the key training opportunities completed by members of the team this year.

2022 Training

As a result of the increase in demand for CIMS courses, the frequency of these will be increased next year in Northland. Below are the proposed CIMS training dates for 2022. These are subject to change depending on demand.

Date	Course	Location
March 21 & 22	CIMS4	Dargaville
March 23	Exercise KDC	Dargaville
March 24 & 25	CIMS4	Whangarei

May 23 & 24	CIMS4	Whangarei
May 25	Welfare	Whangarei
May 26	Exercise WDC	Whangarei
May 27	Intelligence	Whangarei

July 4 & 5	CIMS4	Whangarei
July 6	EOC	Whangarei
July 7	CIMS4 or planning	Whangarei
July 8	CIMS4 or logistics	Whangarei

September 19 & 20	CIMS4	Far North
September 21	EOC or exercise	Far North
September 22 & 23	CIMS4	Far North

November 14 & 15	CIMS4	Whangarei
November 16	Exercise NRC	Whangarei
November 17 & 18	CIMS4	Whangarei

Welfare Coordination Group – Claire Nyberg, Emergency Management Welfare Specialist

The Northland Group Welfare Manager was requested by Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) to step into the Auckland Group Welfare Manager role for a week from 13-17 September with a two-day handover prior to deployment, a weekend on call and then a day’s handover. Auckland at the time were still in Alert Level 4 and had also responded to flooding caused by thunderstorms and heavy rain in the early hours on 31 August. This deployment was undertaken remotely from Northland and the Group Welfare Manager had a team of 8 staff with management oversight of the Welfare Triage Centre.

The Welfare Coordination Group (WCG) meeting is scheduled for 5 November and will now be held virtually rather than in-person. We are also aiming to hold one last WCG induction for new members or those that need a refresher before the end of the year.

The CEG approved the funding of a project to create a welfare services directory through the Hearts and Minds NZ organisation. The first invoice ($6,602.15) and milestone report have been received, with the Project Coordinator Linda Marsh reporting that the initial research and community consultation has been completed including:

· National Online Support Service Directories researched

· Consultations with key kaimahi/workers representing a range of social and community services

· Online questionnaires completed by social service and community provider categories

· Participants in a Focus Group representing health, social and community services

· Letters of Support received

Northland Lifelines Group (NLG) – Demi Exley, Emergency Management Specialist

The Northland Lifelines Infrastructure Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) Project Request for Proposal (RFP) was sent to four suppliers, three of which responded. The successful supplier is Tonkin & Taylor Ltd (T+T), with a project total quote of $39,970 excl. GST.

The CCRA is intended to cover the direct climate change impacts on lifeline utility assets and services (exposure, vulnerability, and risk), not the consequential impacts on communities. The information provided through this project will inform detailed community impact assessments being undertaken by the Far North, Kaipara, and Whangarei District Councils.

T+T have integrated RFP desires with lessons identified whilst undertaking the Bay of Plenty Lifelines CCRA, to best achieve an efficient method that delivers on Northland Lifelines desired outcomes.

· Phase 0: Project kick off and wider project management ($4,785).

· Phases 1 & 2: Undertaking the spatial risk assessment

o Risk assessment design

o First pass spatial exposure assessment ($13,385)

o Detailed spatial risk assessment ($8,580).

· Phase 3: Undertaking the non-spatial risk assessment ($6,440).

· Phase 4: Report detailing the methodology and results ($6,780).

Calendar

Description automatically generated

Key deliverables include:

· RAID-L log spreadsheet (kept as a ‘live’ document throughout the project) that records and tracks: Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies, and Lessons identified. Preliminary risks will be discussed during a kick-off meeting.

· T+T Assessment Method Statement memo to be reviewed and distributed by NLG Project Manager – Lisa Roberts.

· Spatial data output (geodatabase) and associated tabular results of summary exposure numbers by asset type and utility sub-sector, Ward, and District. Summary data will be provided to NLG and stakeholders, with exposure ratings at individual asset level provided to supplying organisations on request. This is to meet likely confidentiality requirements.

· Data in a spatial format (geodatabase) of summary information by spatial area (District, Ward, Region as applicable). Source asset data will be available to each supplying organisation only (confidentiality). Summary data will also be provided in a tabular format (e.g. Excel Workbook). T+T will produce an interactive web application detailing risk to utility sectors, sub-sectors, and asset level (where applicable), with the primary use for interim data review.

· Updated tabular output (e.g. excel workbook) with summary of non-spatial risks.

· PowerPoint report to compliment spatial data and tabular data delivery.

Northland’s Air Operations Plan review has been underway since August, with the FENZ Air Ops workshop being continually postponed due to COVID-19 alert levels.

Māori and relationship engagement update - Sarah Boniface, Emergency Management Specialist Far North; Mana Wright, Emergency Management Partnership Specialist

Far North

A meeting was held with Te Kahu o Taonui (TKoT) representatives and the Group Manager – Community Resilience that identified the need of enabling whānau/families better access to welfare support during emergencies. This meeting helped shape the scope and focus area – initially being the Far North.

An initial planning workshop was scheduled for 4 November 2021, however, due to the uncertainty around COVID-19 it has been shifted to 16 November 2021. The workshop will take place in Kaitaia, however it can be held completely remotely if Alert Levels require.

The workshop’s aim is to identify what welfare support is available from key stakeholders during emergencies, determine why whānau/families have not been able to access this support, what the potential solutions are, and how agencies can enable this support.

The workshop will have representation from multiple supporting agencies, as well as essential representation from key Far North stakeholders, providing on-the-ground situational insights. The key outcomes from this workshop are:

· An information sheet of solutions identified for all involved

· Better networks of key stakeholders with relative agencies, and

· An improved level of access to welfare support for whānau/families.

Kaipara

An initial meeting with Northland CDEM, community leaders, and marae representatives from the Tinopai area took place on 14 September 2021. This meeting helped to set the residents to understand how development of Community Response Plans (CRPs) and Marae preparedness plans can be beneficial. Through discussions of their concerns, areas of interest, and work required from them, it was highlighted that the development of three separate marae preparedness plans, that link into one CRP, would be the most appropriate course of action.

A second meeting will be held, aimed at physically visiting each marae and addressing their areas of concern. This will help Northland CDEM and FENZ provide better advice to enable all involved in planning. This second meeting has been postponed until the community feel more comfortable with the COVID-19 situation in Northland.

Concurrently, the Ruawai CRP has continued to be refined and updated, with the latest revised version being given to the CRG on 22 October 2021. The group has drawn valuable interest from the local community members, marae kaitiaki, Maori Wardens, schools, church, Lions Club, Ruawai Promotions and Development Group, KDC, FENZ, and CDEM. An in-person hui has been postponed due to COVID-19.

Maori Wardens have expressed avid interest in the CIMS course, with a number expected to attend the March 2022 course in Kaipara.

Personnel Movements and Appointments – Graeme MacDonald, Emergency Manager

There are currently several vacancies within the Northland CDEM Group professionals. Demi Exley has resigned from her Emergency Management Specialist position to travel to Australia and Victoria Harwood has been appointed to the GM Community Resilience role with NRC. Evania has been on a fixed term appointment covering Maternity Leave for Tegan Capp and has been appointed to the vacancy left by Victoria. Tegan is due to return in April and a short-term secondment is being considered to fill this 6-month vacancy.

Two vacancies are currently being advertised, one an existing position– Emergency Management Specialist and the second a new position – Emergency Management Specialist Tsunami Projects (3 years fixed term). It is anticipated that appointments will be made prior to the Christmas break.

Jenny Calder has also been appointed as the Deputy Emergency Manager.

Communications – Murray Soljak, Emergency Management Communications Specialist

The role of CDEM Groups in supporting COVID-19 communications has evolved over time.

In the other regions currently most impacted by COVID-19 and the accompanying restrictions (Auckland and Waikato), councils tend to take more of an active role; however in Northland the practice has been to look to the CDEM Group to lead.

Historically a key focus has been on helping Northlanders to understand the requirements of the Alert Level in place at the time, guide them to the nationally-available resources and highlight any significant changes. Concise summaries of the 1pm daily updates (from a Northland perspective when applicable) have been appreciated by what appears to be a growing number of people who wish to stay informed but are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of media coverage each day.

The coordination with/assistance from the All of Government COVID Comms team/Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and other key Government departments continues. For some weeks, Northland has had its own page within the www.covid19.govt.nz website. Other requests have been considered and acted upon where possible.

Early October brought the announcements that two women who had travelled to Northland had tested positive, with a significant component of the initial reaction being based around anger and fear in various forms, including calls to name and shame, punish, threats of violence etc and rumours that the second woman (ultimately located in Auckland) was in multiple Northland communities.

These elements threatened to side-line understanding of the actions that Northlanders were being urged to take (testing, vaccination, checking locations of interest and adjusting to a return to Alert Level 3). Northland CDEM Group opted to move into this role and worked alongside health providers in the leadup to a successful Super Saturday within the region (as part of a national result that also exceeded expectations).

COVID-19 is a topic that has previously resulted in a loss of audience from the Northland CDEM Facebook page but on this occasion, we have maintained/gained slightly, while fulfilling a useful role within the region in terms of (still) guiding people to the information that is available. It has also been rewarding to have health providers directly post information on our page or send photos of their location of the day.

It is somewhat ironic that our main platform (Facebook - given the web content already available there is no need to further replicate that) is one of the platforms most used internationally to distribute misinformation. The position taken has brought Northland CDEM to the attention of anti-vaxxers and the experience of dealing with coordinated waves of activity (some from elsewhere in New Zealand or internationally in some cases) has not been a pleasant one. However, we also note the incidents within Northland where people attempting to access vaccination facilities (and the teams setting up) have been confronted in a face-to-face manner. Booking-up of vaccine appointments so they are made unavailable to others, and the misrepresentation of the death of a 21-year-old man in Whangārei as being vaccine-related (he was not vaccinated) are two tactics that have played out in Northland as they have elsewhere in the country. For the record, we have found it possible to add value within the region by highlighting the work going on from health providers, the efforts they are putting in to make people welcome and to answer their questions, and the range of different locations and formats available. It has been notable that for many Northlanders, the opportunity to have a direct conversation with a member of a vaccination team relatively close to home has been their chosen option where other forms of information (e.g. well-produced and accessible videos from immunologists and other experts) have for whatever reason not been the right product. There are still people who are unaware that the minimum time between doses has been reduced from six to three weeks – another very simple piece of information that we can assist in providing.

Both the official Unite Against COVID-19 Facebook page and, at times, the Northland DHB page are choosing to reduce the workload by turning off the option to comment. This is understandable and yet the downside is that it reduces the chance to answer genuine questions, address misunderstandings and assess the level to which national developments are understood within our region. Sometimes commenters on the Northland CDEM page are also able to solve issues or answer questions for each other from their existing knowledge/direct experiences.

From time to time, our content has been labelled as ‘fear mongering’ or ‘scare tactics’ and this generally prompts an honest re-look at what we have posted. When communicating about other hazards, it is much easier to talk about the associated risks; however it also has to be acknowledged that a number of people are coping by keeping the amount and nature of incoming information to levels that work for them.

During the period since the previous meeting, communications support has also been provided to four heavy rain events and September’s tsunami siren test at the beginning of daylight saving.

Northland CDEM Group Plan 2021-2026 update – Jenny Calder, Recovery Specialist

A review of the Northland CDEM Group Plan has been carried out by the CDEM Group professionals. The review process included a key stakeholder workshop, a five-week public consultation period, the inclusion of a new section for Māori Engagement, and a series of amendments being made to the plan.

As prescribed in the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act, s.49, the proposed plan was sent to the Minister for Emergency Management, Hon Kiritapu Allan, for comment. The Ministerial and NEMA feedback and recommendations received have been included in the final document.

The Minister, Hon Kiritapu Allan, acknowledged the inclusion of a section in the plan specifically for Māori Engagement and commended the Group’s enthusiasm and commitment to CDEM with a view to the pending work on new legislation in the emergency management sector.

The final draft of the Plan is being presented later in this agenda for adoption.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil

Authorised by Group Manager

Name:	Victoria Harwood, Pou Tiaki Hapori - GM Community Resilience,
Title:	Civil Defence Emergency Management Manager
Date:	03 November 2021

Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Meeting item: 6.4

10 November 2021

TITLE:	Northland CDEM Group, CEG and Group appointments
From:	Graeme MacDonald, Emergency Manager
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Victoria Harwood, Pou Tiaki Hapori - GM Community Resilience, on 03 November 2021

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

Executive summary/Whakarāpopototanga

This report provides an up-to-date list of members and key appointments for the Northland CDEM Group. The list of key appointments is also available on the same webpage as the Northland CDEM Group plan. The list has also been referenced in the group plan.

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

1. That the report ‘Northland CDEM Group, CEG and Group appointments ’ by Graeme MacDonald, Emergency Manager and dated 3 November 2021, be received.

2. That the Civil Defence Emergency Management Group approves the appointment of Darren Edwards, General Manager – Strategic Planning & Policy, Far North District Council, as a Group Controller, in accordance with Section 26 (2), Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002.

Background/Tuhinga

Membership of the Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group:

· Cr Rick Stolwerk, Chairperson (NRC) - alternate Cr Colin Kitchen

· Cr Dave Collard (FNDC) - alternate Cr Kelly Stratford

· Mayor Sheryl Mai (WDC) - alternate Cr Nicholas Connop

· Mayor Jason Smith (KDC) - alternate Cr Anna Curnow

· Commander Wipari Henwood (Fire and Emergency NZ)

· District Commander, Superintendent Tony Hill (NZ Police)

· Malinda Meads, observer (NEMA)

Membership of the Coordinating Executive Group:

· Tony Phipps, Chairperson (NRC)

· Andy Finch (FNDC)

· Sandra Boardman (WDC)

· John Burt (KDC)

· Inspector Al Symonds (NZ Police)

· Asssitant Area Commander Graeme Quensell (Fire and Emergency NZ)

· Sarah Hoyle (Northland Health)

· Tony Devanney (St John Ambulance)

· Malinda Meads (NEMA) in observer role

· Bart Willems (Medical Officer of Health - Public Health)

· Russell Watson (Northland Lifelines Group)

· Claire Nyberg (Northland Welfare Coordination Group)

· Hone Dalton (Iwi Representative)

· Mariameno Kapa-Kingi (Iwi Representative)

Group Controllers:

· Graeme MacDonald

· Tony Phipps

· Claire Nyberg

· Simon Weston

· Sandra Boardman

· Victoria Harwood

· John Burt

· Alistair Wells

· Shona Morgan

Local Controllers for the Whangarei District:

· Simon Weston

· Sandra Boardman

Local Controller for the Kaipara District:

· John Burt

Local Controllers for the Far North District:

· Alistair Wells

· Jacine Wamington

Group Welfare Managers:

· Claire Nyberg

· Shona Morgan

· Kym Ace

· Tess Dacre

Local Welfare Managers:

· Paula Urlich (WDC)

· Gemma Aspden (WDC)

· Alistair Wiseman (FNDC)

· Shayne Storey (FNDC)

· Jenny Rooney (KDC)

Group Recovery Manager:

· Jenny Calder

· Graeme MacDonald

Local Recovery Managers:

· Janice Smith (FNDC)

· John Burt (KDC)

· Vacant (WDC)

Group Controller appointment

The Far North District Council has nominated Darren Edwards, General Manager – Strategic Planning & Policy, as a Group Controller. Darren has recently been a Controller appointed with the Southland CDEM Group and has extensive emergency management and related experience having previously been with MPI, NZ Police and Environment Southland. Darren has the qualifications and experience to operate as a Group Controller.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil

Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Meeting item: 6.5

10 November 2021

TITLE:	COVID-19 Delta Resurgence Debrief
From:	Shona Morgan, Emergency Management Response Specialist
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Victoria Harwood, Pou Tiaki Hapori - GM Community Resilience, on 03 November 2021

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

Northland CDEM held a team debrief on Wednesday 6 October. The purpose of this debrief was to gather observations from the COVID-19 Delta response, identify insights and lessons learned from the response and subsequently identify recommendations for future improvements.

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the report ‘COVID-19 Delta Resurgence Debrief’ by Shona Morgan, Emergency Management Response Specialist and dated 3 November 2021, be received.

Background/Tuhinga

Overview

Below is an outline of the response timeline:

· On the afternoon of Tuesday 17 August, one COVID-19 Delta case was identified in Auckland

· At 6pm that evening the Prime Minister announced an Alert Level 4 lockdown for the whole of NZ effective 11.59pm that night

· The Northland CDEM team fully activated at 8.30am the following morning Wednesday 18 August

· The Northland GECC was activated for 15 days (including weekends when the duty team monitored the situation) and was officially stood down on Thursday 2 September at 5pm

· Northland went to Alert Level 3 that evening at 11.59pm (two days after the rest of the country)

· Northland went to Alert Level 2 on Wednesday 8 September at 11.59pm – a total of 3 weeks in Alert Levels 3 & 4

Eight categories were discussed as part of the debrief process. These were:

1. General Resources – IT, ECC equipment, phones, vehicles

2. People Resources – staffing, workload

3. Staff Wellbeing – adequate levels of support, stress management, down time

4. Processes and Structures – SitReps, Action plans, operational schedule, CIMS structure

5. Communication – appropriate levels of communication, remote meetings, connectivity

6. Training – sufficient training to perform the tasks, induction process, etc.

7. Coordination – rosters, operational tempo, general organisation of the response

8. Overall Feedback

Information was collected during the debrief and the team also had the opportunity to share feedback anonymously using an online platform.

Successes

Staff Wellbeing

Staff wellbeing was a priority for this response. In the previous 18-20 months, the CDEM team and supporting staff have worked during a variety of responses and it was recognised that staff were fatigued. Priority was given to:

· Providing adequate down time and finishing for the day at 5pm

· Fresh, healthy food was provided and prepared for lunches and snacks each day

· The inclusion of other NRC staff in the ECC allowed for sharing of workloads

· Light humour in the team was good and created a good vibe

Other successes included:

· The use of Microsoft Teams as the main communication channel. This was used for meetings, file sharing, updates using the chat function and was easily accessible to others outside the office

· Well trained and trusted staff provided by NRC to support CIMS functions

· Setting up an operational schedule and structure quickly and having this displayed in the meeting room

· Open sharing of information

· Generally, workloads were manageable and not too demanding

· Having COVID-19 test results fast-tracked for staff and their families

· Having Essential Worker ID cards provided quickly was helpful

Recommendations

General Resources

· Provide either function phones or function-specific phone numbers for each CIMS function to prevent staff being contacted when they are off shift

· Purchase whiteboards for each CIMS function

· Provide printed and laminated maps to help coordinate operations and other tasks as required

People Resources:

· Overall, additional staff are needed to work on the response, particularly if staff need to stand down due to illness. Specifically, more trained staff are needed for the Welfare team and admin support

· Ensure IT support is available from the outset of the response, then part-time going forward

· CDEM duty team will share the on-call roster during response rather than one person covering the roster for the entire seven days

Processes and Structures

· Define a clear and concise role for the Regional Governance Group and where they sit on the CDEM response structure

· Follow the briefing structure that the CDEM team and NRC staff have learned during CIMS4 training

· Develop a fit for purpose “information sheet” to be distributed wider afield rather than sending the Sitrep and Action Plan to over 200 contacts on the distribution list

Staff Wellbeing

· Staff to schedule adequate rest and relaxation over the holiday season (if not covering the on-call duty roster)

· Investigate the use of the Hogan Leadership Forecast Series to provide individual insights into performance under pressure, as well as highlighting team strengths and challenges

· Staff to meet with Sarb Johal (clinical psychologist) to work on effective communication, building resilience, supporting staff through challenging times, and healing relationship rifts in the aftermath of crisis

Training

A separate workshop was held to discuss training options for the CDEM team, council staff, stakeholders and communities. This includes the full CIMS suite, specific training for marae and volunteers, as well as psychological first aid and exercises. More information will be provided on this in early 2022.

Wicked Problems

These are complex issues that go beyond the capability of one meeting or one organisation; they require innovative and comprehensive solutions.

· 4W Document (Who, What, When, Where) – the continual updating and developing of this document and how it is used and distributed

· Contacts and Distribution Groups – the use of the Northland CDEM App, how can we better communicate with partner agencies and ensure our information is reaching the right people

· Remote Working – ongoing development with how remote workers can be better supported including IT support and better use of the technology we have

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil

WDC Mayor Sheryl Mai	KDC Mayor Jason Smith	FNDC Councillor Dave Collard
NZ Police Representative Superintendent Tony Hill	FENZ Representative Commander Wipari Henwood	NEMA Representative Malinda Meads (Observer Status)

TITLE:	Confirmation of Minutes - 2021 08 09 Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Meeting Minutes Unconfirmed
From:	Laura Exton, Community Resilience Executive Assistant
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Victoria Harwood, Pou Tiaki Hapori - GM Community Resilience, on 03 November 2021

TITLE:	Receipt of Schedule of Actions
From:	Laura Exton, Community Resilience Executive Assistant
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Victoria Harwood, Pou Tiaki Hapori - GM Community Resilience, on 03 November 2021

TITLE:	NEMA Monthly Update
From:	Graeme MacDonald, Emergency Manager
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Victoria Harwood, Pou Tiaki Hapori - GM Community Resilience, on 03 November 2021

TITLE:	2022 Meeting Dates
From:	Graeme MacDonald, Emergency Manager
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Victoria Harwood, Pou Tiaki Hapori - GM Community Resilience, on 03 November 2021

TITLE:	Northland CDEM Group Plan 2021 - 2026
From:	Jenny Calder, Emergency Management Recovery Specialist
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Graeme MacDonald, Emergency Manager, on 03 November 2021

TITLE:	Summer Season Drought Assessment
From:	Murray Soljak, Emergency Management Communications Specialist
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Victoria Harwood, Pou Tiaki Hapori - GM Community Resilience, on 03 November 2021

TITLE:	FENZ Presentation - Northland Multi-Agency Coordination Centre Update
From:	Mel Tipton, Property Manager, Fire and Emergency NZ
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Victoria Harwood, Pou Tiaki Hapori - GM Community Resilience, on 03 November 2021