Agenda of Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Meeting

Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Meeting item: 7.1

3 March 2026

TITLE:	Membership and appointments – Northland CDEM Group
From:	Damian Rio, CDEM Emergency Manager and Kylie Cox, Welfare Coordination Group Representative
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 23 February 2026

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 available on the Northland CDEM Group plan webpage.

Ngā mahi tūtohutia | Recommendation(s)

1. That the report ‘Membership and appointments – Northland CDEM Group ’ by Damian Rio, CDEM Emergency Manager and Kylie Cox, Welfare Coordination Group Representative and dated, 23 February 2026 be received.

2. That CDEM note the resignations of Health New Zealand representative – Sarah Boniface.

3. That CDEM note the stepping down of iwi representative Snow Tane from CEG.

Tuhinga | Background

Membership of the Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group:

Councillor Kitchen	Chair of CDEM Group - NRC
Councillor Stratford	Deputy Chair of CDEM Group - FNDC
Mayor Couper	WDC - Mayor
Councillor Lambeth	KDC
Wipari Henwood	Commander, Fire and Emergency NZ
Superintendent Matt Srhoj	Northland Police District Commander
Shona Morgan	NEMA (observer)

Membership of the Coordinating Executive Group:

Simon Weston	Chair of CEG – CEO, WDC
Jonathan Gibbard	CE, NRC
Ruben Garcia	FNDC delegated representative
Jason Marris	CE, KDC
Wayne Ewers	Inspector, NZ Police
Graeme Quensell	Assistant Commander, Fire and Emergency NZ
Callum Chapman	Health New Zealand / Te Whatu Ora
Ben Lockie	St John Ambulance
Dr. David Sinclair	Medical Officer of Health - NPHS
Kylie Cox	Northland Welfare Coordination Group
Sarah Irwin	Northland Lifelines Group
Thomas Hohaia	Iwi Representative – Te Kahu o Taonui
VACANT	Iwi Representative – Te Kahu o Taonui
Shona Morgan	NEMA (observer)

Controllers:

Group Controller(s)	Local Controller(s) Whangārei District	Local Controller(s) Kaipara District	Local Controller(s) Far North District
Jenny Calder	Simon Weston	Jack Rudolph	Alastair Wells
Graeme MacDonald	Victoria Harwood	Alistair Dunlop
Alastair Wells	Calvin Thomas
Simon Weston	John Burt
Victoria Harwood
John Burt
Damian Rio

Welfare Managers:

Group Welfare Manager(s)	Local Welfare Managers Whangārei District	Local Welfare Managers Kaipara District	Local Welfare Managers Far North District
Kylie Cox	Toby Hoey	Jenny Rooney	Ange Simonsen
Chris McColl (Alternate)	Kate Biddlecombe (Maternity Leave until June 2026)	Siobhan Holster	Kara-Mia Rogers
			Kirsty Roper

Recovery Managers:

Group Recovery Manager	Whangārei District	Kaipara District	Far North District
Mark Trudinger	Tony Phipps	Tracey Deane	Esther Powell
Jenny Calder

Iwi Representation

Snow Tane has stepped down from membership of CEG. Snow Tane stood for Councillor in the 2025 Kaipara District Local Elections and was elected. As part of his Councillor portfolio, Cr. Tane has been appointed as an Alternate to Cr. Gordon Lambeth for Kaipara District on the CDEM Joint Committee. We would like to thank Cr. Tane for his ongoing commitment and participation in CDEM within Northland.

Te Kahu o Tanui has been approached to nominate a suitable replacement for membership of the Coordinating Executive Group.

Health New Zealand Representation

Sarah Boniface has resigned from Health New Zealand her last day was 22 January 2026. In the interim, Callum Chapman, Emergency Management Regional Lead and Alternate member for Health New Zealand / Te Whatu Ora, is expected to provide support in Northland until a replacement is appointed.

We extend our sincere appreciation to Sarah for her valuable contribution and ongoing commitment to emergency management in Northland, particularly through her active involvement with the Northland CDEM Group.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil

Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Meeting item: 7.3

3 March 2026

TITLE:	CDEM Finance Report
From:	Damian Rio, CDEM Emergency Manager and Tony Devanney, Emergency Management Specialist
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 23 February 2026

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

This paper provides an overview of the Budget for CDEM Group Office. As of December 2025, the CDEM Group office budget is tracking in a positive variance. The forecast for FY2025/26 is an end of year positive variance (as of Dec 2025), due to a carry-over of a Recovery Grant. Noting, any under-spend of this Recovery Grant will have to be returned to Government Grant provider.

Going forward the CDEM Finance Report will cover the three Budget reports of the CDEM Total Budget, CEG/JC Administrative Budget and the CDEM Reserve Fund with overview of FY Budget, Actual costs and positive/negative variances highlighted.

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the report ‘CDEM Finance Report’ by Damian Rio, CDEM Emergency Manager and Tony Devanney, Emergency Management Specialist and dated 19 February 2026, be received.

Background/Tuhinga

CDEM Total Budget 2025/26

The CDEM Group Office budget has income from:

1/. NRC Targeted Emergency and Hazard Management Rate -$3,058,212.

2/. Service Level Agreements (SLA’s) of $857,242.

For the 2025/26 year the SLA amounts are:

· FNDC: $393,085 (previous 2024/25 - $385,000)

· WDC: $311,157 (previous 2024/25 - $326,612)

· KDC: $153,000 (previous 2024/25 - $153,000)

· TOTAL: $857,242 (previous 2024/25 - $864,612)

Amounts are GST exclusive

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AI-generated content may be incorrect.

TOTAL CDEM Group Office Budget FY2025/26

	Description	25/26 Budget	*comments*
INCOME
	Rates	3,058,212
	Service level Agreements	857,242
	Sundry	7,217	Only for FY2025/26
	Grant (Recovery)	381,349	Only for FY2025/26
TOTAL INCOME		4,304,020

EXPENDITURE
	Salaries	1,506,193
	Other Personnel Costs	69,869	Overtime etc
	Operational Costs	516,855
	CEG/JC Costs	30,000	For CEG/JC administrative costs
	Rating Cost	46,240	Paid to TA’s to collect NRC rates
	Interest expense	220,261	Interest on loan for MACC – not drawn yet
	Internal recharges	1,220,996	These are standard internal business costs; ICT, HR, Finance, etc
	MACC Transfer	500,258	Transferred to MACC fund
TOTAL EXPENDITURE		4,110,672

Net cost/surplus		193,348	Next year will not have the circa $400k Grants income.

Current Position:

The CDEM Group Office budget for FY2025/26 is tracking positively, primarily due to a one-off Recovery Grant carry-over, but this surplus is temporary as the Sundry income of $7,217 and a Recovery Grant of $381,349 will not be in the FY2026/27 budget.

Any Recovery Grant money unspent in this FY will be returned to Government.

CEG/JC Administrative Budget 2025/26:

The CDEM Joint Standing Committee (JC) and the Northland Coordinating Executive Group (CEG) is funded equally from the Service Level Agreements (SLA’s).

This funding line sits in the CDEM Group Office Budget and is managed by the Group Office.

Annually it amounts to $30,000

· FNDC – $10,000 to CDEM Group Funds 5030

· WDC – $10,000 to CDEM Group Funds 5030

· KDC – $10,000 to CDEM Group Funds 5030

NRC contributes in kind to this budget through its general administrative and support functions.

At Dec 2025:

Budget Income: $37,217

(This is $30,000 from three SLA’s and (one-off) $7,217 ‘grant’ from previous year).

YTD Expenditure (Dec 2025): ($26,627)

YTD Variance: $10,590

CEG/JC Administrative Reserve Fund 2025/26:

Over the years any under-spend on the CEG/JC Administrative Budget as well as other CDEM budget lines have been transferred to a ‘CEG/JC Administrative Reserve Fund (6223)’. In the past these funds have been allocated by the CEG and CDEM Group Joint Committee for projects such as the original Tsunami siren installation, tsunami inundation modelling, contribution to new generator at the KDC building and repairs and upkeep of the tsunami siren network and capability and capacity building at KDC.

· FY2024/25: CEG/JC decided to spend $223,384 on a Tsunami Siren project shortfall.

· FY2025/26: CEG/JC spent $45,000 on Consultants (Simplexity) for the 17A review.

Balance as of Dec 2025 – $82,565.88. This amount is allocated to Tsunami Siren spares, as per CEG/JC decision 2024/25.

Moving forward, any spend from the CEG/JC Administrative Reserve Fund (6223) will need an approved pre-approval process from CEG or Joint Committee.

Upcoming Spends:

There are no extraordinary spends foreseen in the next quarter.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil

Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Meeting item: 7.4

3 March 2026

TITLE:	Section 17a Review Update
From:	Damian Rio, CDEM Emergency Manager
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 23 February 2026

Executive summary/Whakarāpopototanga

The purpose of this report is to seek approval from the CDEM Group Joint Committee to adopt the recommendations of the Section 17a review - Northland CDEM Group Capability Assessment Report (September 2025) and progress these through a staged, flexible implementation programme covering short, medium and long term actions.

The Section 17a review included documentation reviews, 63 interviews across councils and partner agencies and assessed capability across 4 domains - risk management, response and recovery, community resilience, and governance and management. Key strengths include community engagement, marae preparedness, public information management, and maturing infrastructure resilience. Improvement areas include business continuity planning, integrated response and recovery coordination, welfare and volunteer management, statutory roles, and financial clarity.

The group office proposes a staged implementation plan to enable sequencing, resourcing alignment, and integration with upcoming emergency management legislative reform.

Critical considerations include:

· The breadth and interdependency of recommendations

· Need for clear roles, responsibilities, and governance structures

· Alignment with future legislative changes

· Resource implications and organisational capacity

29 Jan 2026 - NRC CE raised concerns about the group's capacity to deliver and the need to prioritise actions.

The group's readiness for catastrophic events was queried, referencing optimism bias. Acknowledged that while weather event response is strong, more work is needed for large-scale disaster preparedness, with suggestions for targeted training exercises.

To date, clarification of roles and responsibilities, and funding arrangements, have been prioritised aiming to inform long-term planning and budgeting before legislative reforms take effect, and to provide updates to the group and the CE forum.

Recommendation(s)

1. That the report ‘Section 17a Review Update’ by Damian Rio, CDEM Emergency Manager and dated 2 February 2026, be received.

2. That the Northland CDEM Group Joint Committee note the recommendations arising from the Northland CDEM Group Capability Assessment Report (September 2025).

3. That the Northland CDEM Group Joint Committee approve a staged, flexible implementation plan incorporating short‑, medium‑ and long‑term actions as outlined in this report. (Attachment 1).

Options

No.	Option	Advantages	Disadvantages
1	Adopt the recommendations and approve staged implementation	Enables structured, sequenced improvements aligned with legislative reform; strengthens governance, capability, and resilience, provides clarity for councils.	Improvements are not aligned with legislative reforms, key areas of capability are not strengthened, and councils do not have clarity in time for longer term planning.
2	Defer implementation	No immediate cost or workload and actions for improvements can be included and included as part of the Northland CDEM Group Plan update.	Significant risks remain unaddressed; lacks readiness for legislative reform; governance, welfare, and coordination gaps persist.

The staff’s recommended option is Option 1 - Adopt the recommendations and approve staged implementation

Considerations

1. Climate Impact

The proposed implementation approach will have positive climate adaptation benefits, particularly through improved resilience planning, hazard awareness, and strengthened community readiness. While climate mitigation impacts are neutral, the programme supports adaptation by ensuring capability, infrastructure dependencies, and community vulnerabilities are incorporated into emergency management planning.

2. Environmental Impact

No direct environmental impacts arise from this decision. Indirect benefits may result from improved planning, risk reduction, and resilience strategies that support long‑term environmental outcomes.

3. Community views

Community views have been captured through the 63 interviews undertaken as part of the Capability Assessment. Community response groups, marae, partner agencies, and iwi organisations contributed perspectives that shaped the review’s findings. No further consultation is required at this stage.

4. Māori impact statement

The review identified strong marae preparedness and iwi engagement as regional strengths, and highlighted opportunities to improve formalised iwi liaison arrangements and integration of Māori perspectives in governance and response. This decision supports continued partnership development and improved representation through future implementation.

5. Financial implications

At the time of writing this report there are no known financial implications of this decision.

Resourcing requirements for implementation will be presented in the draft implementation plan at the next CEG meeting.

6. Implementation issues

· Delivery will require coordination with district councils, group office, and the Administering Authority.

· Some actions depend on national legislative timeframes and guidance.

· Capacity constraints across councils may impact delivery.

· Clear sequencing is required to avoid duplication or misalignment.

7. Significance and engagement

In relation to section 79 of the Local Government Act 2002, this decision is considered to be of low significance when assessed against the NRC’s Significance and Engagement Policy as it concerns internal governance and operational improvement processes. .

8. Policy, risk management and legislative compliance

This decision is consistent with current policy and legislative requirements. The proposed staged implementation supports risk mitigation by addressing identified capability gaps across welfare, readiness, governance, and emergency coordination functions.

Background/Tuhinga

The Section 17a review was undertaken to provide an evidence‑based understanding of emergency management capability and the effectiveness of current governance and service delivery arrangements.

The findings form a key input into the upcoming CDEM Group Plan review and preparation for new Emergency Management legislation. A structured implementation approach ensures the Group is ready to meet future statutory responsibilities and improve emergency management outcomes for communities.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Attachment 1: Section 17a Implementation Plan ⇩

Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Meeting item: 8.2

3 March 2026

TITLE:	CEG Chair Report
From:	Kori Puckey, Emergency Management Specialist; Zach Woods, Emergency Management Communications Specialist; Rongomaiwahine Glassie, Emergency Management Specialist; Tony Devanney, Emergency Management Specialist; Bill Hutchinson, Emergency Management Specialist; Damian Rio, CDEM Emergency Manager; Kylie Cox, Welfare Coordination Group Representative; Papanui Polamalu, Emergency Management - Iwi/hapū Engagement Advisor; Laura Exton, Emergency Management Specialist – Kaipara; James Harvey, Emergency Management Specialist - Lifelines; Brendon Gray, Emergency Management Partnership Manager; Mark Trüdinger, Emergency Management Recovery Specialist; Jenny Calder, Emergency Management Response Specialist and Sarah Gauden-Ing, Natural Hazards Specialist
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 23 February 2026

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

This report provides a summary of activities undertaken by or directly related to the delivery of the Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group plan over the period since the last CEG meeting in January 2026.

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the report ‘CEG Chair Report’ by Damian Rio, dated 13 February 2026 be received.

Background/Tuhinga

INDEX OF REPORTS

1. Activations and Response

2. Northland CDEM Group Office

3. Far North CDEM Update

4. Kaipara CDEM Update

5. Whangārei District CDEM Update

6. Welfare Coordination Group Update

7. Northland Lifelines Group Update

8. CDEM Communications Update

9. Māori Relationships Update

10. Tsunami siren replacement Project Update

11. Multi Agency Coordination Centre

12. Professional Development and Engagement

13. Natural Hazards update

14. Recovery

15. Common Operating Platform

1. Activations and Response

Two events of note have occurred that have involved Emergency Management Specialists from the Group office and CDEM trained staff from the District Councils. These include the Southland weather event (October 2025), and the Northland severe weather event (January 2026).

Southland Weather Event

On Thursday 23 October severe weather hit Southland and Otago, causing widespread damage to power networks, and impacting communication, building, three waters and roading infrastructure. Similar weather had hit the Canterbury Region the previous day.

By Friday 24 October, Canterbury, Southland and Otago were all under States of Local Emergency.

To sustain the Southland response, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) coordinated the deployment of New Zealand Emergency Management Assistance Team (NZ EMAT) and surge staff from territorial authorities.

On Saturday 25 October, a Northland contingent of six personnel deployed to support Southland. This team consisted of Jenny Calder (as NZ EMAT) and five Kaipara District Council staff.

The team worked in the IMT in the Southland ECC, contributing to a coordinated response, supporting the people of the region.

Northland Severe Weather Event

On Saturday 17 January, Met Service issued a heavy rain watch for Northland which was monitored by the duty officer. The weather was more intense than predicted and Sunday morning revealed damage to homes, self-evacuations, numerous slips and road closures had occurred. Marae across the impacted areas had opened their doors providing support for a number of people.

On Monday 19 January a regional stakeholder meeting was held to understand the regional impacts of the event and as a result the Emergency Coordination Centre was established to support the WDC EOC and a wider regional response.

With a second weather event forecast to impact Northland on Wednesday 21 January, the FNDC activated on Tuesday 20 January and KDC activated on 21 January. Fortunately, the severity of the weather lessened, and impacts were less than forecast.

By Thursday, indications were that all impacts were manageable and in hand, and agencies had moved out of response mode with regional agency assets redeployed to other regions. The WDC EOC moved to a single day shift, the FNDC and KDC EOC’s moved to monitoring and the ECC stood down with staff remaining in support of the WDC EOC.

The WDC EOC transitioned to a co-led Ngātiwai and WDC recovery on 3 February 2026 and continues to be supported by EM staff.

FNDC continue to monitor weather related information that comes through to ensure people are supported and issues can be addressed.

We acknowledge the immense input into response and recovery by Ngātiwai and Marae and to support the impacted whanau and communities.

Internal operational debriefing is now underway across the teams involved, with each area commencing its own process to capture immediate, practical lessons. These early reflections are focused on identifying what worked well, where improvements are needed, and how we can continue strengthening ECC communication and coordination with partner agencies.

At the time of drafting this report, recovery activities remain ongoing, and many staff are still heavily committed to sustained recovery operations. This extended operational tempo means debriefing is necessarily occurring in phases; however, several teams have already completed hot debriefs. Insights from those sessions will be integrated into the wider review process to ensure we build on what has already been captured and avoid duplication.

2. Northland CDEM Group Office

Operational Activities

The Northland CDEM Group Office continues to deliver on its objectives through coordinated district-level implementation of the 2025-2026 work programmes. Training and capability development continued, including CIMS, controller development, EOC training, and participation in Exercise Whakahaumaru. A forecast training funding shortfall remains a key risk.

Councils delivered extensive community engagement, updated Community Response Plans and marae preparedness, advanced tsunami signage upgrades, and strengthened communications capability.

The Lifelines Group progressed major infrastructure resilience projects across electricity, transport, water, and telecommunications.

Natural hazards work advanced through updated flood modelling, early‑warning development, and compliance with new LIM hazard information requirements.

Recovery activities focused on recovery development and contributing to national recovery guidance, with Northland’s Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Report receiving national recognition.

Progress also continues with the Multi‑Agency Coordination Centre (MACC) development.

3. Far North CDEM Update

Activities undertaken by Emergency Management Specialist are relative to the 2025-2026 Work Plan as outlined in the Far North District Council Service Level Agreement and include:

· Community / Stakeholder Engagement - Community engagement to support and enhance Marae and Community resilience and reviews of community response plans (Northland Fijian Community, Moerewa, Rawene, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rangi Aniwaniwa, Totara North, Far North District Council - CDEM arrangements relative to councils roading network / Regional Accessibility Strategy planning / EOC Dashboard, Far North Holdings - Bay of Islands 2025/26 Cruise Ship strategy meeting, Far North Holdings Opua Marina – Tsunami warnings process, Fire Emergency New Zealand Senior Leadership meeting, Hato Hone St John – Support Communities Initiative workshop Kaikohe, Emergency Services Group meeting, Lake Ohia CRP review, Te Hapua CRP review, Te Hapua Marae Trustee hui, Rawene Review, Taipa Review, Karikari Peninsula Review, FENZ Simulated exercise

· EOC Set-up Exercise. As part of a series of planned in house exercises, the Far North District Council CDEM Staff carried out a EOC set-up drill on 11/02/2026. The purpose of the exercise was to assist to maintain a CDEM awareness within council, refresh and familiarise staff with the location of EOC equipment, initial set-up procedures and opportunities for improvement identified as a result of the January weather event.

· Operational IT - Review of IT and updates of FNDC Emergency Operation Centre laptops.

· NEMA / Te Rarawa Collaboration – hikoi around North Hokianga with Te Runanga o Te Rarawa, NEMA & Northland CDEM

· NEMA Induction – Emergency Management Specialist Kori Puckey attended a two-day induction at Wellington NHQ for new EM staff (NCMC/NCC)

· Elected Members Workshop. Emergency Management Specialists (Damian Rio, Kori Puckey, Bill Hutchinson) attended a Far North District Council elected members workshop on 9^th December. The purpose of the workshop was to carry a briefing for newly appointed Councillors and Community Board members on the structure of Civil Defence, regional and local arrangements and the role of elected members pre, during and post events.

· Professional Development – Emergency management Specialists Bill Hutchinson, Kori Pukey Alastair Wells and Nicola Smith attended a two-day Controllers training course on behalf of the Far North District Council hosted by Whangarei District Council on 11^th-12^th Dec

4. Kaipara CDEM Update

Activities undertaken by the Emergency Management Specialist – Kaipara relative to the 2025-2026 Work Plan as outlined in the KDC Service Level Agreement include:

· New Tsunami Evacuation Zone Boards – 9 of 10 new tsunami evacuation zone boards have been installed in the Kaipara district, with one remaining.

· Mangawhai Museum Storm Zone exhibition (December – March) – contributed content in collaboration with the museum and NRC Climate Change team to educate the community on natural disasters, how to be prepared, and what civil defence is. This included organising key KDC CDEM staff to be interviewed for a short documentary screened during the exhibition.

· Starlink practice setups (Mangawhai & Dargaville) – October sessions were well attended and strengthened staff capability to deploy Starlink units during response. These practices will be held annually.

· Controller development

o Two additional staff have been identified for the Controller development pathway. One initial induction has been completed; another will be held in the New Year.

o 4 KDC staff attended the Controller Development course in December: Jack Rudolph, Alistair Dunlop, Jenny Rooney and Siobahn Holster.

· South Island deployment – 5 KDC staff deployed to Invercargill to support their response to the South Island extreme weather event in October. They shared their experience with the wider EOC team in December. Their gained experience, confidence, and learnings have significantly increased KDC’s capability to respond to civil defence emergencies.

· Donnelly’s Crossing – attended a community group meeting in November alongside FENZ to initiate engagement and work towards a Community Response Group.

· Elected Members induction – delivered on Wednesday 3 December, introducing Elected Members to civil defence, and a ‘Guide to Governance’ for civil defence emergencies.

· Mayoral briefing – held on Friday 5 December to discuss more in-depth the mayor’s responsibilities during civil defence emergencies.

· Exercise Whakahaumaru – Kaipara District Council participated in the November regional exercise by activating and operating their Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in Mangawhai. The activation and operation of the EOC was very successful, and was a great way to test new systems, processes and plans which have been developed as a result of key lessons identified from recent responses. Staff feedback will guide further improvements.

· Function Manager development – bi-monthly function manager hui have continued.

· EOC Induction – held in October for newly CIMS-trained staff to welcome them onto the EOC team, and to familiarise them with KDC EOC plans, systems, and processes.

· Quarterly CDEM Induction for New Staff – held in December, with 7 attendees.

· Dargaville community evacuation plan annual review hui – held on Thursday 2 October.

· EOC Staff – There are 53 staff in the KDC EOC team, a net increase of 1 staff on last quarter.

· Stakeholder relationship building – engagement with new representatives from Mangawhai Coastguard, Mangawhai Police, Dargaville Police, Te Whai Community Trust, and FENZ Kaipara.

· CRG Community Led Centre kits – completed a kit review and distributed updated items or new kits to CRG Coordinators in December.

· EMS – Kaipara professional development:

o Attended Facilitating Successful Debriefs Masterclass & Controller training.

o Achieved an “Excelling Outcome” result in the 3^rd of 4 papers towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Emergency Management through Massey University.

An overview of community engagement activities conducted for this quarter can be viewed in the Community Response Planning and Marae Preparedness Planning agenda item.

5. Whangārei District CDEM Update

Recent work undertaken with the Whangarei District Council (WDC) includes the following:

· New Tsunami Evacuation Boards – 65 new tsunami evacuation boards have replaced the old evacuation boards around the Whangarei District. This is now complete.

· New Community Response Group – We are working through and engaging with a new Community Response Group (CRG) located in the Opuawhanga area (towards Whananaki North).

· Parua Bay Community Response Group (CRG) – We have engaged with the Parua Bay CRG team and currently updating their Community Plan, as well as supporting them in a weekend community open day.

· Function Lead Training - From April we have been providing the WDC EOC Function Leads with monthly training to cover all aspects of the EOC operations. This will build on their current function/EOC knowledge and focus on how the WDC EOC operates. This training has also been rolled down to the rest of the EOC team.

· EOC Staff – We currently have 58 staff in the EOC. A few more have recently completed CIMS 4 and Function training.

· Otetao Marae (Punaruku area) – We are offering support to the Otetao Marae (letter of support) in their application for some external funding to address the ongoing flooding issues and therefore increase the resilience of the marae.

· Emergency Services Day – The Whangarei Civil Defence team had a display at the recent Emergency Services day and successfully engaged with the public.

· Exercise Whakahaumaru – Whangarei District Council participated in the November regional exercise by activating and operating their Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). From a WDC perspective, the activation and operation of the WDC EOC was very successful and evidenced a smooth flowing and professional operation by the WDC staff. We have sought feedback from the EOC staff to ensure further development and progression, as well as training potentials.

· Controller Course – Four Whangarei District Council Controllers attended the two day Controller Course held in December.

6. Welfare Coordination Group (WCG) Update

The final Northland WCG meeting for 2025 was held on 4 December 2025, where The Lifelines Programme Manager introduced Space Weather and the potential impacts for Northland. WCG understood the risks posed by space weather to critical infrastructure, particularly electricity and communications, potential impacts, and current monitoring and response plans in New Zealand.

Further to this, a presentation was received from Local Welfare Manager Siobahn Holster (KDC) on her deployment to Southland in October 2025; highlighting interagency collaboration, outreach to rural communities, and the importance of local knowledge in emergency response.

A facilitated 'High-Low-Buffalo' debrief with agency representatives. Agencies shared their experiences, challenges, and lessons learned from the recent regional emergency exercise in November 2025, focusing on internal processes, communication, and the value of multi-person participation. This strategy was used as the GWM didn’t want to create “agency burnout”, as agencies have been asked to participate in the wider stakeholder debriefs. Agencies reported making improvements such as revising emergency plans, enhancing training, and planning for better backup systems and communication. The importance of involving more than one staff member in exercises was emphasised to avoid dependency on key staff during response. The discussion highlighted the value of sharing experiences across agencies, learning from each other's successes and challenges, and the need for ongoing collaboration and mutual support.

The following sub-function cluster meetings were attended by the Group Welfare Manager:

· Financial Assistance.

· Animal Welfare; and

· Psychosocial Support.

WCG continues to make steady progress on its 2025/26 work programme, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.

7. Northland Lifelines Group Update

Northpower hosted the Northland Lifelines Group (NLG) meeting on 14 November 2025. Key presentations included:

· Northland Regional Infrastructure Strategy – Sarah Irwin outlined work to identify regionally significant infrastructure that supports economic growth and strengthens collaboration across stakeholders.

· Northland Regional Waters CCO – Andrew Carvell provided an update on the new water services entity being formed by Far North, Kaipara, and Whangārei councils.

· 2025 National Lifeline Forum Summary – Lisa Roberts highlighted the growing national focus on embedding resilience in asset management frameworks and regulatory expectations from agencies such as the Infrastructure and Commerce Commissions.

NLG members also shared current resilience initiatives, including integrated flood modelling for Whangārei, road and bridge repairs following recent weather events, electricity and fibre network upgrades, fuel storage and pipeline resilience improvements, airport infrastructure enhancements, and ongoing maintenance and resilience upgrades on the North Auckland rail line.

The NLG continues to progress its 2025/26 work programme in alignment with its strategic business plan.

8. CDEM Communications Update

CDEM Facebook page insights, Sept 1, 2025 – Dec 1, 2025

· Page visit: 17,700

· Facebook Page followers: increased by 482

· Total FB page followers as of Dec 1, 41,735

Growth in Facebook followers remained steady during this period, with strong engagement on response-related posts and on posts about our tsunami siren testing.

The top performing post over this period was the first post about a Heavy Rain Watch for Northland from Wednesday, 12th Nov: https://www.facebook.com/civildefencenorthland/posts/pfbid0272WpbyP2XfK8HZMyh8FnJrXzu5ZnyHSQ7n2keELLFshwgzLnxxC5XXtWcpFYfqHQl with 171,588 reach.

Second was a post for the Orange Heavy Rain and Strong Wind Watch on Monday, 27^th October: https://www.facebook.com/civildefencenorthland/posts/pfbid0mHED8bUWim7oyNQGeMT2UmTodQDMsHm3B2nSnw5TCjNJAPAZHFBWhwrWJRGgDKbzl with 127,765 reach.

The third and highest non-response related post was for the September siren testing on Monday, 8^th September: https://www.facebook.com/civildefencenorthland/posts/pfbid02PN2DpKTh4h8AbuDuUVyewbRRLUy5sGaJBrha6mJZ2zMSGyFGqv1kVm3s23iuDEjbl with 117,090 reach.

This year’s September siren test generated higher-than-usual engagement on our Facebook channel, likely due to the transition to the new sirens and the public interest in their introduction.

Northland CDEM Web section insights, Sept 1, 2025 – Dec 1, 2025

Total page visits: 7546

· Most popular pages:

1. Listen-to-the-tsunami-siren-sounds: 1764

2. Power outages: 1097

3. CD home page: 940

Website views were relatively standard over the period. The top three pages this period are generally the most popular topics.

General

The Emergency Media Professionals’ Association (EMPA) Conference was held in Wellington on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 November 2025. This event provided an excellent opportunity to network with other emergency management communications professionals and gain updates on developments across the sector.

Representatives from each council attended to support the ongoing development of their emergency communication capability.

A highlight for Northland was winning the overall award for recovery with the Cyclone Gabrielle Final Recovery Report. This recognition showcased the collaborative communications approach behind the report. Further detail on this achievement may be included in the recovery section of this report.

The recovery report captures just some of the extensive efforts across Tai Tokerau during the 18 months following the cyclone – not only the work of Northland CDEM, but also contributions from District Councils, government agencies, non-government organisations, the business sector, marae, community groups, and more.

9. Māori Relationships Update

Over the past quarter, we have had the privilege of engaging with Tangata Whenua across Te Taitokerau. These hui have provided valuable opportunities to kōrero, share updates, and continue strengthening relationships with our communities.

Building Stronger Internal Relationships

Efforts are underway to enhance cross-team collaboration within NRC. Our successful partnership with the Rivers team has demonstrated the value of integrated approaches. We are now working to build similar relationships with:

· Climate Change & Natural Hazards Team

· Environmental Services Group

· Hills & Erosion Team

· Te Tiriti Partnerships & Engagement Team

This collaborative approach will enable us to deliver more effective and holistic outcomes for Marae and whānau.

Supporting Te Puni Kōkiri Resilience Funding Programme

Planning to support a pilot initiative aimed at enhancing Marae Resilience Planning continues. Initial funding has been allocated to Marae affiliated with Ngāti Hine and Te Roroa. We continue to support the expansion of this kaupapa to additional rohe, hapū, and whānau clusters, building on the strong foundations laid by Ngāti Hine and Te Roroa.

Renewable Energy Fund Projects

Support continues for successful applicants of the Efficient Energy Commission Agency (EECA) Community Renewable Energy Fund. We will work alongside communities to implement energy resilience initiatives, while also assisting in the development or refinement of their community response plans.

Interest Across Te Taitokerau

It is encouraging to see increasing engagement from hapū and Tangata Whenua regarding Marae Preparedness Planning. Additionally, other agencies have expressed interest in forming genuine partnerships in this space. Our overarching goal remains to empower whānau across Te Taitokerau to be confident, connected, and resilient in the face of adverse events.

10. Tsunami Siren Project Update

Work was paused over the Christmas period with the inability to get site access for many locations.

The following locations are planned for mains connections during Feb/March

Siren	Name	Address	Area
62	Tapeka Toilets	End of Tapeka Road	Russell
63	Russell	13 Church St	Russell
70	Matauri Bay Car Park	Carpark Entrance	Matauri Bay
72	Tauranga Bay Camp	51 Tauranga Bay Beach Rd	Tauranga Bay
76	Taupo Bay	Opp 20 Taupo Bay Road	Taupo Bay
86	Wagener Holiday Park	214 Houhora Heads	Houhora
88	Te Hiku o te Ika marae	Waharua Road	Te Hapua
89	Waipapakauri Beach	Opposite 519 West Coast Rd	Waipapakauri
103	Waimanoni	between 924-906 SH1	Waimanoni
Siren	Name	Address	Area
9	Waipu Cove	801 Cove Road	Waipu Cove
12	Uretiti DOC Campground	3149 SH1, Waipu	Waipu
37	Taurikura Bay	2373 Whangārei Heads Road	Taurikura
38	Urquhart Bay	Carpark - End of Urquhart Bay Rd	Urquhart Bay

An audit will be undertaken by Emalte (Aus), a company that works with Whelan warning systems to identify and quantify and issues or requirements for future support of the sirens given the closure of HSS as a business. The audit will identify what the cost implications are for ensuring the system can continue to operate as desired for the foreseeable future.

A screenshot of a computer

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Figure 1 - Dashboard of roll-out progress TSRP

The construction process for two of the remaining sirens is about to resume. Waitangi and Rawhiti sirens are back under the resource consenting process after being delayed during discussions with Hapu. These discussions have now concluded.

The relocation of the Parua Bay siren is also back underway. We met with the Deputy Principal of Parua Bay School, she supports the relocation and is taking the proposal to the trustees. WDC also support the new location as the current lease holder.

HSS Engineering, which had closed down, has now been bought out by a German company, Hörmann Warning Systems GmbH (HWSG). This company is going to be supporting HSS equipment in the future including ours. This will require establishment of them (HWSG) as a supplier, and as us (NRC) as a current customer of theirs, but it is good news.

11. Multi Agency Coordination Centre (MACC)

The MACC project remains low‑risk and well‑governed. NRC continues to lead delivery on behalf of the CDEM Group, supported by FENZ, who are providing both the site and project management expertise. Governance arrangements and reporting structures are stable and functioning effectively.

Funding and agreements are fully secured, and the project is financially on track. All required agreements with councils and FENZ are in place, all contributions have been received, and current estimates remain within the approved budget. Key consultants - design, QS, environmental, and planning - are already engaged.

Design and consenting are progressing without issues, with timing the only moderate risk. Early site investigations found no significant constraints, and concept designs and a 3D model are now complete. A refined project timeline is pending final design confirmation, with construction expected to begin in late 2026.

12. Professional Development and Engagement

Training

The last week of CIMs and function related training for 2025 was held 3 – 6 November in Whangārei.

	FNDC		KDC		WDC		NRC		CDEM		Agency
Course	ü	û	ü	û	ü	û	ü	û	ü	û	ü	û
CIMS4	2		1	2	2		3		1		7	2
Function (intel)	1		2	3	1				2		2
Exercise	2	2	8	10	5	12	10	5	2		1	3
Controller	2		4		4				8

Table: November training ü Trainee attended û Trainee did not attend/withdrew

While numbers attending were on par with previous courses, there were withdrawals from training due to work commitments, tangi, illness and resignations from council roles and there were several no-shows for the exercise day.

Five CIMS and function training blocks have been scheduled for 2026. Each training block is one week and consists of a 2-day CIMS course, with function training and exercises completing the week.

The Northland allocation of the forecast training fund provided through NEMA from the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) currently sits at $72,413.00 which will cover 71% of the 2026 training costs. Due to cost increases across the board, a shortfall of $29,000 will need to be covered by the Group if there is not capacity in the wider TEC fund.

Controller training held in December supported the continued training and development of local and group and alternate controllers.

In October Jenny Calder attended the C-10 training week. A comprehensive, week-long residential course hosted by Canterbury CDEM to develop technical and soft skills of the TA staff within their region.

Both Kori Puckey and Rongomaiwahine Glassie attended the two-day NEMA Induction in Wellington in October.

13. Natural Hazards Update

Risk information is being strengthened, with updated Northland flood maps now added to the Resilience Explorer, closing previous data gaps and supporting local risk assessments. The tool is available to staff and partners to inform planning and decision‑making.

Flood modelling and early‑warning work is progressing, including establishment of a cross‑council team for a regional early flood‑warning system, finalisation of NRC’s flood‑modelling specifications, and ongoing model updates and QA work across the Wairoa, Whangārei, and Waima/Punakitere catchments. The Whangārei Urban Flood Strategy is also advancing, with a Technical Advisory Group in place and future options being developed.

Public‑facing hazard information is being improved, with overtopping modelling for the Awanui scheme completed and under peer review, and a refresh of NRC’s natural hazards website and portal underway to ensure clearer, more accessible hazard data - particularly ahead of increased LIM‑related enquiries.

Central Government Requirements including Legislative Change

New LIM hazard‑information requirements took effect on 17 October 2025, and NRC has worked closely with the region’s district councils throughout the year to ensure consistent processes for providing natural hazard data. Post‑implementation reviews are ongoing, including legal advice on the use of draft information. NRC’s position is to share draft reports with councils on request but not to publish draft hazard maps.

The Ministry for the Environment released the National Policy Statement for Natural Hazards on 18 December 2025, strengthening councils’ ability to manage risk in new developments. As the regional source of natural hazard information, NRC has a key role in enabling councils to apply these requirements through accurate and timely hazard data.

In October Earth Sciences New Zealand has just released the first national flood hazard model for Aotearoa along with a Public Flood hazard Viewer. In a separate project the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) are developing a national flood map which aims to integrate all flood modelling across New Zealand. NRC have been working to provide MfE with detailed information on our flood models that will allow them to identify ways in which this national flood map can be developed.

14. Recovery

Regional Recovery Coordination

Continued running workshops with Local Recovery Managers to support development of the regional Recovery Framework.

National working parties and sectoral collaborations

Provided detailed feedback on NEMA’s draft Waste Management Guidelines, the Recovery Training Pathway, and the ‘Streamlining and Rationalising Central Government Emergency Funding’ discussion paper.

Attended update by the Natural Hazards and Resilience Platform about the Post-Event Science Coordination Function (representing the Group Recovery Managers/CDEM Groups). The Platform has developed a ‘minimum viable plan’ to provide science coordination in the event of emergencies over the summer holiday period and will continue development throughout 2026.

Presented at the EMPA conference about Northland’s final Recovery report, and as part of the Recovery panel.

Presented on Northland’s approach to community consultation to inform Recovery planning to the Community Wellbeing Recovery Network, Possibility Lab (the Australian Institute of Disaster Resilience’s Recovery community of practice), and the Tasmanian Department of Premier and Cabinet’s Recovery Partners Network meeting.

Regional Recovery Framework

The Regional Recovery Framework will align with the Northland CDEM Group Plan and provide the structural settings needed to address issues identified through the external review and lessons from the Cyclone Gabrielle recovery. Reflecting the sector’s shift away from generic, all‑hazards plans, the Framework will focus on the practical systems, roles, resourcing, and decision‑making arrangements required for effective recovery implementation.

Development of the Framework will be progressed through a staged and collaborative process. This includes reviewing recovery frameworks and Concept of Operations from other CDEM Groups, followed by targeted workshops with Local Recovery Managers, recovery leadership, cross‑council teams, and subject‑matter specialists contributing to the Framework’s development to refine Northland’s recovery approach. A draft Framework will then be developed, tested, and finalised, with updates provided to the CEG from April to July 2026 for review and direction.

15. Common Operating Platform (COP)

Development of the Common Operating Platform (COP) for the Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) is underway. An initial demonstration will be provided at the next CEG meeting, with desktop testing scheduled for February and an ECC go‑live targeted for March.

Work continues to integrate the required data feeds, noting that some sources will require future capability development. Once the internal platform is established, the project will shift to building external COP functionality for partner agencies and stakeholders.

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Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil

FNDC Councillor, Deputy Chair - Kelly Stratford	KDC Councillor, Gordon Lambeth	WDC Mayor, Ken Couper
FENZ Representative Wipari Henwood	FENZ Representative Wipari Henwood	NZ Police Representative Matthew Srhoj

No.	Option	Advantages	Disadvantages
1	NCDEM Group Joint Committee retrospectively approves the submission.	The Select Committee overseeing the Bill will be able to take into account Northland’s submission.	None
2	NCDEM Group Joint Committee does not approve the submission	None	The submission points would need to be formally withdrawn.

TITLE:	Confirmation of Minutes - 9 December 2025
From:	Haylee Labelle, Personal Assistant Community Resilience
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 08 February 2026

TITLE:	Receipt of Action Sheet
From:	Haylee Labelle, Personal Assistant Community Resilience
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 24 February 2026

TITLE:	National Emergency Management Agency Update
From:	Shona Morgan, NEMA Representative - Senior Regional Emergency Management Advisor
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 17 February 2026

TITLE:	CDEM Group Plan Delivery
From:	Damian Rio, CDEM Emergency Manager
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 23 February 2026

TITLE:	Agency Updates
From:	Haylee Labelle, Personal Assistant Community Resilience
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 08 February 2026

TITLE:	Emergency Management Bill Submission - Retrospective Approval
From:	Damian Rio, CDEM Emergency Manager
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 23 February 2026

TITLE:	Community Response Planning and Marae Preparedness Planning
From:	Bill Hutchinson, Emergency Management Specialist; Damian Rio, CDEM Emergency Manager; Papanui Polamalu, Emergency Management - Iwi/hapū Engagement Advisor; Kori Puckey, Emergency Management Specialist; Laura Exton, Emergency Management Specialist – Kaipara; Rongomaiwahine Glassie, Emergency Management Specialist and Tony Devanney, Emergency Management Specialist
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 23 February 2026

TITLE:	Landslide Assessments - Correspondence
From:	Damian Rio, CDEM Emergency Manager and Jane Hickmott, Governance and Policy Manager
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 19 February 2026