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Civil Defence and Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has requested the New Zealand Defence Force to provide support to local authorities in Christchurch as they deal with the Port Hills fires.

“The Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group has offered its assistance to both Selwyn District Council and Christchurch City Council but at this time the councils have not declared a state of local emergency,” Mr Brownlee says.

Three months after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake on 14 November, encouraging recovery progress is being made in affected communities.

Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says the government and local authorities are working alongside not-for-profit organisations and businesses on a multi-pronged recovery effort in the wake of the 14 November earthquake.

“People’s wellbeing and livelihoods are our top priority,” Mr Brownlee says.

New Zealand Defence Force helicopters have so far airlifted 103 people from Kaikoura.

Defence Minister and Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says the evacuees have been taken to Christchurch, where local authorities have been helping make arrangements for affected tourists. 

“The four New Zealand NH90 helicopters have been evacuating people and bringing in supplies on each flight,” Mr Brownlee says.

The New Zealand Defence Force has accepted offers of help from the United States and Japan militaries as part of the ongoing response to the November 14 earthquake.

Defence Minister and Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says providing essential supplies to Kaikoura and getting tourists out of the region remains the priority while work to assess the scale of the damage continues.

“The district is completely isolated after the magnitude 7.5 earthquake and subsequent landslides,” Mr Brownlee says.