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Foreign Minister Murray McCully and Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye today announced a new partnership aimed at helping Pacific Island nations prepare for and manage natural disasters.

“The Pacific region is vulnerable to natural disasters such as tsunami, earthquakes and cyclones,” Mr McCully says.

“Over the last three years the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management (MCDEM) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) have been working together with Pacific Island governments to help them prepare for natural disasters.

The Government expects to contribute millions of dollars in funding towards the Northland recovery and response costs, Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye says.

“Yesterday, local MP Mike Sabin and I visited a number of Northland communities and saw first hand the impact of the storms and flooding. I was pleased to hear of the superb efforts by council staff, the emergency services, communities and volunteers to assist people during the storm.

The Government is considering a range of options to further support those affected by the Northland storms, Civil Defence Minister Kaye says.

“I can confirm that the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (MCDEM) has liaised with the Far North District Council, Kaipara District Council, Whangarei District Council and Northland Regional Council to establish a mayoral relief fund,” Ms Kaye says.

“This will be set up by the Far North and Whangarei councils with the majority of the fund going to the most affected areas in Northland.

The Northland region is moving into the recovery stage following a week of severe weather that has resulted in the evacuation of homes and the closure of state highways, Minister of Civil Defence Nikki Kaye says.

Floodwaters are now dropping after heavy rainfall overnight on Friday resulted in further flooding and slips. Access has been restored to all affected communities.

Cabinet has approved the Emergency Relocation of Executive Government and Parliament Plan, Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye announced today.

The plan outlines the temporary relocation of Executive Government and Parliament to Devonport Naval Base in Auckland under a worst-case scenario, where the impact of a major earthquake in Wellington was so severe that Executive Government and Parliament could not function effectively in Wellington.

“A decision to relocate would be made as a last resort,” Ms Kaye says.

New operating spending of $250,000 in 2014/15 will develop a business case for the possible introduction of a telecommunications-based public alerting system to warn people of impending emergencies, Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye says.

“This project is about reaching large numbers of people quickly, through cellphone alerts, to save lives in civil defence emergencies. By using a separate cellphone channel, the technology could reach specific geographical areas without causing communications congestion,” Ms Kaye says.

Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye is inviting civil defence agencies, other organisations and the public to make written submissions on the draft revised National Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Plan from today.

“The National CDEM Plan is required by law, and sets out the hazards and risks to be managed at the national level. It also sets out the civil defence emergency management roles and responsibilities of central government, CDEM Groups and other agencies such as lifeline utilities, emergency services and non-government organisations,” Ms Kaye says.

Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye has released a cabinet paper that outlines draft arrangements to temporarily relocate Parliament and Executive Government in case of a major emergency in Wellington.

“The draft arrangements cover a worst case scenario where the impact of a major earthquake is so severe that Parliament and Executive Government could not function effectively in Wellington,” Ms Kaye says.

Ms Kaye said they have been developed and amended through a series of workshops, and will require final Cabinet approval.

Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye today announced the Government will pay $1.46 million to Nelson City Council and $317,000 to Tasman District Council for civil defence emergency response and recovery costs arising from the flood event in the Nelson-Tasman region in December 2011.

“Each council has the responsibility for an initial civil defence response in its area, and then for recovery. I would like to acknowledge the important and significant work done by the Nelson and Tasman Councils and thank all the individuals involved,” Ms Kaye says.

From tomorrow (Tuesday 1 April) the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (MCDEM) will be part of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC), Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye said today.

“This move strengthens the Ministry and New Zealand’s ability to plan for and respond to large scale emergencies, and to coordinate the national support needed,” Ms Kaye says.

Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye today announced the Government’s final reimbursement to Canterbury councils for civil defence emergency response costs related to the Canterbury earthquakes.

In total, the Government has paid $215.288 million to Environment Canterbury Regional Council (ECan), Christchurch City Council, Waimakariri District Council and Selwyn District Council for their responses to the September 2010 and February, June and December 2011 earthquakes.

Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye today announced that New Zealand will provide $2.5 million to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to help farmers in the Philippines recover from Typhoon Haiyan.

“Typhoon Haiyan was one of the most devastating storms in recent history and it is estimated that almost 6 million workers’ livelihoods were destroyed, lost or disrupted,” Ms Kaye says.

Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye will be in the Philippines March 16 and 17.

Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye today presented the second round of Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) gold and silver awards at an event at Parliament.

“Recipients of these awards deserve recognition at the national level,” Ms Kaye says.

“Through their efforts they have made a vital contribution to our wellbeing as a nation and they are the backbone of New Zealand communities when there is a crisis.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Thank you all for your warm welcome; it’s a pleasure to be here this morning. I would first like to acknowledge:

Collaboration between the public and private sectors improves emergency preparedness, Civil Defence Nikki Kaye said today at the annual Emergency Management Conference in Wellington.

“It is significant that this conference has been combined with the Business Resilience Summit for the first time this year,” Ms Kaye says.

“This is part of civil defence emergency management (CDEM) building better links with small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and improving New Zealand’s overall business resilience.