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Three new Bills have been drafted in the wake of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake on November 14 to ensure the government can enable affected communities to respond quickly and efficiently.

Leader of the House and Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says new legislation recognises the extraordinary situation faced by earthquake-affected communities, particularly in the Kaikoura and Hurunui districts.

“The Bills have been developed by officials who have drawn on the experience of the Canterbury earthquakes,” Mr Brownlee says.

An ongoing focus on the whole of government response to the Canterbury earthquakes will prove invaluable for the New Zealand’s future resilience against natural disasters, Ministers Gerry Brownlee and Nicky Wagner say.

The decision has been made to hold off on the Canterbury Earthquake ‘Learn, Prepare, Act’ Symposium, scheduled for February 2017.

The recipients of the annual Minister of Defence Industry Awards of Excellence for 2016 have been announced by Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee.

“The awards are an important way of acknowledging the role the defence industry plays in supporting both the Ministry of Defence and the New Zealand Defence Force,” Mr Brownlee says.

“In providing and maintaining key assets, as well as supplying the Defence Force with goods and services, the defence industry is vital to the success of New Zealand’s defence policy.”

The 0800 779 997 Government Helpline has been activated to assist people needing financial and other support following the November 14 earthquake, Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee and Social Development Minister Anne Tolley say.

The 0800 779 997 number will operate seven days a week from 7am to 9pm until further notice.

“The Helpline provides a one-stop source of information on the services and assistance available to people affected by the emergency,” Mr Brownlee says.

GNS Science has revised the magnitude of the large earthquake that struck at 12:02am on Monday from a 7.5 to a 7.8, Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

“GNS Science informed my office of the revised magnitude earlier today after reassessing the data from its stations across the country,” Mr Brownlee says.

“Because it took over a minute for the fault to rupture during this event, the standard method normally used to calculate the energy released during an earthquake was insufficient.

Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has today launched the Defence Capability Plan 2016, detailing the $20 billion investment in capability needed out to 2030.

The Plan is the next step in delivering on the Defence White Paper, released in June this year.

“Since then the government has agreed to the procurement of an ice-strengthened naval tanker and high mobility vehicles for the Special Air Service,” Mr Brownlee says.

Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has welcomed the support of nations attending the International Naval Review to help with the response to the November 14 earthquake.

The New Zealand Defence Force has accepted offers of help from the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan and Singapore.

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.

HMNZS Canterbury will support the ongoing response in the Kaikoura region, which has been hardest-hit by today’s events.

Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says viewing the region from the air revealed extensive damage to essential connections and basic infrastructure.

“The Prime Minister and I have now seen first-hand the numerous major slips, which have isolated Kaikoura from the north and south,” Mr Brownlee says.

Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has welcomed the Civil Defence Emergency Management Amendment Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today.

“The new legislation will enable a smoother and more effective transition from the response phase to recovery after an emergency, says Mr Brownlee.

“It will do this by providing those carrying out recovery work with powers previously only available under a state of emergency, such as the ability to limit access to public spaces and remove or secure dangerous structures.

The New Zealand Defence Force will host two large multilateral naval exercises in the Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Plenty from November 13 - 16 in the lead up to the International Naval Review.

Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says the exercises, Nga Tahi and Mahi Tangaroa, have been designed to maximise the training opportunity provided by the presence of ships and personnel from at least 15 international navies.

Regenerate Christchurch’s Statement of Intent has been tabled in Parliament today.

Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration Gerry Brownlee says the Statement of Intent outlines the agency’s strategic objectives, as well as its vision, role and approach.

“Regenerate Christchurch is jointly owned and funded by the Crown and the Christchurch City Council,” Mr Brownlee says.

The New Zealand Defence Force will soon have access to cutting-edge communication systems, providing a complete picture of the battlefield and allowing information to be shared quickly.

Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says the government has approved the purchase of a battle management system, provided by Danish firm Systematic.

“The new system will enable NZDF to gain a complete picture of the situation on the ground and share information quickly,” Mr Brownlee says.

The government has given approval for New Zealand Defence Force personnel based at Taji, Iraq, to offer training to Iraqi Security Forces at Al Taqaddum Air Base, west of Baghdad.

Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says the approval is for about five NZDF personnel to help deliver a training programme to Iraqi Security Forces for short periods of about two weeks.

“We want to keep contributing to the training of Iraqi Security Forces as they combat Daesh and return stability to Iraq,” Mr Brownlee says.

Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee leaves today to attend the Counter-Daesh Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Paris.

The meeting is being hosted by French Minister of Defence Jean-Yves Le Drian and United States Defence Secretary Ashton Carter on October 25.

“As we have seen recently, Daesh continues to pose a significant threat not only to the citizens of Iraq and Syria but also the wider world,” Mr Brownlee says.

Canterbury will continue to benefit from major investment from central and local government and the private sector for the next decade.

Treasury’s National Infrastructure Unit has today released its Ten-Year Capital Intentions Plan 2016 – 2025.

The Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration Gerry Brownlee says it shows ongoing commitment to the region’s regeneration.

The Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration Gerry Brownlee has welcomed the broad public support of proposed future land uses in the Waimakariri District’s red zones. 

About 84 hectares of mainly residential land in Kaiapoi, Pines Beach in Kairaki sustained severe land damage in the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.

The Crown subsequently bought more than 1000 properties in the district to allow people to move on with their lives.

Cabinet has today agreed to deploy an additional 35 New Zealand Defence Force personnel to an international peacekeeping mission in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

“Our personnel will provide engineering support to build a security fence around the Multinational Force and Observers’ South Camp in the Sinai, near Sharm El-Sheikh,” Mr Brownlee says.

“The short-term contribution will bolster the security of the mission, which observes and reports on the Treaty of Peace between Egypt and Israel.

Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee will today arrive in China to attend the 7th Xiangshan Forum in Beijing.

The annual regional security event is hosted by China and brings together defence ministers, military chiefs, senior defence officials and academics to discuss key security challenges facing the Asia Pacific and how to address them.

“New Zealand prioritises our attendance at regional security dialogues, such as the Xiangshan Forum and the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore,” Mr Brownlee says.

The number of Iraqi Security Forces personnel trained by the Australia-New Zealand Building Partner Capacity mission has passed the 12,000 mark, Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

The milestone was reached when two Iraqi Army units completed training this week.

“It’s pleasing to see a high number of trainees going through the training offered at Camp Taji in Iraq by the joint mission,” Mr Brownlee says. 

Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee and Transport Minister Simon Bridges have announced the New Zealand White Ensign will fly on the Auckland Harbour Bridge to mark the founding of the Royal New Zealand Navy.

Starting on Saturday, the flag will be flown annually on 1 October. It will also fly during the International Naval Review from 17 to 22 November this year.

The Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration Gerry Brownlee has welcomed the first step towards deciding the future use of Christchurch’s residential red zones.

Regenerate Christchurch has announced the first Outline for a Regeneration Plan it will develop, which will be for the section of the Otakaro/Avon River corridor from Barbadoes St to Stanmore Rd.

“I’m looking forward to receiving the first of several Outlines for Regeneration Plans put forward by Regenerate Christchurch.