At the highest level there is a joint committee of all the councils in Taranaki that provide the governance of Taranaki civil defence emergency management.
The Civil Defence Emergency Management Group (Joint Committee) has the statutory responsibility for civil defence emergency management in Taranaki. It is a statutory committee of Council under section 12 of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 (the Act) and clause 30 of Schedule 7 of the Local Government Act 2002.
Ultimately it is responsible for;
- Integrating and coordinating civil defence emergency management planning and activities
- Ensuring the response to and management of the adverse effects of emergencies within the New Plymouth, Stratford and South Taranaki district boundaries is managed
- Overseeing the coordination of the response and recovery activities across a range of agencies.
Under the Act the territorial authorities (the district councils) and the regional council are responsible for ensuring that there is provision for civil defence emergency management in Taranaki. To ensure this takes place each council nominates a representative to sit on the joint committee. The representative is the Mayor of each district council and the chair of the Regional Council, but they may delegate their place to another elected member of their council.
The functions of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Group are:
- Ensuring hazards are effectively managed
- Setting the strategic direction for the Group via the Group plan
- Maintaining and providing resources for effective CDEM including staff and training
- Providing assistance to other CDEM Groups
- Promoting and raising public awareness
- Monitoring and reporting on progress on implementation of plans.
Emergencies
The CDEM Group has all the powers that are reasonably necessary or expedient to enable it to perform its functions, including the powers to delegate any of its functions to CDEM Group members, the Group Controller, or other persons.
The CDEM Group has delegated the following powers to the Group Controllers in accordance with Sections 26(1), 26(3) and 27(1) of the CDEM Act:
General powers: The Group Controller is delegated the authority to co-ordinate the activities (as are required to perform his/her duties) detailed in section 18(2.
Power to require information: The Group Controller is delegated the authority to require information to be provided under section 76
Information to obtain a warrant: The Group Controller is delegated the authority to provide the necessary information under oath for a warrant to be issued under section 78
Receipt of information: The Group Controller is delegated the authority to receive information seized under section 81
Emergency Powers: The Group Controller is delegated the authority to exercise all the emergency powers conferred on the Group by section 85 and shall make reports on the actions undertaken at such intervals as are directed by the Chairperson of the Group.