Social services propose better emergency response provisions

In a submission to Parliament’s Governance and Administration Committee on the Emergency Management Bill (No 2), the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services acknowledged that the Bill does recognise some communities are disproportionately affected by Civil Defence emergencies and actions are proposed to address this.

However, “currently, the Bill does not specifically require representation from the community and voluntary sector within Emergency Management Committees or Emergency Management Co-ordinating Executive Group”, the submission stated.

And the Bill does not “specify how Committees will identify communities that may be disproportionately affected by an emergency”.

The provisions in the Bill could be strengthened by requiring community and voluntary sector representation within these groups, the NZCCSS stated.

The Bill should be also amended to include “engagement with community and voluntary sector peak bodies in relation to the development of proposals relating to review of a national emergency management plan”.

The NZCCSS, which includes Catholic Social Services as a foundation member, also recommended that “Emergency Management Plans identify essential community services (including those related to food, shelter, health, mental health, social cohesion, disability support, caregiving) to be activated during emergency response and recovery, and funding mechanisms to enable service provision”.

Social infrastructure should be included within the scope of essential services and in essential infrastructure sector response plans, the submission added.

The NZCCSS supported the Bill’s provisions for local Māori interests and values to be represented within Emergency Management Co-ordinating Executive Groups, and for Māori to inform the development of regional and national emergency management plans. Amendments to further facilitate the role of Māori were recommended.

The submission also stated that NZCCSS member feedback indicates that greater investment is needed in readiness activities to “ensure people within the community are prepared when an emergency does occur”.

FULL STORY

Emergency Management Bill No. 2 – NZCCSS submission