Emergency Management Bill to replace the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002
Although the final legislation is still progressing through Parliament, the changes proposed in the Emergency Management Bill (No. 2) are intended to modernise New Zealand’s emergency management system, strengthen local preparedness, and improve coordination between government agencies, iwi, emergency services, community organisations and volunteers.
For Volunteer Nelson, volunteer-involving organisations, and volunteer managers across Nelson Tasman, there are several likely implications.
1. Volunteers may become an even more important part of emergency response
The Bill recognises that communities play a critical role during emergencies. While emergency services remain responsible for leading responses, community organisations and volunteers are increasingly seen as essential partners in preparedness, response and recovery.
This could mean:
- greater involvement of trained community volunteers during emergencies
- more opportunities for spontaneous volunteers to assist safely
- increased collaboration with local emergency management groups.
2. Volunteer managers may need stronger emergency plans
Organisations that rely on volunteers should consider reviewing:
- emergency response procedures
- volunteer communication plans
- volunteer contact databases
- business continuity plans
- evacuation and health and safety procedures
- policies around volunteer deployment during emergencies.
Having these plans in place will help organisations continue supporting their communities when they are needed most.
3. Greater emphasis on volunteer training
Volunteer managers may wish to provide volunteers with training in areas such as:
- emergency preparedness
- personal safety
- psychological first aid
- communication during emergencies
- understanding their role and limitations.
Not every volunteer will respond directly to an emergency, but many organisations provide essential community support before, during and after an event.
4. Better coordination between organisations
One of the goals of the reforms is improved coordination across agencies. This could create more opportunities for:
- sharing volunteers across organisations
- coordinated volunteer deployment
- common training standards
- stronger partnerships between councils, iwi, NGOs and community groups.
5. More recognition of community resilience
For Nelson Tasman, this is particularly relevant following recent floods, storms and other weather events. Volunteers have consistently supported:
- welfare centres
- food distribution
- neighbourhood support
- community clean-up efforts
- wellbeing support
- information sharing.
The legislation reinforces that resilient communities depend on local people and community organisations—not just emergency services.
A good starting point for Leaders of Volunteers – questions to ask
Volunteer-involving organisations could take this opportunity to ask:
- Do we know how we’ll contact volunteers during an emergency?
- Are volunteers clear about their roles?
- Are our health and safety procedures current?
- Could we support our local emergency response if asked?
- Should we include emergency preparedness in volunteer induction?
Even organisations that don’t consider themselves “emergency organisations” often become critical community support providers when disasters occur.
Why this matters for Nelson Tasman
Nelson Tasman has experienced multiple significant emergency events in recent years, including severe flooding and storms. These events have demonstrated that volunteers are often among the first people helping neighbours, supporting community organisations, distributing supplies and assisting with recovery.
The proposed Emergency Management Bill reinforces the importance of investing in volunteer capability before emergencies happen—not just responding once disaster strikes. For Volunteer Nelson and local volunteer managers, it presents an opportunity to strengthen preparedness, build partnerships and ensure volunteers are equipped to contribute safely and effectively when their communities need them most.
NEMA Chief Executive Dave Gawn thanked those who submitted to the Bill (including Volunteering New Zealand). NEMA will continue to work with those with an interest in the emergency management system. Read more from NEMA.