Laws passed to strengthen emergency management system

New legislation to strengthen New Zealand’s emergency management system has passed its final reading in Parliament today, Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery, Mark Mitchell says. “This is a major milestone, giving us a modern, fit-for-purpose legal framework to manage the more frequent and complex emergencies New Zealand is facing. “I have seen firsthand the difficult situations local authorities can be confronted with in an emergency. Updates to emergency powers and procedures for declarations will ensure they can do their jobs more effectively when an emergency happens. “The new legislation also makes roles and responsibilities clearer, helping key players in the system. “Communities and iwi Māori will have a stronger voice in emergency management, through representation on emergency management committees and greater involvement in developing regional and national emergency management plans. “Effective emergency management shouldn’t be a postcode lottery. The Bill gives the Director-General and the Emergency Management Minister new tools to set clear expectations for the sector and enable national consistency where it’s beneficial to do so. “I know how distressing it i