• Home
• About Us
• Training Programmes
• CDEM Group Plan
• Be Prepared
• Become a Volunteer
• Information for Emergency Managers
• Other Links

What's Happening...

Emergency Contact Details

In the first instance contact your local City/District Council (contact numbers in the back of the Yellow Pages) or if it is a life threathening situation call the Emergency Services on 111

Canterbury Emergency Management Office:

Ph: (03) 366 2359 (24 hrs)
Fax: (03) 366 9960 (24 hrs)

---

Click on the "Get Ready Get Thru" icon above to download a copy of the Household Emergency Checklist.

Household Emergency Planning Made Easy

The Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management Group is encouraging Cantabrians to fill out a household emergency plan and checklist that was sent in the mail last week.

Councillor Sue Wells, Chair of the Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Joint Committee, says now is a good time to fill out the Household Emergency Checklist and Plan that was mailed out to 1.6 million New Zealand residents. The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management produced the checklists and sent one to every household in New Zealand.

"In the past fortnight, New Zealand has had tornados, floods, power outages, and a major storm. In our region, we have had treacherous road conditions and snow over the past month. We think the checklist is a timely reminder to encourage Cantabrians to prepare for an emergency," Councillor Wells said.

The checklist/plan includes information about emergency supplies, emergency contact information and how to plan for an emergency.

"For those families that already have an emergency plan, this is a good refresher. For those that don't, this is a good place to start. An emergency can happen at any time, anywhere. We need to be prepared at all times and this is one of the many ways to get better prepared," Councillor Wells said.

Canterbury is vulnerable to a wide range of natural events including extreme weather, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, landslides, and wildfires. The region is also vulnerable to technical hazards such as loss of power or telecommunications.

The Household Emergency Checklists and Plan are now available at district councils and at ECan. Residents can call their local council for more information.

For more information go to:   Pandemic Roadshow

---

Useful resources relating to pandemic preparedness include:

NZ Ministry of Health resources
NZ Ministry of CDEM Pandemic Planning Guidance for:
Communities (small file - Practical community group planning tool)
Local Government/CDEM Groups (large file)
NZ Ministry of Economic Development resources
UK Small Business Pandemic Planning Checklist
USA Centres for Disease Control pandemic site

---

Are we ready for an earthquake centred on the alpine fault?

A recent study from the University of Canterbury outlining the probability of a catastrophic alpine fault earthquake has called attention to the need for greater disaster preparedness in the Canterbury region.

According to a recent collaborative study by Professor Tim Davies at the University of Canterbury and Mauri McSaveney of GNS Science, an alpine fault earthquake would have devastating effects on the South Island and New Zealand. The study was presented at the recent Natural Hazards Conference in Christchurch.

The earthquake, predicted to be similar in strength to the Napier earthquake in 1931, would be spread over a much larger area, last several minutes and cause massive damage. Resulting loss of life, injuries, local tsunamis, landslides, and wide-spread property destruction are the sort of consequences that the Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management Group is encouraging communities and organisations to prepare for.

"We have been aware of the likelihood and consequences of a large alpine fault earthquake for some time," said John Fisher, Canterbury Regional Civil Defence manager. "Our focus is on preparing for any and all hazards that might occur in Canterbury, including an alpine fault earthquake."

The study further outlines the immediate and ongoing impact of an earthquake on services that communities depend upon. For instance, the alpine passes (Arthurs and the Lewis) may be closed due to major landslides and structural failure for some time. Roads, electricity and telecommunications are likely to be disrupted for weeks, at least, in affected areas, preventing the delivery of vital supplies such as food and petrol and access to emergency services.

"We need local communities, businesses, critical infrastructure providers, local, regional, and national public organisations, as well as individuals living in Canterbury to be as prepared as they can be. The more prepared we are as individuals, families, and communities, the more likely we are to survive and recover after a catastrophic event than those who are not prepared."

Sources for more information:

For further information:
Jon (Mitch) Mitchell
Canterbury Emergency Management  Planner
03 353 9009

John Fisher
Regional Civil Defence Manager
03 353 9009

The CDEM Group

The Canterbury CDEM Group is a partnership of local authorities, emergency services and other organisations tasked with providing effective and comprehensive management of major hazards and their consequences anywhere in Canterbury.

The CDEM Group's vision is:

A Resilient Canterbury - Waitaha Tukaha
A resilient Canterbury will exist when communities are environmentally, socially and physically resilient to the impact of emergency events.

The Canterbury CDEM Group area extends to the northern boundaries of Kaikoura and Hurunui Districts, to the west along the boundary with the West Coast Region, to the south on the southern boundaries of Timaru and Waimate Districts, and to the Pacific Ocean to the East.

The broad purpose of the CDEM Group is to assist the communities of Canterbury to be more aware of the significant hazards that they may face, and to better enable the community and emergency response organisations to be more resilient to those hazards in the future.

Planning together is a crucial aspect of effective emergency management. The CDEM Group partners have been developing a comprehensive CDEM Plan for Canterbury since the CDEM Act came into effect in December 2002. The Draft Plan was opened for public consultation on 10 January 2005. Submissions closed on 10 February and the Plan became operative prior to 24 April 2005.

This Plan provides for:

• strengthening relationships between agencies involved in CDEM
• encouraging cooperative planning and action between all emergency management agencies and the community
• seeking commitment to deliver more effective CDEM through enhanced risk reduction, readiness, response and recovery.

The Plan documents:

• hazards and risks
• strategic CDEM issues and objectives
• the principles of operation within which agencies involved in civil defence emergency management cooperate and
• agreed readiness, response, reduction and recovery-related structures, relationships and actions.

The Plan includes Local CDEM Arrangements for each of the local authority members of the Canterbury CDEM Group.

Home • About Us • Training Programmes • CDEM Group Plan • Be Prepared • Volunteer • Emergency Managers • Links