Independent Review of the Civil Defence Emergency Response to Cyclone Gabrielle continues to make good progress
The Independent Review into the Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group’s response to Cyclone Gabrielle continues to make good progress, says Panel Lead Mike Bush.
Bush, the former Police Commissioner, says the review remains on track to be delivered to the Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Joint Committee on Monday, 25 March 2024.
In a statement today Bush said there had been a period of “constructive community and mana whenua engagement”, including an online survey which closed in mid-January with more than 1,000 responses from across the region received.
“Our Independent Review Panel is now working through a process of drafting the Independent Review report.”
“On behalf of the Review Panel, I wish to acknowledge and thank all those that took the time to engage with us during the recent community engagement process. This formed an important part of our review process; the feedback was clear and will feed into our final report.”
“Once completed, the report will move through a standard governance review and approval process, with the Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Joint Committee expected to authorise the report for public release in the final week of March.”
The independent review was launched in April last year by the Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Joint Committee, which oversees the Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Management Group. There is also a Government Inquiry, headed by former Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae, that is reviewing the response to the North Island severe weather events last year, including Cyclone Gabrielle. The Government announced the inquiry in June and it is expected to report back by March next year.
This comes after another independent review commissioned by the Napier City Council found late last year that the Napier City Council was “hugely unprepared” for Cyclone Gabrielle in terms of Emergency Management capability.
The review, undertaken by Resilient Organisation Ltd., covers the Council’s internal response coordination, which includes crisis management and business continuity; and external response, which includes civil defence and emergency management.
