Two years on- What's changing in the aftermath of the North Island Severe Weather Events of 2023?

The 'summer' of 2023 delivered a series of nasty severe weather events, including the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods, and the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle. 

After major events like these, Civil Defence Groups and other relevant agencies conduct reviews to see what worked, and what needs to improve. That was especially true for the 2023 storms because precious lives were lost. The economic and environmental effects are also still hitting hard, and there are ongoing consequences for things like land use planning, infrastructure and insurance. 

Last year the Government conducted a 'review of reviews' which looked at the relevant findings from the many reports on the severe weather. They came up with core recommendations to make sure our national systems are better-prepared. At the same time, a key piece of legislation (the CDEM Act, 2002) is being overhauled and we can expect a new Emergency Management Bill this Government term (before late 2026). 

At the local and regional level, councils and Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Groups (the collective of councils and Emergency Management specialists in each region) continue to work on key things like training, evacuation plans and public education- not solely for the more-and-more frequent storms and floods we have been dealing with, but also for earthquakes, tsunami, geothermal and other hazards that we face in our beautiful and diverse motu. 

if you are interested in the progress of Emergency Management reform, a good place to start is the NEMA website www.civildefence.govt.nz  

And for more on how we support our communities in Bay of Plenty, have a look at our Group CDEM plan Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan 2023-2028