Terms of reference
Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group (Te Manatu Arai Mate Ohorere o te Tonga)
The Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 requires the establishment of a joint committee of representatives from all local authorities in the region.
The councils have established the Southland Emergency Management Group (SCDEMG) as a joint standing committee of the councils pursuant to Section 12 of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 (the Act). The terms of reference are set out in the Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan 2017-2022 and the Agreement of Joint Civil Defence Services signed 1 July 2019.
After a comprehensive review of the Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) in Southland the councils have agreed that their responsibilities for CDEM under the Act shall be combined and delivered through one body to be known as Emergency Management Southland (EMS) with the intention that each Council is to be an active equal participant in the establishment development and control of it.
EMS comprises an Emergency Management Office and Emergency Operations Centre in Invercargill with such other sub-offices and centres that are deemed necessary by agreement and shall have the purposes and functions and be governed by the principles set out in the agreement. EMS is located in a building alongside Environment Southland's offices and is staffed by a manager and several emergency management staff.
Members: Environment Southland's representative on the Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group is Cr Neville Cook (alternate TBC). One representative from each Council needs to be present.