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| Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee | |
|---|---|
| Name | Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee |
| Abbreviation | ANZEMC |
| Formation | 1990s |
| Type | Intergovernmental committee |
| Purpose | Emergency management coordination |
| Location | Canberra, Wellington |
| Region served | Australia, New Zealand |
| Membership | Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, Auckland Council, Christchurch City Council, Canterbury Region, Otago Region |
| Leader title | Chair |
| Parent organization | National Emergency Management Agency (New Zealand), Australian Department of Home Affairs |
Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee
The Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee is a trans-Tasman senior advisory body that coordinates disaster risk reduction, preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience activities across Australia and New Zealand. It brings together senior officials and ministers from national, state, territorial and regional entities to align policy, share capability, and harmonise operational arrangements relating to hazards such as Cyclone Tracy, Black Saturday bushfires, Christchurch earthquake, Canterbury earthquakes, Queensland floods, and Kaikoura earthquake. The committee fosters collaboration among institutions including Australian Red Cross, New Zealand Red Cross, Surf Life Saving Australia, St John New Zealand, Australian Defence Force, and New Zealand Defence Force.
The committee traces roots to bilateral discussions following events like Cyclone Tracy and the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction momentum, with formal arrangements consolidating during forums involving Council of Australian Governments and the Trans-Tasman Ministers' Forum. Early coordination drew on precedents set by cooperative responses to the Ash Wednesday bushfires and the 1998 Sydney hailstorm while linking to agencies such as Emergency Management Australia and Civil Defence Emergency Management Group (New Zealand). Key milestones include alignment after the Black Saturday bushfires inquiry, post-Christchurch earthquake recovery dialogues, and integration of best practice from the Hazard Risk Management community, with influential participants from Geoscience Australia, GNS Science, Bureau of Meteorology, and National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.
Membership comprises senior officials and nominated representatives from national departments and state, territory, and regional bodies including Department of Home Affairs (Australia), National Emergency Management Agency (New Zealand), state emergency services such as New South Wales State Emergency Service, Victoria State Emergency Service, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, and territorial agencies like Northern Territory Emergency Service. It routinely engages with municipal entities including Auckland Council, Wellington City Council, Christchurch City Council, and regional bodies like Canterbury Regional Council and Environment Canterbury. Observers and partners include Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, Resilience NZ, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, World Health Organization, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and research partners such as Australian National University, University of Otago, Monash University, University of Melbourne, University of Canterbury, Massey University, University of Sydney, and University of Auckland.
The committee advises ministers and coordinates policy across portfolios represented by Attorney-General of Australia, Minister for Emergency Management (Australia), Minister for Civil Defence (New Zealand), and counterparts in state and provincial cabinets such as Premier of New South Wales and Premier of Victoria (Australia). It sets priorities connecting agencies like Bureau of Meteorology, Geoscience Australia, GNS Science, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Rural Fire Service (New South Wales), and Country Fire Authority. Responsibilities encompass harmonising standards with bodies such as Standards Australia, advancing community resilience with Australian Red Cross and New Zealand Council for Infrastructure Development, and advising on legal frameworks including references to Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 and Australian state emergency legislation through collaboration with the Australian Law Reform Commission.
Operational activities include joint capability development, mutual aid planning, and interoperability testing with stakeholders like Australian Defence Force, New Zealand Defence Force, Australian Federal Police, New Zealand Police, Australian Maritime Safety Authority, and Maritime New Zealand. The committee sponsors exercises simulating complex events drawn from scenarios such as coastal inundation, volcanic activity like Mount Ruapehu, severe storms informed by Bureau of Meteorology data, and pandemics modeled alongside Ministry of Health (New Zealand) and Department of Health and Aged Care (Australia). Major exercises have involved agencies including NSW Police Force, Victoria Police, Queensland Ambulance Service, St John New Zealand, Australian Border Force, and international partners such as United States Agency for International Development and Australian Strategic Policy Institute-affiliated experts.
The committee liaises with national agencies including Emergency Management Australia, National Emergency Management Agency (New Zealand), Australian Federal Police, NZ Civil Defence, and cross-border bodies like Trans-Tasman Council on Trade and Economic Cooperation structures. International coordination links to United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, World Health Organization, Pacific Islands Forum mechanisms, ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance, and humanitarian organisations like Save the Children, CARE Australia, Oxfam Australia, and Médecins Sans Frontières. It also coordinates scientific support from CSIRO, GNS Science, Geoscience Australia, NIWA, and logistics via Australian Maritime Logistics and port authorities in Sydney Harbour, Auckland Harbour, and Ports of Tauranga.
Policy outputs include guidance documents aligning with Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction priorities, resilience standards influenced by Standards Australia, and capability frameworks co-developed with Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience and Resilience NZ. Strategic initiatives address climate adaptation using advice from Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, nature-based solutions promoted by Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (Australia), and urban resilience programs involving Infrastructure Australia and New Zealand Treasury. The committee also informs cross-sector initiatives involving Australian Energy Market Operator, Transpower New Zealand, Telecommunications Carriers Forum, and public health planning with Health Protection Surveillance Centre-aligned entities.
Funding is sourced through member agency contributions from bodies such as Department of Home Affairs (Australia), National Emergency Management Agency (New Zealand), state treasuries including New South Wales Treasury, Victorian Treasury, and project grants administered via Australian Disaster Resilience Grants Scheme and New Zealand resilience funding lines. Resource coordination leverages assets from Australian Defence Force, New Zealand Defence Force, state fleets including Victoria State Emergency Service vessels, volunteer networks like State Emergency Service (New South Wales) volunteers, and non-governmental support from Australian Red Cross and St John New Zealand. Capacity-building draws on partnerships with academic institutions such as University of Canterbury, Australian National University, University of Melbourne, and research organisations including CSIRO and GNS Science.
Category:Emergency management organizations in Australia Category:Emergency management organizations in New Zealand