28 August 2025
Clive
[FYI request #31897 email]
Reference: OIA-2025/26-0095
Tēnā koe Clive
Official Information Act request relating to emergency alerts and the principles of the
Treaty of Waitangi
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request received on 4 August
2025. You requested:
“Please include these types of information (not limited to just these):
1. Assessments, analyses, evaluations, benchmarks, and audits that assess the
system's alignment with the principles of the Treaty (such as research,
participation/access, safeguarding/prevention, equality, independence, organisational
safeguarding, choice), as well as passive institutional reviews and corrective strategies.
2. Policies, operational frameworks, guidelines, processes/SOPs, standards that
incorporate the ideas of the Treaty into the design, administration, and process of
issuing notices (including content, language, purpose, accessibility, and approval
processes).
3. Communication/communication records with tribes, hapū, Maori groups or Te Bridge
for the emergency notification system (e.g. meeting documents, letters, response
statements, decisions, and the manner in which those responses were incorporated).
4. Risk assessments, impact assessments, and benefit analyses that define the
impacts on Maori communities (such as outreach, access, language, delivery time,
mobile/technology connectivity, dependency, and the risks of too much coverage or too
little coverage), and the manner in which these have been justified under Treaty
principles.
5. Training materials, skills standards, job role descriptions for employees/contractors
who have the right to authorise and issue notices and speak about the obligations of
the Treaty and about cultural capability.
"information retained" covers final and draft documents, emails, attachments,
application messages (if used for office work), notes, meeting minutes, data tables,
data sets, designs/photographs, and information held by employers/contractors through
NEMA (see OIA section 2(5)).
Search time: Please check from 1 January 2017 till the date of your reply. If it is
contended that it will be repealed under section 18(f) (excessive collection/grouping),
please contact me in advance (section 18B) so that it can be exempted/reduced. A
document schedule can also help with reduction.”
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has a statutory responsibility to alert
the public to tsunami risk. Every decision to alert the public is based on best advice available
including scientific evidence, international best practice, the observable conditions, and the
life safety risks.
Level 7, TSB Building, 147 Lambton Quay | PO Box 5010 | Wellington 6140 | New Zealand
Tel: +64 4 830 5100 | [email address] | www.civildefence.govt.nz
Following a detailed search of our records management system I can confirm that no
material has been identified that falls within the scope of your request. Accordingly, I am
refusing your request in full under section 18(e) of the Act as the information requested does
not exist.
Currently there is no specific requirement under the CDEM Act 2002 to engage with iwi Māori
for emergency management planning. A recently released Cabinet paper shows the
government intends to introduce a Bill which proposes to require CDEM Groups and the
Director CDEM to better engage with iwi Maori, including to engage with iwi Māori when
developing CDEM Group plans and the National CDEM Plan, and to have a Māori member
on each Coordinating Executive Group to assist in developing and implementing the Group
Plan.
The Cabinet Paper is available at:
https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/publications/proactive-release-
eco-25-sub-0117-strengthening-emergency-management-legislative-reform
We note that Emergency Mobile Alert is one of a number of channels that NEMA and other
lead agencies use to issue information to communities, noting that no single mass
communications channel is 100% failsafe, and some communities may have differing access
to some forms of communications. For example, radio is a critical, widely available and highly
resilient emergency information channel. I also note that we have recently brought Whakaata
Māori and Te Whakaruruhau o Ngā Reo Irirangi Māori into NEMA’s Memorandum of
Understanding with Broadcasters. This is an agreement through which NEMA works closely
with broadcasters to ensure critical emergency information is disseminated to communities.
Regarding question 5 of your request, there are no specific roles that are designated as
authorised to approve these alerts. All NEMA staff are trained on Coordinated Incident
Management Systems (CIMS) and every decision to utilise the Emergency Mobile Alert
follows our protocol and training.
It would require substantial collation to provide all job descriptions that have been utilised
since 1 January 2017. I note your request for us to consult with you if we were considering
declining under section 18(f) of the Act and thank you for your openness to discussion. While
we have not contacted you to refine this, we have determined to provide an excerpt from our
job descriptions which relates to cultural competency. This is reproduced below for your
reference and is contained in all job descriptions for NEMA.
NEMA recognises Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the continuing partnership between Māori and the
Crown. We are committed to growing the role iwi Māori play in the emergency management
system and integrating te ao Māori into emergency management.
Further, all public servants in New Zealand are expected to have a level of cultural
competency and you can read more about this here:
Cultural competence - Te Kawa
Mataaho Public Service Commission
You have the right to ask the Ombudsman to investigate and review my decision under
section 28(3) of the Act.
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This response wil be published on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s
website during our regular publication cycle. Typically, information is released monthly, or as
otherwise determined. Your personal information including name and contact details will be
removed for publication.
Nāku noa, nā
Sarah Holland
Chief Advisor to the Chief Executive
National Emergency Management Agency
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