Civil defence is concerned with protecting the population from dangers arising from war conditions or natural disaster. Accordingly, its primary functions are to save life and to aid the homeless.
The Public Safety Conservation Act of 1932 dealt with emergencies. It empowered the declaration of a state of emergency in certain circumstances, including natural disasters, authorised the making of special emergency regulations, and bestowed certain emergency powers on police officers for the purpose of preserving life, protecting property, and maintaining order. In 1939 the Government instituted the Emergency Precautions Scheme based on local authorities' emergency organisations, with the double object of providing protection against natural disaster or enemy action. The next major move was the passing of the Local Authorities' Emergency Powers Act of 1953 which empowered local authorities to make plans for emergencies arising within their respective districts and to assume extraordinary powers in the event of an emergency. The Government at that time also made firm plans for the coordination of relief measures in major disasters.
The White Paper Review of Defence 1958 expressed the Government's intention to establish a Ministry of Civil Defence, which would be responsible for planning and coordinating necessary measures against the threat of attack by conventional or nuclear weapons and against the risk of natural disaster.
In 1959 the Ministry of Civil Defence was established within the Department of Internal Affairs, the Minister of Internal Affairs being appointed Minister of Civil Defence. The Secretary for Internal Affairs was appointed Director of Civil Defence.
Civil defence planning in New Zealand is based on the proposition that protection of the local populace is primarily a function of the territorial local authorities. This has been recognised statutorily since 1953. The role of the Ministry lies in national planning, in coordinating Central Government resources nationally and regionally, in using those resources in support of local authority action, in coordinating and advising local authorities, in instructing local controllers, and in public education activities.
The Civil Defence Act, which was passed on 5 December 1962, deals with the powers and functions of the Director of Civil Defence, regional commissioners, and other officers as well as with the formal declaration of states of national energency and major disaster. It defines the role of Central Government and local authorities, sets out the obligations and powers of the latter, and bestows special emergency powers on the police and civil defence officers.
The Act establishes a National Civil Defence Committee, Advisory Planning Committees, and Regional Civil Defence Committees. The Local Authorities' Emergency Powers Act 1953 was repealed and the Public Safety Conservation Act 1932 amended so as to exclude from the operation of the latter emergencies declared under the Civil Defence Act.
The New Zealand civil defence organisation follows the United Kingdom and Australian schemes with appropriate modifications. It provides for a threetier system of control:
National: The Government through the Ministry of Civil Defence exercises national control. It also carries out national planning with the assistance of advisory committees representative of the armed services, Government Departments, local authorities' organisations, and voluntary bodies. They advise on certain aspects of planning, technical matters, and training procedures. In a national emergency the Director of Civil Defence and his staff, with the assistance of the National Civil Defence Committee, would act in both an advisory and executive capacity.
Regional: There are three civil defence regions—northern, comprising the upper half of the North Island; central, comprising the lower half of the North Island; and southern, which comprises the South Island. Regional commissioners are based at Auckland, Palmerston North, and Christchurch respectively. These officers provide liaison with local authorities, advising and assisting them in establishing local units. In a major emergency the regional commissioners direct action within a particular area. They are assisted by the Regional Civil Defence Committee, which comprises a group of senior Government district officers and a fire service officer. The primary function of this Committee in a major disaster is to plan the effective coordination of Government and other essential public services within each region, in support of local civil defence organisations.
Local: Local authorities, acting individually or in groups, are responsible for establishing local civil defence corps as operational units. Each corps is composed of five sections: headquarters, warden, rescue, welfare, and casualty.
Agencies such as the armed services, police, and other relevant Government Departments and the fire service, hospitals, and public utilities work in close liaison with these local units. The Ministry encourages local authorities to group on a subregional basis for the better integration of emergency services and the effective implementation of mutual aid. National planning also envisages industrial civil defence units in establishments which have sufficient employees. These units will follow closely the United Kingdom pattern.
by George Caird Row, B.COM., C.I.S. Civil Defence Officer, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington.