CDEM work with lifeline utilities

Learn about the planning and operational relationships between Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Groups and lifeline utilities.

The CDEM Act 2002 requires lifeline utilities to establish planning and operational relationships with CDEM Groups.

This is so lifeline utilities can share:

  • risk management information, and
  • their readiness and response arrangements.

Lifeline utilities should be organised within their sector as well as have individual capability.

CDEM Group planning will include lifeline utilities. CDEM Plan development is a continuous process. CDEM Plans reflect current states of preparedness and planning processes. They identify areas where specific actions are required over a five-year period.

Planning before an emergency

CDEM Groups and lifeline utilities want to know what each other’s roles are in any given emergency and how they can best interact. Before an emergency each needs to ensure that it has:

  • taken into consideration the hazards and risks that could affect their operations,
  • applied an appropriate risk management process,
  • developed and tested an effective set of operational procedures for emergency response, and
  • addressed external dependencies.

Planning relationships before an emergency respect confidentiality. Commercially sensitive issues are not the focus. Operationally sensitive issues may be reviewed to the extent that lifeline utilities determine. These could include critical failure nodes or restoration timings and constraints. The CDEM Act includes protection against disclosure.

Pre-event cooperative planning avoids consideration of price for service. The aim of cooperative planning is to ensure that all marketplaces survive. And without undue advantage to any one or group of utilities. This should maintain levels of competition that benefit all New Zealand consumers.

Work with the National Emergency Management Agency

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) works with national lifeline utilities across the 4Rs.

  • Risk reduction
  • Readiness
  • Response
  • Recovery

This includes:

  • developing operational response arrangements with lifeline sectors,
  • developing national CDEM plans, and
  • facilitating approaches to infrastructure resilience.

NEMA also supports CDEM Groups and Lifelines Groups in their collaborative work. NEMA’s Infrastructure Resilience portfolio works closely with partner agencies. For example:

  • New Zealand Lifelines Council;
  • Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment; and
  • Ministry of Transport.