Government response to the Report of the Government Inquiry into the Response to the North Island Severe Weather Events
In early 2023, the North Island was hit by a number of severe weather events. Fifteen people lost their lives, one person remains missing and many more people were forever impacted.
A Government Inquiry was established to ensure the design of New Zealand’s emergency management system was appropriate to support readiness for, and responses to, future emergency events by identifying lessons from the 2023 North Island severe weather events. The Inquiry found New Zealand’s emergency management system was not fit-for-purpose and made 14 recommendations.
In response to the Government Inquiry into the Response to the North Island Severe Weather Events (NISWE Inquiry), the Government has released Strengthening disaster resilience and emergency management. This document not only delivers a response to the NISWE Inquiry but outlines the Government’s overall direction of travel for the emergency management system over the next five years.