AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND ENHANCE DISASTER RESILIENCE LINKS
21 May 2009
Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, today welcomed the signing of a cooperation arrangement between the national emergency management organisations of New Zealand and Australia.
“This agreement will enhance cooperation in emergency management by improving information and knowledge sharing between Australia and New Zealand,” Mr McClelland said.
The agreement will:
- enhance understanding of each nation’s emergency management systems in order to better facilitate cooperation during disasters;
- enable New Zealand and Australia to continue to work together to create community resilience and reduce the risk and impact of disasters in the community; and
- facilitate participation by New Zealand in the Ministerial Council for Policing and Emergency Management (MCPEM) and the Australian Emergency Management Committee (AEMC).
“The partnership will produce practical outcomes by building the preparedness and capability of both nations to manage the impact and consequences of disasters.”
Australia and New Zealand have a history of working collaboratively in emergency management, providing assistance on a number of occasions during natural disasters in several Pacific nations.
This close relationship was most recently exemplified during the Victorian bushfire disaster, with New Zealand providing significant resources to assist with response efforts.
Media Contact: Adam Siddique 0407 473 630
