New Zealand National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is to be hosted by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) rather than the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) as is the case currently.
DIA will be responsible for hosting NEMA Te Rākau Whakamarumaru i te Mate Ohotata from September 25, Darren Brunk, spokesperson for Minister of Emergency Management and Recovery Mark Mitchell, said.
"Following a Cabinet decision, this move aligns NEMA with a larger, more operationally focused organisation that is well-suited to provide the necessary corporate support to departmental agencies," Brunk said.
"The transfer is also consistent with long-standing machinery of government principles, ensuring agencies are hosted within entities that maximise efficiency and effectiveness," he added.
Brunk said the organisational change is designed to strengthen New Zealand's ability to prepare for, and respond to, emergencies, by leveraging DIA's operational focus and strong community connections.
"With its strong ties to government and local government, groups critical in emergency preparedness and response, DIA is well-positioned to support NEMA," Brunk said.
DIA previously hosted NEMA's predecessor, the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management (MCDEM) until 2014.
NEMA was set up in after a ministerial review into better responses to natural disasters and other emergencies, following the November 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, and the 2017 Port Hills fire.
The agency was in the news this week, following the megathrust magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the Kamtchatka peninsula in Russia, as its smartphone alert system appeared to have suffered "glitches" for some people.
An internal review published in 2024 also found technology problems at NEMA, with the Microsoft Teams collaboration app used by the agency being found wanting during Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023.
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