At FIRST72, we’ve made a clear and considered submission on the new Emergency Management Bill—one that reflects what we see every day in our work across Aotearoa: communities are the first to respond when disaster strikes.

Before official help arrives, it’s neighbours, whānau, and local leaders who step up first. They open marae, clear roads, check on each other, and coordinate immediate response efforts—often with limited support or structure. This is not new. It’s reality. And our legislation must reflect it.

Our submission to NEMA advocates for a nationally consistent standard for community preparedness—one that gives communities the tools, training, and support they need to respond safely, effectively, and with confidence.

We believe that:

• Communities are not just stakeholders; they are first responders.

• Resilient communities are self-sufficient in the first hours and days following a disaster.

• We must train, equip, and support communities to fulfil that role.

• There must be clear, formal pathways to recognise and resource iwi, marae, NGOs, and grassroots leaders.

• A national preparedness standard must ensure equity, consistency, and real capability across all regions.

This submission is an extension of our Ready Together strategy, which aims to prepare 500 communities by 2030 through a consistent and coordinated model of training, equipment, and local response capability.

We are already doing this work—delivering Community Resilience Hubs, building response capability in partnership with iwi and councils, and running tailored training programmes to develop practical community response teams. The Bill must enable and accelerate this kind of local action, not leave it to chance.

We stand behind the whakataukī “He waka eke noa – we’re all in this together.” Preparedness is a shared responsibility, but the burden cannot fall on communities alone. They need structured support, legal recognition, and reliable resourcing to carry that responsibility.

FIRST72 will continue to advocate strongly for a future where every New Zealand community is trained, ready, and resourced to respond. Because when disaster strikes, it’s the community that moves first. Our job is to make sure they’re ready.

To learn more about our Ready Together strategy and how we’re working to build community-led emergency capability across Aotearoa, visit www.first72.org.nz or get in touch with our team.