In this section

  • Volunteer

    Selwyn District Council uses a Community Response model across the district to meet the Civil Defence needs of our communities.

  • Types of emergencies

    In Selwyn we have a lot of natural hazards that can happen any time and often without warning.

  • Prepare for an emergency

    It's up to you to make sure your family and the people you care about know what to do, and have what you need to get through on your own for a number of days.

  • Emergency Warnings

    How you will be warned of an emergency or adverse event, including after an event how we'll keep you informed on progress and what to do.

Emergencies can happen anywhere, any time, and without warning. The good news is that there are simple steps you can take today to learn more, prepare for, and get through an emergency.

What Happens in an Emergency?

Initially, an event is handled by a relevant agency, for example Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ). If the emergency escalates, a range of agencies begin to work together, for example FENZ, NZ Police, St John and Selwyn District Council.

A State of Emergency may be declared in large-scale events. Declaring a state of emergency gives certain powers under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act (2002), such as controlling access to certain areas, and requisitioning goods and services.

What is Civil Defence?

It is everyone starting with you.

We are all responsible for civil defence, for protecting ourselves, our families, our neighbours and our property - until other help arrives. Civil defence relies heavily on local resources and local organisations, with backing from regional and national resources as needed. There is no large full-time civil defence force standing by, so we need to rely on each other during an emergency event.

Civil Defence in the Selwyn District

Civil defence in the district is managed by the Council. Council resources, government departments, non-government organisations, community groups, trained volunteers and willing members of the public are all brought together by council's civil defence staff to support the community during a disaster.

Contact members of the Selwyn Civil Defence Emergency Management team;
Call - 0800 SELWYN (735 996)
Email - cdem.team@selwyn.govt.nz

The Selwyn District Council is a member of the Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group.

The Canterbury CDEM Group is a partnership of local authorities, emergency services, volunteers and other organisations tasked with ensuring the effective delivery of civil defence emergency management in Canterbury.

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