The Government is introducing the Severe Weather Emergency Legislation Bill to ensure the recovery and rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle is streamlined and efficient with unnecessary red tape removed.

The legislation is similar to legislation passed following the Christchurch and Kaikōura earthquakes that modifies existing legislation in order to remove constraints on recovery.

'The recovery phase needs to be timely and efficient, it should not constrained,” says Kieran McAnulty.

'Previous emergencies like the Canterbury and Kaikōura earthquakes have required urgent legislation to remove or modify existing legislative constraints to support recovery. This bill is a similar response.

'The urgent changes will help facilitate the initial stages of the recovery and provide legal certainty where needed.

'The legislation also removes unnecessary red tape. For example extending the period for a food business to renew its registration will mean that it can continue operating post the Cyclone without impractical administrative deadlines to contend with.

'It's important we enable communities to recover as quickly as possible after extreme weather events. These amendments will add certainty for businesses, help ensure food security by facilitating affected businesses to remain open throughout this uncertain period and help local authorities make emergency repairs,” says McAnulty.

'A month on from the national state of emergency being declared, we are moving away from the emergency response into the recovery phase,” Grant Robertson said.

'We have worked alongside communities as we respond to this major event. We have put in place a taskforce, led by Sir Brian Roche, which will ensure the recovery is also locally led and supported by central government.

'We have also established a Cyclone Recovery Unit in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to coordinate the work at a central government level.

'We are only just at the start of the recovery from these devastating weather events. While we have already provided significant resources through the response – affected regions should rest assured that the Government will continue to work closely with them as the rebuild and recovery begins in earnest,” says Grant Robertson.

The purpose of this Bill is to assist recovery and improve resilience for the areas affected by severe weather events, and their councils and communities.

Specifically, amendments will:

- ensure emergency powers are available when needed;

- modify statutory timeframes that are not practical for businesses or individuals to meet;

- and facilitate planning and decision-making by local authorities.

The Bill modifies:

- The Civil Defence and Emergency Management Act 2002 (CDEM Act) to address issues relating to concurrent declarations of states of emergency and notices of transition periods under the CDEM Act to ensure emergency powers are available when needed

- Aspects of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) to extend timeframes for advising local authorities and applying for retrospective consents for emergency work. This recognises that it may not be possible for those dealing with the impacts of the weather events to meet existing timeframes for retrospective consents

- The Local Government Act 2002 (the LGA) to enable local authorities and Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups to meet by audio or visual link and for the members to be counted as present;

- The Local Government Act 2002 again to enable local authorities to amend their current long-term plans in relation to water infrastructure and services to take action to respond to damage caused by the recent severe weather events and improve the resilience to future weather events

- Registration and verification requirements in the Food Act 2014 and the Food Regulations 2015, to allow an extended period for a food business to renew its registration and to continue operating during the time a registration may have expired. This recognises that it may not be possible for affected communities to undertake their regulatory requirements for food businesses and allows them to remain open, particularly for isolated communities.

Support provided to date:

An initial $250 million for Waka Kotahi and local councils to assess and fix roads
$51 million for affected farmers and growers to clean up and re-establish their businesses
$25 million for businesses with immediate costs and clean-up – to be distributed by local delivery partners in the affected regions
$5 million to Mayoral Relief Funds
More than $57.7 million in Civil Defence Payments
Inquiry announced into forestry slash and land use after Cyclone Gabrielle
A new Recovery Visa created to help bring in additional specialist workers
Temporary Accommodation Service activated in affected regions
Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Fund Launched along with a special Lotto Draw on Saturday 18 March
$15 million short-term relief package to support Māori communities
A further $17.5 million to support communities and community providers
$15 million for councils to remove rubbish
Cyclone Taskforce set up, chaired by Sir Brian Roche, to align locally-led recovery plans with Government and private sector.