Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown today set a deadline for Auckland Council to implement the recommendations of the independent review into the Auckland Anniversary Floods.

The independent review, led by former Police Commissioner Mike Bush, found that Auckland Council’s emergency management team “appeared to lack the command, crisis leadership skills and operational experience to deal with an event of this complexity”. The review also found that the existing Auckland Civil Defence Emergency Group Plan (the Group plan) is not up to date and should have been revised in 2021.

“It is simply unacceptable that emergency management roles and delegations were unclear. These failures were made worse by the fact that no specific contingency plans for flood and superstorm events existed prior to 27 January.

“While I acknowledge that the problems identified by Mr Bush are systemic, and not the fault of any individual, it is the responsibility of senior management to ensure that Auckland Emergency Management is fixed and ready for the next event.

“Finalising the Group Plan must be an urgent priority. I have advised Chief Executive Jim Stabback I expect the recommendations of the review panel will be fully implemented within the next six months.

“I intend to hold an unscheduled real time drill to test the Council’s preparedness for a large-scale civil defence emergency no later than Friday, 13 October 2023. It is my expectation that the system will be prepared.”

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