Mayor Denyer adds civil defence deputy chair role to his list

New Kawerau Mayor, Faylene Tunui is now also chair the Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group Joint Committee: the top level of decision making for emergency management in the region.

The Joint Committee is made up of the Mayors and Deputy Mayors of Rotoura Lakes, Whakatāne District, Kawerau District, Ōpōtiki District and Western Bay of Plenty District Councils. Bay of Plenty Regional Council is represented on the committee by designated regional councillors and Tauranga City is currently represented by a city commissioner.

Mayor Tunui was elected unopposed at the inaugural committee meeting following the local government elections. New Western Bay Mayor, James Denyer was elected Deputy Chair.

It was the first official meeting of the all-new Joint Committee: Octobers’ elections brought changes at the top for all the regions’ councils. But although Mayors Tunui and Denyer are new to the top jobs, both have previously served as district councillors.

Director of Emergency Management Bay of Plenty (the Bay of Plenty CDEM Group office) Clinton Naude, says the new committee chair and deputy are well-versed in the needs of their communities and already have a good understanding of CDEM.

“Our new Chair and Deputy have both demonstrated a keen understanding of what emergencies mean in terms of effects on people, and with the more technical and regulatory parts of the job like declaring a state of emergency. I am confident they, and the entire committee, will serve Bay of Plenty communities well.”

Last week Mr Naude and emergency management professionals from across Bay of Plenty ran a seminar on the region’s hazards and emergency management for elected members.

“I am pleased to see how interested, engaged and informed our regions’ leaders are when we talk to them about emergency management. They are the people our communities look to for support, leadership and advocacy when disaster strikes, so it is excellent to see their commitment to the role”.

Mr Naude says the Bay of Plenty CDEM Group’s vision of ‘A safe, strong Bay of Plenty, together’ emphasises the need for everyone to understand their hazards and plan for responding to, and recovering from, an emergency.

Supplied: Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management