Who we are
The National Emergency Management Agency provides leadership in reducing risk, being ready for, responding to and recovering from emergencies.
About the National Emergency Management Agency
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is one part of a much larger emergency management system that works to build a safe Aotearoa New Zealand.
NEMA is the Government lead for emergency management. We help build a safe and resilient Aotearoa New Zealand by empowering communities before, during and after emergencies.
Emergencies can have consequences for people, communities, property, infrastructure, the economy and the environment. NEMA works with central and local government, communities, iwi, and business to make sure responses to and recoveries from emergencies are effective and integrated.
Depending on the emergency, NEMA leads or supports the response and recovery.
NEMA’s key functions are steward, operator and assurer of the emergency management system.
As steward, we provide strategic leadership for risk reduction, readiness, response and recovery activities, and build emergency management capability and capacity.
As operator, we lead or support the response to and recovery from emergencies while also supporting the operation of the emergency management system.
As assurer we provide assurance that the emergency management system is fit for purpose.
What is a departmental agency?
A departmental agency is an operationally autonomous agency with its own chief executive, hosted by a department of the Public Service. The Department of Internal Affairs is NEMA’s host agency. Before September 2025, NEMA was hosted by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Dave Gawn is NEMA’s Chief Executive.