The New Zealand Search and Rescue Council (NZSAR Council) was established by Cabinet in February 2003. The Council provides high level strategic governance to all search and rescue agencies in New Zealand and its functions are to:
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Provide strong strategic co-ordination for all search and rescue in New Zealand
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Provide strategic policy advice to government
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Be responsible for developing and maintaining a New Zealand search and rescue plan
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Be responsible for establishing a New Zealand search and rescue vision, mission and goals.
The Council is supported by a Secretariat and a Consultative Committee. The Secretariat provides policy and strategic advice to the Council, while the Consultative Committee is a forum of representatives from the many organisations in the broader SAR sector.
The Search and Rescue Council comprises Chief Executives (or their designated representative) of five public organisations with strong links to the Search and Rescue Sector. The organisations are the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the Maritime New Zealand (Maritime NZ), the New Zealand Police, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the New Zealand Defence Force.
In keeping with the Council’s high level strategic function, its membership is be drawn from chief executives or senior level representatives of the key government agencies directly involved in and responsible for SAR. Other agencies with an interest in matters before the Council are able to attend NZSAR Council meetings by request or invitation.
Terms of Reference for the NZSAR Council can be found here and the NZSAR Secretariat here.
Minutes from NZSAR Council meetings can be found here.
The Current members of the NZSAR Council are:
Wayne Donnelly
Chair of the NZSAR Council and
Secretary of Transport
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Lieutenant General Jeremiah (Jerry) Mateparae, ONZM
Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force
Steve Douglas
Director
Civil Aviation Authority
Howard Broad
Commissioner of the
New Zealand Police
Catherine Taylor
Director
Maritime NZ