The New Zealand Defence Force

Maintaining security and safety after the earthquakes

David Neighbours

The earthquakes that struck Christchurch on 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 necessitated a full mobilisation of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) - the Army, the Navy and the Air Force – to provide security and essential services. The Army established security in the broken city alongside the Police, and set up an operations centre at the CSB Arena. From this base of operations, the Army coordinated the work of its welfare teams, providing accommodation, food, and transport, as well as training for the civilian volunteers involved.

Army paramedical personnel also provided services including first aid and emergency medicine, augmenting those provided by civilian medical professionals. They provided initial assistance at Christchurch Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital until staff from the Ministry of Health took over. A more sobering task carried out by the Army was the recovery and identification of victims of the 22 February earthquake, at places like the CTV Building. It worked alongside Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams and offered support like forensic dentistry, for when the victims could not be identified any other way.

The Navy operated from its base in Lyttelton, setting up security cordons around the town and carrying out security patrols. The three “Project Protector” ships – HMNZ ships Canterbury, Otago and Pukaki – provided the citizens of Lyttelton with food and emergency services, brought in essential supplies from other parts of New Zealand, and provided support for the operations of the Army. In addition, the HMNZS Resolution and the Littoral Warfare Support Group carried out port surveys and reconnaissance operations in Lyttelton and Akaroa.

The Air Force carried out a variety of tasks: it provided vital imagery of infrastructure in the Christchurch area, pinpointing where damage was worst; brought in USAR teams from around New Zealand; and evacuated people to other centres like Wellington and Auckland. It also supplied medical personnel and supplies, and provided temporary secure storage at the Air Force Museum in Wigram for important material and “treasures” from the earthquake-damaged Lyttelton Museum. About 25% of the Museum’s collection was stored at Wigram. The Air Force Museum also hosted the staff of several local businesses whose usual premises were damaged in the earthquakes.

The NZDF maintained its presence in Christchurch until the end of June 2013.

Resources:

• "Dealing with Disaster: A day in the life of one of the army's youngest medics" | Army News - This article was written by Private Yvette Young and recounts her experiences on an ambulance shift in Christchurch during the emergency response to the earthquake on 4 September 2010.
• "A Helping Hand in a Disaster Zone" | Army News - This article is an overview of the NZDF emergency response in Christchurch after the earthquake on 22 February 2011.
• "All in a Day’s Work" | Army News - This article is a compilation of photographs of the various ways in which the NZDF responded in Christchurch after the earthquake on 22 February 2011.
• "An Army Being Led to Win" | Army News - This article is about the new Chief of Army, Major-General Tim Keating, who describes the effectiveness and efficiency of the leadership within the Army and how it contributed to the Army’s efforts in Christchurch after the earthquakes.
• "Defence Medical Personnel Use Their Expertise" | Army News - This article is an overview of the many and varied medical tasks carried out by NZDF medics when providing assistance after the earthquakes.
• "Identifying Victims: Defence helps lead the way" | Army News - This article is about Colonel Hugh Trengrove of the Disaster Victim Identification Team, and their work to identify victims of the earthquakes at sites like the CTV Building. It includes details of forensic dentistry.
• "Looking for Life Amidst the Rubble" | Army News - This article is about Major Charmaine Tate, an Army doctor. It describes her work with USAR teams to rescue and provide life-saving treatment to people trapped in collapsed buildings after the earthquakes.
• "Making it Work: Teaching civilians the army way" | Army News - This article describes the training of civilian volunteers working under military supervision in Operation Suburb, which provided welfare visits and property assessments after the earthquakes.
• "Military Skills to the Fore" | Army News - This article is about Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Duncan, Chief of Staff of 3 Land Force Group. He describes the planning of the Army’s response to the earthquakes. The article also provides some statistics related to the NZDF effort.
• "Sappers Show Their Expertise in a City Under Siege" | Army News - This article is about the Army Engineers and the vital work they did to repair and rebuild damaged or destroyed infrastructure around Christchurch after the earthquakes.
• "Territorial Force" | Army News - This article is about the work of the Territorial Force units, who assisted the regular Army in Christchurch after the earthquakes.
• "Transport" | Army News - This article is about the Army UNIMOGs, all-terrain vehicles that proved invaluable in getting around Christchurch after the earthquakes.
• "New Zealand's Worst Days: Supported by a brilliant Defence effort" | Airforce News - This article, by Air Commodore Gavin Howse, is an overview of Air Force operations in Christchurch following the earthquake of 22 February 2011.
• "Air Power in Action" | Airforce News - This article is about the work of the Air Force in providing logistical services and supplies, and evacuating people from Christchurch, after the earthquake on 22 February 2011. It also provides some statistics related to the airlift.
• “Business Refugees Move into Museum” | Airforce News - This article, by Dave Clearwater of the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, is about the provision of office space in the museum to local businesses whose own premises were damaged in the earthquakes.
• "Helping Hand for Lyttelton Museum" | Airforce News - This article, by David Wattmuff of the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, is about the relocation of a quarter of the collection of the Lyttelton Museum to the Air Force Museum.
• "Local Personnel on the Ground in Christchurch" | Airforce News - This article is about Flying Officer Sean McKeogh and the work of the Air Movements Team, who facilitated the numerous Air Force flights into and out of Christchurch after the earthquakes.
• "Cordon Patrols in Lyttelton" | Navy Today - This article, by Lieutenant Commander Craig Saysell, is about how Navy personnel secured the streets of Lyttelton after the earthquake on 22 February 2011.
• "Earthquake!" | Navy Today - This article is about the personal recollections of several NZDF personnel of the earthquake on 22 February 2011. It includes a timeline, from 22 February to 7 March, detailing the operations of the Navy in the emergency response.
• "Earthquake Hits Close to Home" | Navy Today - This article describes the role played by HMNZ ships Pukaki and Otago in the emergency response to the earthquake on 22 February 2011.
• "Feeding the Multitudes" | Navy Today - This article is about how the Navy provided food to the Lyttelton community after the earthquake on 22 February 2011. It includes an interview with Chief Petty Officer Perrin Newland, Head Chef on the HMNZS Canterbury.
• "HMNZ Ships Otago and Pukaki" | Navy Today - This article is about the immediate response of the HMNZ ships Otago and Pukaki to the earthquake on 22 February 2011. It includes interviews with three officers on the Otago, and describes (among other things) the effort to provide food to the Lyttelton community.
• "Project Protector Makes a Difference" | Navy Today - This article is about HMNZ ships Canterbury, Otago and Pukaki, and the role they played in the emergency response to the earthquake on 22 February 2011.
• "The Port" | Navy Today - This article is about the work done by the Navy to assess the state of Lyttelton port after the earthquake on 22 February 2011.
• "Surveying the Port" | Navy Today - This article, by Able Hydrographic Systems Operator Coady Clark, is a detailed account of how the Navy carried out the confidence survey of Lyttelton port after the earthquake on 22 February 2011.
• NZDF's role in Christchurch is over | RNZ - This report is about the departure of the last of the NZDF emergency response personnel from Christchurch in the aftermath of the earthquakes.

General Searches:

To search the CEISMIC collection for information and resources on the NZDF and their work after the earthquakes, get started with one of the links below.

• To explore the role played by the Army in the earthquake response, click here.
• To explore the role played by the Navy in the earthquake response, click here.
• To explore the role played by the Air Force in the earthquake response, click here.
• To explore the NZDF’s photographic archive of the earthquake response, click here.
• To explore the NZDF’s video archive of the earthquake response, click here.