Recent Media

In the News
Professor John Hopkins Makes Submission to the Governance and Administration Select Committee In the aftermath of Cyclone Garbrielle, the New Zealand Government has decided to once again introduce new legislation in the aftermath of a disaster. This time in the form of the Severe Weather Emergency Legislation Bill. This omnibus bill makes (temporary) changes to the RMA, the LGA and the CDEM Act amongst others. LEAD's Professor John Hopkins was invited to present an oral submission to the Governance and Administration Select Committee. Although the process was expedited it was nevertheless a positive change that the Bill was referred to the Select Commitee and not passed through urgency. It is also a welcome change to see law and disaster experts being called upon to provide expert commentary on these ad hoc legal provisions. You can check out John's contribution via this link, from timestamp 10:43. It is exciting to see LEAD increasing its engagement with the decision-making process.
WorkSafe to Focus on 'High Harm' Industries Over Adventure Activities 9 August 2022 Radio New Zealand University of Canterbury law professor John Hopkins, who heads New Zealand's Institute of Law, Emergencies and Disasters, said adventure activities did not have a good safety record in this country, which he believed was an "unintended consequence" of the ACC system that removed the ability to sue for personal injury. "If you cut corners, in most jurisdictions overseas, you risk having significant damages against you in a court case. Now we don't have that deterrent here. We've only got the Health and Safety at Work Act and various other legislation, largely managed by WorkSafe. "So WorkSafe is all that lies between us and unsafe practices. So you've got to fund it properly." Prosecuting companies that breached health and safety laws in court was "the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff" and was a failure of a system that was supposed to prevent harm, Hopkins said.

Whakaari / White Island: Finger pointed back at WorkSafe 9 December 2021 Radio New Zealand Two years on from the disastrous Whakaari / White Island eruption, Rita Yousef, a lawyer representing Australian victims says the regulatory shortcomings are "terrifying". Dr John Hopkins said the Whakaari explosion, and the failures highlighted since, had brought the country's whole adventure activities safety system into question. LISTEN: to the segment on Morning Report
Earthquake-prone council buildings 1 December 2021 Build magazine Councils are having to take decisions about whether to close earthquake-prone buildings, which can have an adverse impact on local communities. A new decision-making framework will help ensure a measured risk assessment.
New decision-making framework for earthquake-prone council buildings 12 November 2021 LGNZ and BRANZ - media release Five years on from the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, a new decision-making framework is being launched to help councils navigate their legal obligations around managing earthquake-prone council buildings. The BRANZ-led project was a collaboration with Resilient Organisations, Kestrel Group, the University of Canterbury’s Institute of Law, Emergencies and Disaster (LEAD), and Massey University’s Joint Centre for Disaster Research. DOWNLOAD: BRANZ study report SR463 [2021]
Mandatory record keeping poses questions of public trust, digital divide 24 August 2021 New Zealand Herald Experts have weighed in on the new mandate of record-keeping during the pandemic, flagging issues of public trust, privacy and digital literacy.
Whakaari/White Island: Confusion over safety responsibilities at senior level 3 June 2021 Radio New Zealand Despite tourist companies leading visitors onto New Zealand's most active volcano for decades, some stakeholders' health and safety obligations were unclear.
Disaster Law 18 February 2021 Radio New Zealand LISTEN: Professor John Hopkins and Senior Lecturer Toni Collins of the UC School of Law spoke to RNZ's Alison Ballance about disaster law, discussing the legal situations around New Zealand's response to COVID-19, the Christchurch earthquakes, and the Pacific island nations' centralised response to disasters.
Masks - public health law expert, John Hopkins 16 November 2020 Radio New Zealand LISTEN: UC Law Professor John Hopkins discusses the practicality of enforcing Government mandated use of face masks on public transport.
Mt Taranaki eruption could knock out power to entire region 13 November 2020 Stuff Did you know that Mt Taranaki has a 50% chance of eupting in the next 50 years? Given the time that has passed since its last eruption, Professor Tom Wilson of UC's School of Earth and Environment believes the next one could be 'on the bigger side of what Taranaki can produce'.
NZ's Covid-19 methods are effective but 'old fashioned' - disaster expert 14 October 2020 Radio New Zealand It shows that New Zealander's need to have a conversation about what things we would give up to stop the impact of the lockdown", says Professor John Hopkins, UC Law disaster expert, in response to our 'old fashioned' COVID-19 methods.
International advice on managing COVID-19 - Expert Reaction 13 October 2020 Science Media Centre How useful is WHO latest COVID-19 international advice for New Zealand? UC Law Professor John Hopkins says that what is important is considering the different legal frameworks that a country operates under.
New research to help businesses increase seismic safety 7 September 2020 EQC See new research that will help businesses increase their seismic safety. UC Law Dr Toni Collins has worked with EQCNZ and Resilient Organisations on the research project which will help businesses better protect their staff and customers in future earthquakes.

In the News

Professor John Hopkins Makes Submission to the Governance and Administration Select Committee

In the aftermath of Cyclone Garbrielle, the New Zealand Government has decided to once again introduce new legislation in the aftermath of a disaster. This time in the form of the Severe Weather Emergency Legislation Bill. This omnibus bill makes (temporary) changes to the RMA, the LGA and the CDEM Act amongst others.

LEAD's Professor John Hopkins was invited to present an oral submission to the Governance and Administration Select Committee. Although the process was expedited it was nevertheless a positive change that the Bill was referred to the Select Commitee and not passed through urgency. It is also a welcome change to see law and disaster experts being called upon to provide expert commentary on these ad hoc legal provisions.

You can check out John's contribution via this link, from timestamp 10:43.

It is exciting to see LEAD increasing its engagement with the decision-making process.

WorkSafe to Focus on 'High Harm' Industries Over Adventure Activities

9 August 2022 Radio New Zealand

University of Canterbury law professor John Hopkins, who heads New Zealand's Institute of Law, Emergencies and Disasters, said adventure activities did not have a good safety record in this country, which he believed was an "unintended consequence" of the ACC system that removed the ability to sue for personal injury.

"If you cut corners, in most jurisdictions overseas, you risk having significant damages against you in a court case. Now we don't have that deterrent here. We've only got the Health and Safety at Work Act and various other legislation, largely managed by WorkSafe.

"So WorkSafe is all that lies between us and unsafe practices. So you've got to fund it properly."

Prosecuting companies that breached health and safety laws in court was "the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff" and was a failure of a system that was supposed to prevent harm, Hopkins said.

Whakaari / White Island: Finger pointed back at WorkSafe

9 December 2021 Radio New Zealand

Two years on from the disastrous Whakaari / White Island eruption, Rita Yousef, a lawyer representing Australian victims says the regulatory shortcomings are "terrifying". Dr John Hopkins said the Whakaari explosion, and the failures highlighted since, had brought the country's whole adventure activities safety system into question.

LISTEN: to the segment on Morning Report

Earthquake-prone council buildings

1 December 2021 Build magazine

Councils are having to take decisions about whether to close earthquake-prone buildings, which can have an adverse impact on local communities. A new decision-making framework will help ensure a measured risk assessment.

New decision-making framework for earthquake-prone council buildings

12 November 2021 LGNZ and BRANZ - media release

Five years on from the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, a new decision-making framework is being launched to help councils navigate their legal obligations around managing earthquake-prone council buildings. The BRANZ-led project was a collaboration with Resilient Organisations, Kestrel Group, the University of Canterbury’s Institute of Law, Emergencies and Disaster (LEAD), and Massey University’s Joint Centre for Disaster Research.

DOWNLOAD: BRANZ study report SR463 [2021]

Mandatory record keeping poses questions of public trust, digital divide

24 August 2021 New Zealand Herald

Experts have weighed in on the new mandate of record-keeping during the pandemic, flagging issues of public trust, privacy and digital literacy.

Whakaari/White Island: Confusion over safety responsibilities at senior level

3 June 2021 Radio New Zealand

Despite tourist companies leading visitors onto New Zealand's most active volcano for decades, some stakeholders' health and safety obligations were unclear.

Disaster Law

18 February 2021 Radio New Zealand

LISTEN: Professor John Hopkins and Senior Lecturer Toni Collins of the UC School of Law spoke to RNZ's Alison Ballance about disaster law, discussing the legal situations around New Zealand's response to COVID-19, the Christchurch earthquakes, and the Pacific island nations' centralised response to disasters.

Masks - public health law expert, John Hopkins

16 November 2020 Radio New Zealand

LISTEN: UC Law Professor John Hopkins discusses the practicality of enforcing Government mandated use of face masks on public transport.

Mt Taranaki eruption could knock out power to entire region

13 November 2020 Stuff

Did you know that Mt Taranaki has a 50% chance of eupting in the next 50 years? Given the time that has passed since its last eruption, Professor Tom Wilson of UC's School of Earth and Environment believes the next one could be 'on the bigger side of what Taranaki can produce'.

NZ's Covid-19 methods are effective but 'old fashioned' - disaster expert

14 October 2020 Radio New Zealand

It shows that New Zealander's need to have a conversation about what things we would give up to stop the impact of the lockdown", says Professor John Hopkins, UC Law disaster expert, in response to our 'old fashioned' COVID-19 methods.

International advice on managing COVID-19 - Expert Reaction

13 October 2020 Science Media Centre

How useful is WHO latest COVID-19 international advice for New Zealand? UC Law Professor John Hopkins says that what is important is considering the different legal frameworks that a country operates under.

New research to help businesses increase seismic safety

7 September 2020 EQC

See new research that will help businesses increase their seismic safety. UC Law Dr Toni Collins has worked with EQCNZ and Resilient Organisations on the research project which will help businesses better protect their staff and customers in future earthquakes.

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