A new plan to use volunteers to build the ability of the Waikato region to respond to civil defence emergencies has been signed off this week.

At Monday's Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management Group joint committee meeting a new memorandum of understanding with Volunteering Waikato for the use of volunteers was also agreed to.

Helped offered by the UC Student Army was critical following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Photo: UCSA/Facebook

This new agreement is in addition to existing arrangements with the strong local volunteer groups with whom civil defence currently works.

Waikato Regional Council joint committee chair Hugh Vercoe says volunteers are a critical part of the civil defence response in a major emergency.

'This new plan and proposed agreement with Volunteering Waikato will put the region in an even stronger place when it comes to response preparedness.”

A report to the committee said the plan was designed to help enable 'the right skills and resources to be allocated to the right communities based on need”.

Where gaps between volunteer resources and potential needs are identified, civil defence will work with Volunteering Waikato to address them, the report said.

Also, Volunteering Waikato's website would be able to handle public queries and registrations of interest on civil defence volunteering.

Volunteering Waikato would help manage the co-ordination of volunteers who want to assist during an emergency.

'Volunteering Waikato will maintain an up-to-date database of volunteers on behalf of [Waikato Civil Defence], resulting in a geographic profile of volunteer skills and resources across the region,” the report said.

The plan itself notes how initial help in an emergency often comes from volunteers and this community-based action was critical after the Christchurch earthquakes, including groups like the Student Army.

If co-ordinated correctly, volunteer capacity enhanced overall civil defence capability and contributed to the community weathering adverse events, the plan said.

The Waikato Civil Defence group controller Lee Hazlewood thanked Volunteering Waikato for the partnership approach it was taking with his organisation.

'We are really pleased to be working closely with this organisation to build our collective capacity to respond to and recover from disasters.

'Volunteering Waikato has been taking a very positive partnership approach with us which we really appreciate.”

For more information about Volunteering Waikato visit their website at: www.volwai.org.nz

To keep up to date with the latest information from Waikato Civil Defence visit their website at: www.waikatoregioncdemg.govt.nz