Introduction

This section of the Report provides a general overview of the New Zealand Defence Force, while more detailed information is available from the websites, publications and libraries listed later in this section. The following topics are covered in this Section:

• NZDF Mission
• Linkages to Government Policy
  • New Zealand’s Defence Policy
  • Employment Contexts
• Overseas Operations
• Forces and Locations
• High Level Organisation Chart
• Personnel Summary
• Expenditure Summary
• Corporate Information
  • Statutory Committees
  • Availability of Information
  • Legislation administered by NZDF

NZDF Mission

The primary mission of the NZDF is:

“to secure New Zealand against external threat, to protect our sovereign interests, including in the Exclusive Economic Zone, and to be able to take action to meet likely contingencies in our strategic area of interest.”

In achieving this mission, the NZDF works closely with the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The MoD is responsible for providing defence policy advice, procurement of major items of equipment, and audit and assessment of the NZDF.

Linkages to Government Policy

The Defence Act 1990 provides for armed forces to be raised and maintained for:

• the defence of New Zealand and the protection of its interests, whether in New Zealand or elsewhere;
• the contribution of forces under collective security treaties, agreements or arrangements; and
• the contribution of forces to the United Nations or other organisations or states for operations in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter.

The Act also allows the Armed Forces to be made available for the performance of public services and assistance to the civil power in time of emergency, either in New Zealand or elsewhere.

New Zealand’s Defence Policy

The Government’s Defence Policy Framework, issued in June 2000, outlined the Government’s goals and priorities for defence and provided a framework for decisions regarding military capabilities, resources and funding. It has been supplemented by the Government Defence Statement of May 2001 in regard to A Modern, Sustainable Defence Force Matched to New Zealand’s Needs, as reflected in the projects listed in the Long–Term Development Plan (first issued in June 2002 and updated regularly).

Defence is one component of New Zealand’s foreign and security policy. While the NZDF is constitutionally the sole provider of military forces, it is not the sole contributor to strategic outcomes for national security. A range of other government departments and agencies, including for example the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Customs and Immigration Services, the Government Communications Security Bureau and the Ministry of Fisheries, all contribute to promoting and protecting New Zealand’s national security.

In the Government’s Defence Policy Framework five broad strategic outcomes for national security are endorsed. From these, a defence policy objective is set for each outcome. In achieving these objectives, the NZDF makes a range of contributions: it maintains operationally prepared forces for use by the government and it carries out operational missions in accordance with government direction. These outcomes, objectives and examples of NZDF contributions are shown below.

Employment Contexts *

To carry out its mission to secure New Zealand against external threat, protect sovereign interests, and take actions to meet likely contingencies in New Zealand’s strategic area of interest, the NZDF trains and prepares military units to be available to government to respond to security challenges. It is not possible to be ready for every contingency, nor to predict exactly what security challenges will eventuate. Therefore, a representative and illustrative range of circumstances – Employment Contexts – have been identified that are consistent with government’s defence policy priorities, and for which there is a high likelihood that a New Zealand government would expect to provide a military response.

Within each Employment Context (EC), a number of plausible events have been identified, some of which have been further developed for use in NZDF outputs planning. Each has a description of a particular security event, and an operational concept for NZDF response. They are used in the Output Plan agreed between the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Force to ensure that the NZDF is funded, equipped and assessed on its ability to deliver effective military capabilities available to meet the Government’s defence policy objectives.

EC 1 - Security Challenges to New Zealand and its Environs:

• EC 1A: Civil Disturbances/Industrial Actions affecting essential services.
• EC 1B: Disasters posing a serious threat to life, property or the environment.
• EC 1C: Incursions into and through New Zealand’s Economic Zone and other areas within New Zealand’s jurisdiction that threaten New Zealand’s interests.
• EC 1D: Terrorism and Acts of Sabotage.
• EC 1E: Asymmetric attacks on New Zealand territory (such as information warfare attacks and mining of New Zealand ports).

EC 2 - Security Challenges to New Zealand’s Interests in the South Pacific:

• EC 2A: Disasters posing significant risks to life, property or the environment.
• EC 2B: Illegal incursions into South Pacific Island EEZs and territories.
• EC 2C: Civil Disturbances leading to breakdown in law and order, and/or posing risks to New Zealand nationals.
• EC 2D: Terrorist Acts.
• EC 2E: Challenges to legitimate governments, including civil war and secessionist conflict.

EC 3 - Security Challenges to the Australia–New Zealand Strategic Area:

• EC 3A: Short warning attacks against maritime approaches and terminuses and land incursions on Australian territory.
• EC 3B: Serious attacks on the physical security of the New Zealand–Australia Strategic area from a broader regional conflict.
• EC 3C: Asymmetric attacks.
• EC 3D: Major conventional conflict (such as an invasion of Australia).

EC 4 - Security Challenges to New Zealand’s Interests in the Asia–Pacific Region:

• EC 4A: Disasters posing significant risks to life or the environment.
• EC 4B: Acts of piracy.
• EC 4C: Impeded rights of passage through contested sea–lanes.
• EC 4D: Significant internal unrest or insurgency that spills to other states and/or poses risks to New Zealand nationals.
• EC 4E: Aggression to affect maritime boundaries or seize/expropriate resources.
• EC 4F: Inter–state conflict.

EC 5 - Security Challenges to New Zealand’s Interests in Global Peace and Security:

• EC 5A: Unresolved conflict where protagonists have sought third party resolution assistance.
• EC 5B: Act(s) by states or non–states actors that contravene international norms of behaviour or threaten international security or stability.
• EC 5C: Impeding supplies of essential resources (such as oil, water, electricity) to force political concessions or threaten the security of a nation or group of nations.
• EC 5D: Significant internal conflict with risks to the stability of surrounding states or involving large–scale suffering.
• EC 5E: Aggression to affect maritime or land boundaries or seize/expropriate resources.
• EC 5F: Major breakdown in international security leading to wide–scale war.

* During the reporting year, ECs were reviewed and updated to reflect contemporary circumstances and current government policy. Revised ECs will be used from the 2008/09 reporting year as a benchmark to continue to measure and report operational preparedness. The revised ECs are shown at pp 63–64 of the NZDF Statement of Intent 2008–2011.

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