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Epidemic Preparedness Act 2006

Epidemic notices and epidemic management notices

5: Prime Minister may enable use of special powers

You could also call this:

"The Prime Minister can declare special powers to help with a disease outbreak in New Zealand."

Illustration for Epidemic Preparedness Act 2006

The Prime Minister can make a special notice with the Minister of Health's agreement. You need to know this notice is about a disease outbreak that could disrupt important activities in New Zealand. The Prime Minister must consider the Director-General of Health's written recommendation before making this notice. The notice can last for three months or a time stated in the notice. You can find more information about quarantinable diseases in the Health Act 1956. The notice can be changed or updated while it is in force. After the notice expires, a new notice can be made for the same disease. The Prime Minister's notice is a type of law called secondary legislation, which has its own publication requirements, as explained in Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019. The notice must be presented to the relevant Minister as soon as possible after it is made, according to section 114 of the Legislation Act 2019.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM404483.

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5Prime Minister may enable use of special powers

  1. With the agreement of the Minister of Health, the Prime Minister may, by notice, declare that he or she is satisfied that the effects of an outbreak of a stated quarantinable disease (within the meaning of the Health Act 1956) are likely to disrupt or continue to disrupt essential governmental and business activity in New Zealand (or stated parts of New Zealand) significantly.

  2. Subsection (1) applies whether the outbreak is occurring within New Zealand or overseas.

  3. If not renewed under section 7(1), the notice expires on the earliest of the following:

  4. the day 3 months after its commencement:
    1. a day stated in the notice:
      1. a day stated for the purpose by the Prime Minister by further notice.

        1. The Prime Minister must not give the notice except on, and after considering, the written recommendation of the Director-General of Health.

        2. Repealed

        3. While the notice is in force, further notices may be given modifying its effect—

        4. by lifting its application from stated parts of New Zealand; or
          1. in the case of an epidemic notice that applies to only stated parts of New Zealand,—
            1. by extending its application to other stated parts of New Zealand; or
              1. by extending its application to the whole of New Zealand.

              2. After the notice expires, a new notice can be given in respect of the same disease.

              3. A notice under this section is secondary legislation (see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements).

              4. If a notice is made under this section,—

              5. the Prime Minister is the relevant Minister for the purposes of section 114 of the Legislation Act 2019; and
                1. the notice must be presented under that section as soon as possible after it is made.

                  Notes
                  • Section 5(1): amended, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).
                  • Section 5(3)(c): amended, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).
                  • Section 5(5): repealed, on , by regulation 72(1) of the Legislation Act (Amendments to Legislation) Regulations 2021 (LI 2021/247).
                  • Section 5(8): inserted, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).
                  • Section 5(9): inserted, on , by regulation 72(2) of the Legislation Act (Amendments to Legislation) Regulations 2021 (LI 2021/247).