Roles and responsibilities summary

Last updated: 3 July 2024

Roles and responsibilities for agencies when managing buildings in an emergency.

The Ministry of Business. Innovation and Employment (MBIE) works with other agencies to plan for and provide co-ordinated, integrated, and effective responses to emergencies. Roles and responsibilities for managing buildings in emergency situations may change depending on the situation.

Download a summary of building emergency management roles and responsibilities [PDF 286KB]

State of emergency or transition period in place

When building management is required the following agencies may take certain actions.

Territorial Authority (TA)

  • Area wide impact assessments (reconnaissance)
  • May recommend designation of area (to CDEM decision-maker)
  • Advise CDEM decision-makers
  • May exercise subpart 6B powers in a designated area
  • Request additional support from other TAs or MBIE.

CDEM decision maker

Example: Controller, Recovery Manager.

  • May designate area
  • May exercise subpart 6B powers in a designated area
  • Deploy local resources
  • May request support
  • May request approval for urgent works on specified heritage buildings.

Heritage NZ Pouhere Taonga

If notified of proposed works on heritage buildings:

  • Provide advice to TA / CDEM decision-maker
  • Consult with MBIE
  • Provide advice to Minister Culture & Heritage

Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE)

  • Monitor event and response
  • Provide advice to TA and CDEM
  • May provide liaison officer(s) to National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) & local Emergency Operations Centre (EOC)/regional Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC)
  • Process designation
  • May coordinate and deploy rapid building assessment resources
  • Lead rapid assessment functions in state of national emergency
  • Lead securing and management of compromised sites for forensic investigation.

Minister Building & Construction

  • May approve applications to complete urgent works on specified heritage buildings
  • May approve extension or termination of designations.

No state of emergency or transition period

When building management is required the following agencies may take certain actions.

Territorial Authority (TA)

  • Area wide impact assessments (reconnaissance)
  • Request approval of designation
  • Deploy local resources
  • Request additional support from other TAs or MBIE
  • May exercise subpart 6B powers in a designated area
  • May request approval for urgent works on specified heritage buildings

CDEM decision maker

Example: Controller, Recovery Manager.

  • Monitor event and response

Heritage NZ Pouhere Taonga

If notified of proposed works on heritage buildings:

  • Provide advice to TA
  • Consult with MBIE
  • Provide advice to Minister Culture & Heritage.

Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE)

  • Monitor event and response
  • Provide advice to TA and Minister
  • May provide liaison officer(s) to local EOC/regional ECC
  • Respond to requests
  • May coordinate and deploy rapid building assessment resources
  • Process designation.

Minister Building & Construction

  • May approve designation application (or extend/terminate)
  • May approve application to complete urgent works on specified heritage buildings
  • May give direction to TA

No state of emergency, transition period or designation in place

When the Minister for Building & Construction considers building management is required, the following agencies may take certain actions.

Territorial Authority (TA)

  • Provide information to MBIE/Minister
  • Follow directions of Minister (if Minister decides to designate area).

CDEM decision maker

Example: Controller, Recovery Manager

  • No action required.

Heritage NZ Pouhere Taonga

If notified of proposed works on heritage buildings:

  • Provide advice to Minister of Building and Construction 
  • Consult with MBIE
  • Provide advice to Minister Culture & Heritage.

Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE)

  • Monitor event
  • Advise Minister on impacts and risks
  • Process designation
  • May coordinate and deploy rapid building assessment resources.

Minister Building & Construction

  • May designate an area & may extend / terminate designation
  • May complete urgent works on heritage buildings
  • May give direction to TA
  • May exercise subpart 6B powers in a designated area.

Designation in place

When there is no state of emergency or transition period in place, but an event escalates, the following agencies may take certain actions.

Territorial Authority (TA)

  • Threat and risk assessment
  • Prioritise outstanding assessments
  • Health and wellbeing of assessment teams
  • Ongoing building emergency management.

CDEM decision maker

Example: Controller, Recovery Manager

  • If required, declare local state of emergency
  • If required use CDEM powers to remove or reduce risks (S 133BL).

Heritage NZ Pouhere Taonga

If notified of proposed works on heritage buildings:

  • Consult with MBIE
  • Provide advice to TA or CDEM decision-maker and Minister Culture & Heritage

Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE)

  • Provide advice to TA and Minister
  • May provide liaison officer(s) to EOC/ECC/NCMC
  • May coordinate and deploy rapid building assessment resources
  • Monitor event and response.

Minister Building & Construction

  • May approve application to complete urgent works on specified heritage buildings
  • May approve extension or termination of designations.

This information is published by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Chief Executive. It is a general guide only and, if used, does not relieve any person of the obligation to consider any matter to which the information relates according to the circumstances of the particular case. Expert advice may be required in specific circumstances. Where this information relates to assisting people: