Roles and responsibilities summary

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) works with other agencies to plan for and provide coordinated, 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 319KB]

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 Emergency Management (EM) decision-maker)
• Advise Emergency Management decision-makers
• May exercise subpart 6B powers in a designated area
• Request additional support from other territorial authorities or MBIE.

EM 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 New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

If notified of proposed works on heritage buildings:

• Provide advice to territorial authorities / EM decision-maker
• Consult with MBIE
• Provide advice to the Minister for Culture and Heritage

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)

• Monitor event and response
• Provide advice to territorial authorities and EM
• May provide liaison officer(s) to National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) and 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 for Building and 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

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

EM 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 territorial authorities
• Consult with MBIE
• Provide advice to the Minister for Culture and Heritage.

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)

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

The Minister for Building and Construction

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

No state of emergency, transition period or designation in place

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

Territorial authority 

• Provide information to MBIE or the Minister for Building and Construction
• Follow directions of the Minister for Building and Construction (if the Minister decides to designate area).

EM decision-maker

Example: Controller, Recovery Manager

• No action required.

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

If notified of proposed works on heritage buildings:

• Provide advice to the Minister for Building and Construction 
• Consult with MBIE
• Provide advice to the Minister for Culture and Heritage.

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)

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

Minister for Building and Construction

• May designate an area and may extend / terminate designation
• May complete urgent works on heritage buildings
• May give direction to territorial authorities
• 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 

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

EM decision-maker

Example: Controller, Recovery Manager

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

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

If notified of proposed works on heritage buildings:

• Consult with MBIE
• Provide advice to territorial authorities or EM decision-maker and the Minister for Culture and Heritage.

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)

• Provide advice to territorial authorities and the Minister for Building and Construction
• May provide liaison officer(s) to EOC/ECC/NCMC
• May coordinate and deploy rapid building assessment resources
• Monitor event and response.

The Minister for Building and Construction

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