"The Bill introduces into the Building Act an end-to-end process for managing buildings from response to recovery following an emergency.

The amendments in the Bill—

• provide powers to territorial authorities (and where a state of emergency or transition period is in force, the relevant civil defence emergency management person) to manage buildings during and after an emergency event, including—

  • inspecting and placing notices on buildings:

  • evacuating and restricting entry to buildings:

    ...

  • demolishing or carrying out works to buildings that pose a risk of injury or death (including through impacts to critical infrastructure) or a risk of damage or disruption to neighbouring buildings, critical infrastructure, and public thoroughfares:

  • requiring building owners to remove or reduce risks posed by their building, on a case-by-case basis:

• provide that the Minister for Building and Construction can choose to take direct action and make decisions to manage buildings, when warranted by the scale and impacts of an emergency event: ...

  ...

• provide that the carrying out of works on certain heritage buildings (Category 1 or wāhi tūpuna on the New Zealand Heritage List or buildings on the National Historic Landmarks/Ngā Manawhenua o Aotearoa me ōna Kōrero Tūturu list) that pose a risk of injury or death is a ministerial decision and require consultation with Heritage New Zealand for works on other heritage buildings:

  Building Amendment Bill details legislative progress,  reports, links for submissions-

  https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/BILL_79050/building-amendment-bill

  Link to the Proposed Bill's Text:

  http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2018/0094/latest/LMS73630.html