Lifeline Utilities and Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups

Director's Guideline for Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups [DGL 16/14]

Lifeline utilities are organisations listed by name of function in the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 (CDEM Act) and include infrastructure and network operators in the following sectors:

  • Energy (including electricity, gas, petroleum)
  • Transport (including road, rail, ports and airports)
  • Water
  • Telecommunications (including broadcasting)

This director’s guideline supports lifeline utilities in their collaborative partnership with CDEM Groups, and in meeting their responsibilities under the CDEM Act.

The CDEM Act informs the National CDEM Strategy which outlines a vision for a resilient New Zealand. A resilient lifeline utility is well placed to minimise the impact of adversity, and to benefit from any opportunities that adversity may present in their operating environment.

The guideline emphasises the relationship between lifeline utilities and the CDEM sector, and it heavily relates risk management and business continuity management processes undertaken by lifeline utilities to the CDEM context.

This guideline includes the following sections:

  • Lifeline utility responsibilities under the CDEM Act
  • Lifeline utility CDEM partnership
  • Lifeline utility coordination

The Lifeline Utility Coordinators (LUC) Training Manual is a companion document to the Director’s Guideline for Lifeline Utilities and Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups. The LUC Training Manual is currently being finalised and will be issued shortly.

This guideline replaces Lifeline Utilities & Emergency Management [DGL 03/02] and Lifelines and CDEM Planning [BPG 01/03]

Lifeline Utilities and Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups [DGL 16/14] (.pdf 4.14mb)

Templates and checklists

These templates and checklists from the appendices of the Lifeline Utilities and CDEM Director's Guideline are provided in Word version so they can be amended and used by Lifeline Utilities personnel.

Appendix C: summary of tasks and responsibilities (.docx 22kb)

Appendix E: Lifeline utility CDEM readiness checklist (.docx 21kb)