Media Releases
RNZ helping New Zealanders get prepared for an emergency
Released at 12:07 pm on 4 September 2025
4 September 2025
Public media organisation RNZ, has created a series of informative guides, designed to help New Zealanders prepare and respond to emergencies such as severe weather or earthquakes.
The guides, which sit on the RNZ website, under rnz.co.nz/emergency will be delivered in a multi-media format, some are articles, others will be short videos featuring easy to understand information from experts.
NEMA’s most recent Annual Preparedness Survey found just over half of New Zealanders still don’t feel prepared for an emergency.
RNZ is the lifeline radio broadcaster under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002, this means RNZ has a statutory obligation to provide an essential service to the public through the provision of emergency broadcasting services.
Emergency Planning Manager Kate Gudsell says the guides are a welcome addition to RNZ’s work as a lifeline broadcaster and helps fulfil its responsibility under its Charter to provide freely accessibly news and information.
“RNZ is well known as a place to find trusted information in a crisis, and these guides are an opportunity to help New Zealanders get as prepared as possible for an emergency situation.”
“The guides are designed to complement existing information such as NEMA’s Get Ready website and should be considered more “news you can use” for New Zealanders – practical guides on elements of preparing or responding to a disaster that people may not know.”
The guides will not just be available on rnz.co.nz, they’re also available to community groups and RNZ’s 40 content sharing partners who can publish the guides and embed the videos on their websites.
Erana Reedy, deputy chair, Te Whakaruruhau o Ngā Reo Irirangi Māori (National Iwi Radio Network) says the network will work with RNZ to translate the guides into te reo Māori and publish them across their platforms to support preparedness for whānau across Aotearoa.
“We are committed to working with RNZ to produce the next series of guides, because this content is important information for our whanau and will help keep us safe during emergencies.”
Susana Guttenbeil, General Manager Content, Pacific Media Network (PMN) says they will be making the guides available to their audiences.
"We are also keen to work with RNZ on future guides in Pacific languages to further extend their usefulness across Aoteoroa's many diverse communities. This is information that's not just a nice to have, it's essential to prepare and plan for when emergencies happen."
The Community Access Media Alliance (CAMA), will also be making the guides available to the 12 independently-owned Community Access Media Stations that make up CAMA.
To see guides head to: rnz.co.nz/emergency
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