6 Oct 2025
Engineering New Zealand is excited to be partnering with three key government agencies to support engineers and lift the standard of engineering guidance across the country.
The newly launched Building Resilience in Design Guidance for Engineering (BRiDGE) programme brings together Engineering New Zealand, MBIE, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, and the Natural Hazards Commission (NHC Toka Tū Ake) to deliver credible, practical guidance for a safer, more resilient New Zealand.
This two-year initiative will tackle long-standing gaps and fragmentation in engineering guidance by delivering cohesive guidance that responds to the complex challenges facing Aotearoa.
“Engineers are at the forefront of responding to challenges and ensuring New Zealand’s resilience. BRiDGE will ensure they have the tools and knowledge to meet these challenges head-on,” says Engineering New Zealand Chief Executive Dr Richard Templer.
“It represents a shared commitment to delivering the clear, consistent, and evidence-based guidance engineers need to design for the future. We’re proud to be leading this essential work”
With an initial commitment through to September 2027, BRiDGE will commission and publish high-quality guidance, backed by cross-agency governance and informed by input from technical societies, expert engineers and relevant research organisations.
“This is about working smarter – together. By coordinating effort across government and industry, we’re making better use of resources, reducing duplication, and building consistent, trusted guidance the sector can rely on,” says Templer.
The programme will also leverage international expertise, drawing on proven global models to inform guidance that fits the New Zealand context – ensuring we benefit from global best practice without starting from scratch.
Engineering New Zealand is leading the programme as the host agency, reinforcing its central role in strengthening the profession and supporting public safety and national prosperity. BRiDGE marks a major step forward in how New Zealand develops and delivers engineering guidance – and a bold commitment to designing for a more resilient future.
