Report on "at risk" buildings due

ENGINEERING assessments of potential earthquake-prone buildings throughout the Manawatu District are expected shortly.

Regulatory Supervisor, Karel Boakes, said a consulting engineer was more than two-thirds of the way through a list of 108 buildings that have been deemed “at risk” by the Manawatu District Council.

Most of the buildings are in the Feilding business district, though there are others in outlying areas.

Ms Boakes said the completed register of earthquake-prone buildings would not be known to the property owners, or available to the public, until the engineer had finished the assessments.

“We don’t want to release information that, potentially, may not apply to an earthquake-prone building,” she said. “We want to be sure of its status, by way of the engineer’s assessment, before letting the owner know.”

Buildings considered earthquake-prone under the Building Act 2004 are commercial/industrial premises and any household unit more than two stories high or with three or more combined units (like a block of flats). It does not relate to individual dwellings.

Other criteria centred on whether a building had been built prior to 1976, when a new loading standard was introduced regarding reinforced construction, and whether it was made of stone, brick or masonry. Buildings constructed after 1976 are deemed to be reinforced and not at risk.

Once the engineer’s work is complete, council will contact the owners of earthquake-prone buildings and arrange a meeting to discuss the outcome of the assessment.

“Owners will be given the opportunity to come back to council with any information about their building that we didn’t know about and not used in the assessment,” said Ms Boakes.

A time frame will be finalised for owners to challenge the EQP status.

“After discussions with owners, the earthquake-prone buildings register will be assembled and then formal notification under the Building Act 2004 will begin.”

Ms Boakes said owners would be given from five (for important high-risk buildings) to 10 years to carry out the necessary building work.

Further information on the Building Act requirements is available on council’s website at www.mdc.govt.nz or by contacting Ms Boakes on (06) 323-0000.