Council calls for changes to Earthquake Prone Building Policy

Changes are proposed to Council's Earthquake Prone Building Policy and the public and commercial building owners are asked for feedback.

Changes are proposed to the way we address the danger of earthquake prone buildings in Whangarei and Council is asking the owners of commercial buildings and the public for feedback.

Every five years Whangarei District Council is required to review its Earthquake Prone Building Policy as part of its obligation under the Building Act 2004. This review has recently been carried out, with Councillors voting at the August Council meeting to release a Statement of Proposal on the changes for public consultation.

“The public and commercial building owners need to be aware of the proposed changes,” says Bruce Rogers, WDC Building Compliance manager.

“Council welcomes their feedback through the submissions process which is now open.”
Until now, Council has had a passive Earthquake Prone Building Policy which meant buildings, or parts of buildings, assessed and classified as earthquake prone were not automatically upgraded unless building work was proposed for the site.

“Council is proposing changes to this approach following recent earthquakes in Canterbury and Hawkes Bay,” Bruce Rogers says.

“We now know that previously unknown faults can generate damaging earthquakes and must look at how buildings and parts of buildings in Whangarei might respond under earthquake conditions. At the same time this review needs to take a balanced approach between possible risk and what is socially and economically acceptable to the community.”

Three major changes to the previous policy are proposed.

The first would require all non-residential buildings built before 1976 to have their earthquake risk assessed by Council based on information Council already holds. If considered likely to be earthquake prone or if information is inconclusive then the owner would need to provide Council with a seismic report from a suitably qualified engineer within 12 months from notice.

The second change would give owners of buildings assessed by a seismic report as earthquake prone 20 years to bring their buildings up to one third of the current engineering standards.

“This would introduce a realistic capped period in which to upgrade,” Bruce Rogers says.

The third change affects higher risk parts of buildings, such as street-facing parapets and cantilevered verandas. Owners of buildings with these elements have a shorter timeframe of 10 years to complete work if an upgrade is considered necessary

Copies of the Statement of Proposal, which includes the proposed new policy and a summary of information, are available at Council offices at Forum North, Whangarei and the Ruakaka Service Centre, at public libraries in Whangarei, Kamo, Tikipunaga and Onerahi, the mobile library and on this website.

Submission forms are also available at Council offices or on this website. Submissions close at 4.30pm on Monday 10 October 2011.

Follow the link below to see details about the proposal and to complete a submission form.

Dangerous, Insanitary and Earthquake Prone Buildings Policy