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Bin Enquiry FormIn May 2016, Parliament passed the Buildings (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Act. The amendment affects the section of the Act that governs earthquake-prone buildings. An earthquake-prone building is one that is less than one-third of the current structural standard.
The aim of this legislation is to introduce a nationally consistent approach to the assessment and management of earthquake-prone buildings, along with a standardised notice and national public register of earthquake-prone buildings. This new framework for addressing earthquake-prone buildings is the most comprehensive of any country in the world.
The new legislation overwrites Council’s previous earthquake-prone buildings policy. The new legislation came into force on 1 July 2017.
Main changes
The new legislation requires all councils to consult the public on the identification of high-traffic/high-pedestrian priority routes.
Then the buildings on these routes will be assessed to determine if they are priority buildings.
Council has finished the public consultation process; the final list of priority streets can be found here.
Because Lower Hutt is a high seismic risk area, owners must then assess priority buildings within two years and six months.
If Council issues an earthquake-prone building notice, the owner has to complete remedial work within seven years and six months.
If a building is identified by Council as being potentially earthquake-prone, the owners then have 12 months to provide an engineer's assessment that satisfies the governments Earthquake-prone Building methodology document. Council may then issue an earthquake-prone building notice, requiring the owner to strengthen the building within 15 years.
Owners of heritage buildings listed as a Category 1 historic place on the New Zealand heritage list, or included on the National Historic Landmarks, may apply in writing to their local Council for an extension of up to 10 years to complete seismic work. This would then be considered by Council taking into account the issues and risks with the building.
The structural design aspects of some building consent applications will be peer reviewed by a structural Engineer on behalf of Council. The cost of this review will be passed on to the building consent applicant. Building consent applications that will be subject to a structural review include:
The peer review process is a powerful tool in maintaining and enhancing the quality of engineering work. It’s an important check in a self-regulating profession like engineering. Peer review checks whether originating engineers used suitable processes and assumptions and made appropriate decisions.
If you are considering undertaking a strengthening project we encourage you to get in touch with us to arrange a pre-application meeting. We’ll work through your project and what you want to achieve, and provide you with information and advice on how to apply.
For more information visit the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment website
Find out what building owners need to do once an earthquake has occurred. You can also check out our FAQs.