300 at-risk facades must get urgent fix

Owners of buildings with unreinforced masonry facades in busy areas across central New Zealand will have a year to bring them up to code, Building and Construction Minister Nick Smith has announced.

An estimated 300 buildings will be impacted by the special law with about 250 located in Wellington’s historic areas of Cuba St, Riddiford St in Newtown, and Courtenay Place.

The Government will foot half of each repair bill, with the tieback of facades estimated to cost between $20,000 and $30,000.

Smith stressed the heightened possibility of aftershocks, and said advice from GNS was that risk levels were eight-times the normal in the lower-north and uppersouth Island.

This threat had contributed to the 12-month deadline for strengthening completion.

‘‘That’s going to abate over the next year to around double the level of risk. It will take three years for all the level of seismic risk to return to norms.’’

Smith said unreinforced masonry buildings had escaped largely unscathed in November because the quake’s frequency affected taller, newer buildings, but this might not be the case in future quakes.

‘‘These are the types of buildings that killed 39 people in the February 22 shake in Christchurch,’’ Smith said.

The Government will also use its powers under the special law to exempt the securing work from needing consents, providing the work is overseen by a qualified engineer, he said.

‘‘This work will be funded from a new MBIE fund of $3 million.’’

Wellington mayor Justin Lester said the city council had earmarked $1m for its one-third contribution, and rates would not be increased as a result.

‘‘All Wellingtonians want to live in a safe city, they want us to take steps where we can and this is one of the actions we can take.’’

Retrospective grants could be made for work already under way.

Risk levels are eight-times the normal in the lower North and upper South Islands. Building and Construction Minister Nick Smith

Specific buildings had not yet been identified, but owners could expect a letter by March.

Should owners refuse to do the work, councils will have the power to undertake the strengthening and recover costs from the owners, with a fine of up to $200,000 possible for continued refusal.

New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering president Peter Smith said the industry should have the workforce to accommodate the one-year deadline.

The initiative complements the checks being made on buildings following the preliminary investigation into the Statistics NZ building and the long-term upgrade requirements in the new Earthquake Prone Buildings Act.

Lester said that of the 80 highrisk buildings identified after the quake, most had undertaken extra inspections without finding any further issues.

There were also about 60 highrisk buildings in Lower Hutt, Marlborough and Hurunui. No Kaikoura buildings were included because all were already redstickered. – Fairfax NZ