Urgent quake-strengthening zones set in Tararua

Landlords on the main streets of Woodville, Dannevirke, Pahı¯atua and Eketa¯huna have less than eight years to make their buildings safer or tear them down.

The Tararua District Council has narrowly ratified plans to set precincts requiring the most urgent earthquake strengthening to be completed sooner.

Councillors have voted four to two to require owners of earthquake-prone buildings on the main streets of the district’s four largest towns to strengthen or demolish their structures within 71⁄ years.

Quake-prone buildings outside the priority thoroughfares have 15 years to be sorted.

The thoroughfares are areas the council deem to be at higher risk of human injury or death due to falling debris.

Councillors Shirley Hull and Alison Franklin opposed the plan, arguing it would place too high a toll on building and business owners in the heart of Tararua’s towns.

Cr Sharon Wards was absent from the vote, and mayor Tracey Collis couldn’t vote because she was ill and had to attend the meeting remotely.

Deputy mayor Erana PeetiWeeber abstained due to a conflict of interest.

Hull said there wasn’t a big enough risk to public safety to justify burdening building owners by cutting their time. Many would struggle to meet the deadline, because of a shortage of engineers and tradespeople.

Under the Building Act, owners who don’t meet the deadline for strengthening work could face a fine of up to $200,000.

‘‘It will have a serious impact on the financial viability of businesses in the short term,’’ Hull said. ‘‘I don’t think it’s worth putting our business owners through that pressure.’’

Cr Kerry Sutherland said he sympathised with the affected building owners, but felt the council had struck the right balance between public safety and consideration for the owners.

Following public submissions the council reduced the size of the Dannevirke priority zone in the proposed plan due to low foot traffic and road use.

Barraud, Aldardice and Ward streets were removed completely, as well as Gordon St from High St to Hall St.

The final zone covered High St, between London and Mcphee streets, Millar St up to Denmark St, and Gordon St from High St to Denmark St.

Dannevirke Gallery of History vice-president Murray Holden was relieved the Gordon St museum wasn’t affected by the final zoning.

The museum will struggle enough to raise the more than $700,000 needed to do the required earthquake strengthening and book busy structural engineers within 15 years.

Holden said many building owners inside the zone were in the same boat – and he knew a few who were considering abandoning their properties.

The Government needed to rethink the criteria for priority thoroughfares in small towns, and make allowances to ease the burden on smaller businesses, he said.

‘‘We might end up as a ghost town.

‘‘It won’t be an earthquake that kills small-town business, it will be these regulations.’’

The zoning for Tararua’s other three main towns remained unchanged from the initial proposal.

Woodville’s priority thoroughfare will be the section of Vogel St from Mclean St to Ross St. Pahı¯atua’s will be Main St, between Huia and Kiwi streets to Cambridge and Patterson streets.

Eketa¯huna’s will be Main St, between Church St and Haswell St.

‘‘It won’t be an earthquake that kills small-town business, it will be these regulations.’’

Murray Holden Dannevirke Gallery of History vicepresident