$38m payout for building

Wellington: Wellington City Council is getting a $38 million payout for its earthquakedamaged Civic Administration Building after a fouryear wrangle with insurers.

The sixstorey building in Te Ngakau Civic Square has been closed since the Kaikoura earthquake struck in 2016.

The building suffered structural damage in the 7.8magnitude quake and evacuated because of safety concerns.

Mayor Andy Foster said he was delighted to reach an agreement after a process that took several years.