Old courthouse the highest risk
Decision to close building not a new one says CEO
Horowhenua District Council CEO Monique Davidson in response to a story about closure of the old courthouse in Foxton says this was not a new decision as the article suggested, but acknowledges there may have been some misunderstanding over the years on the issue.
“For many years HDC has been very clear that the building is not to be accessed by members of the public. This is a decision HDC has made as the building owner, not as a regulator. Albeit I acknowledge that position might have been confused in 2022.
“An Initial Evaluation Procedure (IEP) was undertaken on the former Foxton courthouse building by Opus in 2011. The IEP indicated that this building achieved less than 33 per cent of the strength of an equivalent new building on the site and therefore was potentially earthquake prone.
“A visual site inspection was undertaken by an Opus structural Engineer in March 2013. Following this the report concluded that the seismic rating for this building was less than 33 per cent of the new building standard (NBS).
“Opus recommended that seismic strengthening be designed and completed prior to any future re-occupation of the building. It was at this time that council gave the direction that the courthouse was not to be occupied (around 2012).
“The Foxton courthouse is our highest risk
building,” Davidson said.
She said the building is on the official Earthquake Prone Building List, which means that as the owner of the building council has 15 years to complete the remedial work on the building, and signage must be erected on the building informing of its earthquake prone status, though it is as yet not on the national register.
“Although the Building Act does not require council as a regulatory authority to close the building, we have made the decision based on the information available to us in the seismic assessment report we have for the building, and how the building is likely to perform in a moderate earthquake. This decision was actually made in 2011.
“This year we have confirmed council’s decision to close the Foxton courthouse building to the public, and therefore prohibiting the public from access to the building. This is because as the building owner we have decided to prioritise public safety over building occupation.”