Five Council-owned buildings are having notices placed on them to inform people of their earthquake-prone status.

The five buildings (four buildings and one structure) are the Te Teko War Memorial Hall, Waimana Nukuhou Hall, the Whakatane Rugby Park Grandstand and two commercial buildings at 58 The Strand and 39 McAlister Street. Legislation requires assessment of buildings for earthquake vulnerability. This work has led to five Council-owned public facilities being deemed earthquake-prone.

The buildings can continue to be used as normal. Buildings that are earthquake-prone do not present a high risk to users, rather the structures themselves are at risk of suffering significant damage in the event of a moderate quake. Owners of earthquake-prone buildings have a number of years - 15 in most cases - to address earthquake vulnerability issues. By this time, all buildings must be at least 34 percent compliant with EQ building standards. Strengthening work on the five stickered buildings has not been scheduled.

General Manager Development and Environment Services, David Bewley, says the notification process is another step along the way to ensuring all buildings meet the New Building Standard and receive earthquake strengthening within the required timeframes.

The Whakatāne War Memorial Hall was strengthened in 2019 after also being identified as earthquake-prone. This work was carried out due to the building’s use as a Civil Defence Evacuation Centre. Earlier this year the hall was occupied by Apanui School children and teachers displaced by a fire at the school. 

Council has also started a review of the initial assessments of other (non-Council-owned) potentially earthquake-prone buildings in the district undertaken in 2011-2012.  The review incorporates recent changes to the Engineering Assessment Guidelines and the results from the Whakatāne CBD liquefaction study.  Property owners will be contacted in the near future with reviewed individual assessment results.

More information on the national system for managing earthquake-prone buildings in New Zealand is available on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website.

Earthquake-Prone Buildings - Frequently Asked Questions - (PDF, 623 KB)