Council Chief Executive Barbara Phillips has made the decision to temporarily close the Council building (36 Weld Street) for two weeks from Wednesday 30 September 2026 following receipt of updated engineering information about the building's seismic performance.
The building was assessed in 2021, and the previous Council management team determined it at 34% of New Building Standard (NBS). That assessment informed Council's occupancy decisions at the time and proposed a pathway for the building to be strengthened over time. The building has continued to operate on the basis of that assessment while longer-term options for Council's accommodation needs have been considered.
Council initiated a review of Council buildings following changes to legislation around earthquake prone buildings. The review started with 36 Weld Street and on 25 September 2026, Council received a newer assessment indicating the building has a seismic rating of 25% NBS, lower than the previously understood 34% NBS. While both assessments indicate the building has seismic limitations that require long-term consideration, the reduction from 34% to 25% NBS represents a significant change in Council's understanding of the building's performance and the procedure moving forward.
As an employer, Council has responsibilities for the health, safety and wellbeing of its staff. Given the updated engineering advice, the Chief Executive, as the officer responsible under the Health and Safety Act has taken a responsible approach by temporarily closing the building while engineers provide further information.
Why are we doing this now?
The temporary closure is a direct response to the new engineering assessment which provided the new seismic rating. The previous management’s decisions were based on the information available in 2021. The more recent assessment has changed Council's understanding of the building's seismic performance and created the need for further investigation before decisions are made about ongoing occupancy.
Council recognises that the future of both the Council building and Pakiwaitara has been discussed for some time. These facilities will continue to form part of Council's long-term planning and investment considerations through the Long Term Plan process.
However, the current closure relates specifically to the new engineering information received about the Council building and the need to better understand what that information means in practice.
What will happen over the next two weeks?
During the closure period, engineers will respond to Council’s queries around the condition and status of the building.
Council services will continue to operate during this period, with staff working from alternative locations where appropriate. Reception and customer services will operate from the Pakiwaitara building (41 Weld Street) to ensure residents can continue to access Council services.
What happens after two weeks?
At the conclusion of the investigation period, Council will consider the engineers' responses and determine the appropriate next steps.
Those next steps may include partially/fully reopening the building or considering other options. Council will communicate the outcome once the engineering advice has been received and assessed.
Note: NBS is a measure used to compare the earthquake performance of an existing building against the standard required for a new building built under today's building code. A higher percentage indicates stronger expected seismic performance. For example, a building assessed at 100% NBS is expected to perform to the same standard as a new building designed under the current code, while a building assessed at 34% NBS is expected to achieve around one-third of that performance level.