Council Sets Direction for Future of Buildings

Council has been undertaking a review of its earthquake-prone buildings, including taking a closer look at the engineering reports and information that informed previous occupancy decisions.

The review was initiated because of changes to legislation around earthquake prone buildings and the changing landscape around health and safety across the country. We wanted to make sure that all our buildings were safe to be occupied by staff and members of the public. This was part of our due diligence to ensure that our buildings are safe for ongoing use and occupation. The process involved EPB reports, checking MBIE guidelines and an environmental scan.

Previous decisions about the ongoing use and occupancy of these buildings were made using the information available at the time. Through the review, Council sought greater clarity about the engineering information and the risks associated with occupancy.

That work resulted in Council gaining a different understanding of the risks associated with continuing to use and occupy both 36 Weld Street and the Pakiwaitara Building than was previously available. As Council's understanding changed, so too did the decisions about ongoing use and occupancy.

Based on that information, and with the safety of staff and members of the public as the primary consideration, the Chief Executive has decided both buildings should be vacated.

As with all buildings in a seismically active region, the level of risk associated with occupying a building is different from the level of risk associated with briefly passing by it. The decisions made to date have focused on reducing occupancy risk for staff, tenants and members of the public using the buildings.

While the buildings are deemed unsafe for ongoing current use and occupation, they are not deemed to be dangerous buildings that require cordoning off.

The decision to vacate the Council Building and Pakiwaitara Building relates to the ongoing use and occupation of those buildings, not to people walking past them.

The engineering information Council has received relates to how the buildings are expected to perform during an earthquake and the risks associated with people occupying them for extended periods of time.

An EPB seismic assessment was commissioned in 2021. However, the report was not accepted by Council regulatory team as it did not follow the required methodology to establish the building’s %NBS. The previous management team reported that the building was at 34 %NBS and Council committed to strengthening the building.

However, no works were undertaken.

The recently commissioned EPB seismic assessment identified the building achieving 25%NBS. The building was closed on 29 September temporarily allowing us to seek further information. Following consideration of that information, we concluded that the risks of ongoing use and occupation were too high, and a decision was made that the building will be closed indefinitely.

At Pakiwaitara, the building was assessed at 25% NBS in 2020 and formally classified as earthquake-prone in 2020. As part of the EPB review, Council requested the engineering information underpinning decisions about the building. That advice provided a more detailed understanding of the risks associated with ongoing current use and occupancy, leading to the decision to vacate the building.

New Building Standard (NBS) is a measure used to compare the expected performance of an existing building during a moderate earthquake against the standard required for a new building built under today's building code.

While both 34% NBS and 25% NBS indicate a building has seismic limitations that require consideration, the difference is not simply a percentage change.

Buildings assessed at less than 34% NBS are classified as earthquake-prone under current legislation. A building assessed at 25% NBS is also categorised as a Grade D building under the seismic assessment framework.

Engineering guidance indicates that a Grade D building may carry approximately 10 to 25 times the risk to life during a moderate earthquake compared with a modern building designed to current building code requirements.

The significance of the recent assessments was not simply the numerical rating itself, but that Council gained a different understanding of the risks associated with continued occupancy than was previously available. That information was considered alongside Council's responsibilities for the safety of staff and members of the public when decisions about ongoing use and occupancy were made.

No.

Engineering reports do not predict when or if a building will fail. They provide information about how a building is expected to perform during a moderate earthquake.

The decision to vacate these buildings should not be interpreted as meaning collapse is imminent. Rather, Council has considered the engineering information available, the risks identified, Westland's seismic environment, and its responsibilities to staff and members of the public when making decisions about current and ongoing use and occupancy.

The final decisions regarding ongoing use and occupation of the buildings were made by the Chief Executive.

As the employer and the person responsible for Council's day-to-day operations, the Chief Executive as the PCBU (person carrying a business or undertaking) under the Health and Safety at Work Act has obligations for the safety and wellbeing of Council staff and visitors.

Engineering advice informs those decisions, but ultimately the responsibility for occupancy decisions sits with the Chief Executive.

While ongoing use and occupancy of the buildings are operational decisions made by the Chief Executive; decisions around the physical buildings’ future remain with the elected members.

While the buildings will be vacated, it is our priority that Council services will continue with minimal disruption. Most Council staff will continue working remotely while alternative accommodation arrangements are made.

In-person Council reception, limited visitor information and AA services are operating from Ground Floor, Como House, 51 Tancred Street.

Customer services – Monday to Friday – 8:30am to 4:30pm

AA services – Monday to Friday – 9am to 4pm

Limited Visitor Information Services – Monday to Friday – 9am to 4pm

The Westland District Library pop-up will be temporarily closed for in-person services. Full library services will be available once it reopens from its former location in early November. All digital library services will remain available during this period.

There will be costs associated with medium term arrangements, and the longer-term costs will depend on the options Council considers for each building.

Those costs may include further investigations, potential remedial work, alternative accommodation and the ongoing provision of services.

Council needs to assess the available options and their financial implications before it can provide a reliable picture of the longer-term costs.

Council will continue to find efficient and cost-effective solutions while we navigate through this transition.

At an Extraordinary Council Meeting on 14 October, Councillors directed staff to undertake further investigations to better understand the options available to Council before any decisions are made about the long-term future of either building.

This work will include determining the market value of both the Council Building and the Pakiwaitara Building, investigating options for future Council premises within the Hokitika CBD and on Council-owned land at Hokitika Airport, and assessing the likely costs, timeframes and practical implications associated with those options.

Council also requested advice on the consultation process that would be required before any significant decisions are made.