Earthquake-prone buildings
ICW has been active in the area of 'earthquake-prone buildings' since its inception in 2008, when the implications of the legislation started to become apparent when WCC established its own Earthquake-Prone Building Policy under the Building Act 2004.
The costs of strengthening and the lack of any support to apartment owners in buildings deemed earthquake-prone place this group of home-owners in a vulnerable position when working in multi-owner complexes on a complex, technical, expensive and high -risk project.
Strong buildings are important for resilience but the costs and impacts of the current legislation that is retrospectively applied to existing buildings is having life-changing consequences for affected owners.
ICW's lobbying with central and local government is challenging the basis for the legislation and believes the legislation should be reviewed, at least for residential buildings. ICW is also calling for financial support and effective implementation support service for all affected owners.
ICW is also monitoring developments, such as the review of the National Seismic Hazard Model and changes to the building code, and the implications of this for a wider group of apartment buildings and future owners of apartments.
Contact us if you have suggestions for this page or are interested in more information.
Links to recent media
RNZ. Nine to Noon. 5 Feb 2024: Doco series finds defective builds still plaguing New Zealand
Documentaries. SkyGo. 4 Feb.2024. ‘A Living Hell: Apartment Disasters 1’ & ‘Living Hell: Apartment Disasters 2’.
ICW News item: 1 Feb 2024: Attention apartment building Chairs/Committee: here’s an opportunity to respond to The Treasury's survey
The Herald. 1 Feb 2024: Apartment owners struggle with skyrocketing insurance premiums, Treasury admits ‘knowledge gap’
ICW News item. 31 Jan 2024: Body Corporates Chairs / Committees - have you heard about this?
ICW News item. 30 Jan 2024: Look out for the documentary ‘A Living Hell: Apartment Disasters 02’
The Post. 27 Jan 24 (paywall): Minister wants to tackle quake prone building system issues
RNZ Nine to Noon. 24 Jan 2024: Earthquake-prone building regulations unaffordable for some
The Post. 20 Jan 2024 (paywall): Quake compliance costs burying apartment owners
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Recent ICW documents and activity:
2024
Notes of ICW Meeting with Minister Penk - 29 February 2024
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Engaging with Minister Penk on the impacts of the earthquake-prone building legislation - January 2024
Further to the media coverage in December 2023, ICW emailed Minister Penk supporting his willingness to consider bringing a review of the legislation forward. We followed this up with a briefing Delivering a pragmatic and sustainable approach to resilient buildings.
Minister Penk has agreed to meet with ICW and we are waiting for a date for this meeting. This is a positive step forward.
Separately, Hazel Kirkham, who has worked with ICW on our lobbying and research activities, submitted to Ministers Penk and Seymour her Case for repeal of the EPB legislation. ICW fully supports Hazel's work and has drawn on Hazel's analysis in our briefing to Minister Penk, in the 2020 survey of apartment owners (Part 1: analysis; Part 2: Survey data and comments) and in various other submissions. ICW wrote to Minister Seymour supporting Hazel's work saying 'ICW believes looking into this legislation should be a priority for the Ministry for Regulation, and for your Ministry, to be involved during any review led by MBIE'.
Recent coverage: The article in The Post (paper 20 Jan 2024; online 19 Jan 2024 - paywall) covered Hazel's work. Piers Fuller is working on more articles on the earthquake-prone legislation. RNZ's Nine to Noon also had an interview with Hazel Kirkham and Clr Iona Pannett on 29 January 2024.
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2023
Complaint to the Ombudsman - September 2023
The complaint has been submitted. Thank you to everyone who provided names and contact details to support the complaint. If you meant to provide your details … but life took over … send them through and we'll maintain a list.
Geraldine Murphy: email: ICWseismicproject@gmail.com.
Watch this space for the final document. We will update you on progress when we can.
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2022
ICW Update: Earthquake-prone buildings updated - 16 December 2022
This update is provided by Geraldine Murphy ICW’s spokesperson on Seismic Matters.
Read the update here
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Wellington City Council 2022 Elections
The following documents provide information in connection with the upcoming Wellington local government election.
Impacts of earthquake-prone legislation on apartment owners. Pukehinau/Lambton Ward candidates meeting with ICW Committee, 30 August 2022
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ICW Update: Earthquake-prone buildings advocacy - 29 August 2022
This update is provided by Geraldine Murphy ICW’s spokesperson on Seismic Matters.
Read the update here
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Stuff: Earthquake-prone legislation - is it time for a re-think?
This article - published on 18 July in Stuff - builds on the previous letter to the editor written by Geraldine (see below).
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Earthquake-prone buildings - these are the questions - who has the answers?
In this letter to the Editor of the Dominion Post, published on 13 June 2022, Geraldine Murphy, ICW Spokesperson on Seismic Matters, raises the issue of how the law is creating a morass of uncertainty for building owners and people living in apartment buildings. (June 2022)
Read her letter here
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2021
Earthquake-prone buildings – where is the certainty for owners and what is the endgame if there is no certainty?
In this document, ICW challenges central government to better define for owners what was required and why, so that there would be more clarity about the issue. (Oct 2021)
Read our submission here
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Unit Titles Amendment Act Bill - advocating for apartment owners
Since ICW’s foundation in November 2008, a particular area of focus has been advocating on behalf apartment owners on the earthquake-prone legislation that first appeared with the introduction of the Building Act 2004, and then revised in the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Act 2016.
Read our submission here (28 April 2021)
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ICW Seismic Update - asking questions
In August 2020, ICW and the Body Corporate Chairs’ Group hosted a meeting of Wellington Central Candidates (Grant Robertson, Nicola Willis, James Shaw) to respond to set questions on three key issues affecting residents: impact of seismic strengthening compliance burdens on apartment owners, impacts of unaffordable insurance premiums for apartment buildings, and the need for reform of the Unit Titles Act 2010.
Read our update here (April 2021)
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MBIE review of Financial Assistance Scheme - August 2021
ICW researched and wrote this submission in response to MBIE undertaking a survey of owners in earthquake-prone buildings as part of its 12-month review of the Residential Earthquake-prone Building Financial Assistance Scheme.
Read our submission here (August 2021)
LINKS TO MORE DOCUMENTS AND RESOURCES
Submissions
WCC Earthquake-prone buildings programme update, 9 December 2021
MBIE review of Financial Assistance Scheme and non-financial barriers Aug 2021
Governance and Administration Select Committee report on petitions
ICW oral submission, Governance & Administration Select Committee, 24 June 2020
Inner City Wellington Supplementary Submission (1) 15 Dec 2019
ICW Submission to Gov & Admin Select Committee 1 Nov 2019
Submission to Ministers of Finance and Revenue on TWG option for tax relief for seismic strengthening (March 2019)
ICW submission on Priority Buildings (November 2018)
ICW Submission to Tax Working Group (November 2018)
ICW submission to Tax Working Group (April 2018)
ICW submission on Hurunui-Kaikoura EQ Recovery (URM) Amendment Order (6Feb2018)
Hurunui-Kaikoura EQ Recovery (URM) Amendment Order (6Feb2018)
ICA submission to IRD on IR PUB00223 Deductibility of seismic assessment costs, January 2016
ICA submission on Buildings (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill, Interim Report July 2015
ICA submission on the 2014- 15 Draft Annual Plan EQ strengthening initiatives 10 March 2014
ICA submission on Buildings (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill April 2014
ICA submission on MBIE building seismic performance consultation 4 March 2013
ICA letter to Minister Williamson re Earthquake Prone Buildings Policy 14 March 2012
ICA submission on the WCC draft Long Term Plan 2015-2025
Case study: impacts of EQP legislation on apartment owners, George Kanelos, April 2021
Resources
2023 Resources
MBIE’s Response to letter on timeframes for review of building design guidelines - Aug 2023
2022 Resources
MBIE Response to questions arising from NSHM Review - November 2022
Response from Minister Woods - July 2022
Letter to Minister Woods - June 2022
Letter to Minister Williams - April 2022
Minister Williams response to request for grants - March 2022
Request for grants for earthquake strengthening of residential buildings - Feb 2022
2021 Resources
ICW Seismic Project Update - July 2021
Unit Titles Amendment Bill – Update July 2021
General advice – Unit Titles and Seismic Issues - April 2021
Case study: impacts of EQP legislation on apartment owners, George Kanelos, April 2021
Letter to Minister of Building and Construction, 28 Feb 2021 and Minister's response
2020 Resources
Briefing to Ministers for building construction and EQC - December 2020
Media release: another living hell: case studies in living the earthquake prone building nightmare
Insurance Council letter to Wellington Central candidates - August 2020
ICW’s response to Insurance Council Letter - September 2020
Survey of Apartment Owners in EPB - Part 1 Analysis - August 2020
Survey of Apartment Owners in EPB - Part 2 Survey Data and Comments - August 2020
Petition calling for comprehensive support for residential owners in earthquake prone buildings
[MS Word, 15 kb]
Petition calling for review of the earthquake-prone building provisions in the Building Act 2004
[MS Word, 16 kb]
This tool, developed within a collaborative lobby group which ICW is part of, is aimed at providing body corporates and owners with an indicative understanding of the full costs of strengthening - not just the construction costs (as big as they are). It is intended as a guideline only and does not replace formal costing or financial advice. The Excel file provides a sheet for a building costing and a separate sheet for an apartment costing. The calculation cells are locked to avoid unintended changes to formulas. However, there are instructions in the Notes if you wish to unlock these cells and make changes to the formulas.
Meeting for owners of residential units in earthquake-prone buildings (6 June 2019)
Presentation [PDF, 585 kb]
Speakers notes & summary of discussion [PDF, 637 kb]
Survey of residential EQPBs May 2019 - qualitative responses [PDF, 472 kb]
Survey of residential EQPBs May 2019 - summary of 13 building cost estimates [XLS, 28 kb]
Priority Buildings - Information Evening 30 October 2018 (Report and Presentation)
Hon Dr Nick Smith response to Lender of Last Resort proposal 5 Oct 2017
ICW and BCCG Paper Lender of last resort facility 5 June 2017
EQ Seminar 6 - Kaikoura Quake impact on Wellington slides and notes 21 March 2017
EQ Seminar 6 Kaikoura Quake impact on Wellington questions asked and answers 21 March 2017
ICA Media Release for Financial Advisory Support position paper 1pm 30 January 2017
WCC letter to re final submission to MBIE re earthquake buildings 20 December 2016
ICA submission on WCC draft response to MBIE regs (Dec 2016) 7 December 2016
EQ Seminar 4 seismic strengthening project Questions asked and notes of answers 25 July 2016
EQ Seminar 3 seismic strengthening project Questions asked and notes of answers 25 July 2016
EQ Seminar 3 seismic strengthening project Case studies slides and notes 25 July 2016
EQ Seminar 2 seismic strengthening project Questions asked and notes of answers 3 May 2016
EQ Seminar 2 seismic strengthening project a Escrow Deed sample 3 May 2016
EQ Insurance and Finance presentation slides 6 November 2012
ICA - WCC EQ Technical Panel Key points from question and answer session 20 June 2012
WCC Responses to questions from meeting on 24 April 2012
WCC Responses to earthquake prone buildings insights and update presentation 24 April 2012
ICA - WCC earthquake prone buildings meeting Questions asked and notes of answers 24 April 2012