Chris Penk: Building and Construction Minister on the Government's overhaul impacting quake-prone buildings

A shake-up to the quake-prone building standards could be a reprieve for iconic properties facing large retrofit bills.

The Government's loosening the regime to only capture buildings genuinely posing a risk to life in medium and high seismic risk zones. 

It'll mean only 80 will need full retrofits and 15,000 will still need some remediation. 

Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says there'll be a lot of places now off the hook for having expensive work.

"A large number of buildings that will remain caught by the system to some extent, but will only need a targeted retro-fit, or maybe just a securing of a façade." 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from news Talk zed be
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
And the government has announced a major overhaul of our
earthquake building rules. From now only concrete buildings three stories
or higher althose constructed with unreinforced masonry, brick walls and
the like will be included in that system. Auckland, Northland
and the Chattham Islands will be completely exempt. Chris Pink
is the Building Minister and with us now Hi Chris, Hello, Heather.
Is this an admission that we went overboard with the previous.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Rules, Well, it's a refocusing a few years later, having
seen good rules well while intention rules come into effect
and just thinking about the way that's paid out practically,
we think that we can refine the system a bit
so that we can have, you know, still a focus
on life safety, but actually be a bit sensible and
balanced about what that means for people who own this.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Are we accepting more risk?

Speaker 3 (01:01):
I think it's a balanced approach to risk. I think
actually we're not taking on any more risk given that
we are focusing on on the most dangerous buildings. But
also maybe an unintended consequence of having a gold standard
that's proven very difficult to meet. Actually, we're more likely
that the strengthening and remediation work takes place now because
it's a bit more targeted.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Will this save the chateau?

Speaker 3 (01:27):
I don't want to get into individual buildings, particularly when
there's other factors. Well, I mean, each one will be
assessed according to the relevant criteria, and I'm not familiar
enough with them to get into that. But I just
know there around New Zealand, in small town New Zealand
as well as some of our biggest cities, there'll be
a lot of winds where places are off the howk
and people can go ahead and invest in them and

(01:48):
have that.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
Okay, So the chateau is five stories, right, and it
looks to me to be made of stone, so it
would still it would still have to be assessed, right,
It wouldn't be exempt from these rules.

Speaker 3 (01:58):
Yeah, it sounds to me as though it wouldn't be
out automatically, but you know, it might also be that.
You know, and just to make it general, there are
a few buildings or a large number of buildings actually
that will remain caught by the system to some extent,
but will only need a targeted retrofit or maybe just
the securing of a facade rather than the full strengthening
that the system currently required.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
What about the city to see Bridge and Wellington.

Speaker 3 (02:22):
Again, not wanting to get too specific, but that's you know,
already received a stay of execution on the basis that
we were about to have the announcement. So it seems
to me that senity might prevail in terms of that
and other landmark kind of buildings around the place, some
of which are owned by councils and some of which
are privately owned. And then you've got central government as well,
so potentially a lot of winners of different entities not

(02:45):
having to spend money that currently the law is forced.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Wellington obviously has a whole bunch of buildings which are
basically like, if not abandoned, at least closed because of
these rules, like Reading Cinema, the Oldamorra Hotel and stuff.
I guess is it possible that these buildings may actually
be able to be opened.

Speaker 3 (03:03):
It will be a game changer for some in that respect,
Or it might be that they can't be opened yet,
but with a relatively small application of new funds would
be able to get up to the standards, so you
know there are different levels of assistance that are going
to be provided by this and will be case by case,
but overall the effect will be a big win for
cities like Wellington, but further afield.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
Will it have an impact on insurance premiums?

Speaker 3 (03:27):
I think insurance is probably slightly different. I suspect it
will have a downward pressure effect in terms of insurance premiums.
But insurance will typically guard against buildings being damaged or
compensate in the event that there is damage. So our
aim as a government is actually to focus on life
safety risks, so a slightly different metric. But where insurances

(03:49):
currently say if you've got an earthquake prone building, according
to the government, we're going to hike your premiums, those
people will find some relief.

Speaker 2 (03:55):
All right, Chris, thank you very much, as always, Chris
Pink Building Ministry.

Speaker 1 (03:58):
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