Earthquake proposals

The Government plans, in response to the Royal Commission’s findings, would require all commercial buildings and high-rise apartment blocks to be assessed for earthquake risk and the results made public.

Any buildings found to be at risk of collapse would have to be strengthened or demolished within 15 years under the proposed changes.

Olly Newland said not enough thought had been put into the proposals.

“Did the Commission take into account that in many instances the tenant may have to pay for the strengthening under the improvements clause contained in most leases? Did the Commission think about what happens to business tenants with leases who will have their businesses destroyed while strengthening is undertaken?”

He said tenants were already breaking their leases citing concerns about buildings being earthquake-prone. “Who will pay the building owner compensation?”

Newland suggested the problem should be left to correct itself. In 100 years, he said, all the earthquake-prone buildings would be gone or redeveloped.

“That is the natural order of things and that is how the problem will right itself with only the gentle of nudges by the powers that be.”